The Triple Agent

The al-Qaeda Mole who Infiltrated the CIA

By: Joby Warrick

Narrated by: Sunil Malhotra

Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

A stunning narrative account of the mysterious Jordanian who penetrated both the inner circle of al-Qaeda and the highest reaches of the CIA, with a devastating impact on the war on terror.

In December 2009, a group of the CIA’s top terrorist hunters gathered at a secret base in Khost, Afghanistan, to greet a rising superspy: Humam Khalil al-Balawi, a Jordanian double-agent who infiltrated the upper ranks of al-Qaeda. For months, he had sent shocking revelations from inside the terrorist network and now promised to help the CIA assassinate Osama bin Laden’s top deputy. Instead, as he stepped from his car, he detonated a 30-pound bomb strapped to his chest, instantly killing seven CIA operatives, the agency’s worst loss of life in decades.

In The Triple Agent, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Joby Warrick takes us deep inside the CIA’s secret war against al-Qaeda, a war that pits robotic planes and laser-guided missiles against a cunning enemy intent on unleashing carnage in American cities. Flitting precariously between the two sides was Balawi, a young man with extraordinary gifts who managed to win the confidence of hardened terrorists as well as veteran spymasters. With his breathtaking accounts from inside al-Qaeda’s lair, Balawi appeared poised to become America’s greatest double-agent in half a century - but he was not at all what he seemed. Combining the powerful momentum of Black Hawk Down with the institutional insight of Jane Mayer’s The Dark Side, Warrick takes the readers on a harrowing journey from the slums of Amman to the inner chambers of the White House in an untold true story of miscalculation, deception, and revenge.

©2011 Joby Warrick (P)2011 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

" The Triple Agent is a spy thriller like no other. Never has such a giant intelligence debacle been chronicled this vividly, this intimately. Riveting and harrowing, laden with deception and duplicity, it is a remarkable, behind-the-curtain account of the CIA’s darkest day in Afghanistan." (Rajiv Chandrasekaran, author of Imperial Life in the Emerald City)

“Absolutely first-rate, breakthrough reporting.”(Bob Woodward, author of Obama’s Wars)

“ The Triple Agent is a superlative piece of reporting and writing. Joby Warrick manages to take the reader inside the CIA, Jordanian intelligence, and al-Qaeda. His intimate portraits of intelligence officers and the terrorists they stalk are unforgettable. The Triple Agent is one of the best true-life spy stories I have ever read.” (David Ignatius, columnist for the Washington Post and author of Bloodmoney)

Absolutely engrossing!

The story doesn't lag at all and moves very quickly without missing any important details. I learned a lot about how the CIA operates in the middle East. I wouldn't want to be a spy, you never know who you can trust.

Captivating Story

Would you consider the audio edition of The Triple Agent to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version, but the narriater of ths book brought the story to life. He captured my attention completely.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Humam Khalil al-Balawi, the main character was extremely crafty and difficult for his handlers to understand.

What about Sunil Malhotra’s performance did you like?

Sunil Malhotra has an excellent reading voice and adds emotion to his reading of the story.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I think that books of this nature cannot be captured in film successfully

Any additional comments?

After listening to the first few chapters, I found that the story was so complex that I returned to the beginning to hear it again. I was very happy that I did as I subsiquently was able to follow the entire tale.

Extraordinary detail.. with a great ending

What did you love best about The Triple Agent?

Triple Agent sort of amazed me with the details obtained by the writer. I found myself wondering how he got all this access and information.

What aspect of Sunil Malhotra’s performance would you have changed?

Malhorta seemed to get way to much enjoyment out of saying the word's 'Pakistan' and 'Afghanistan' in an unusual way.

Fascinating

Great book based on actual events. I love how the author told the story & backed it up with the history that led up to it. Really painted a detailed picture and highlighted our fight against terrorism.

Well written

I enjoyed this audible account. It was well written, and well read. Such an interesting story with such a tragic outcome, but very well worth the listen.

fantastically written and narrated.

I've read and researched every book written on intelligence in the middle east and this one of the best on the topic. This is a story which everyone needs to read, to understand the sacrifices and tough decisions that our intelligence agents make everyday.

Accurate, well-written and informative.

Accurate, well-written and informative account of Camp Chapman attack, minus the ignorant, partisan opinions that too often accompany this sort of book. Well done.

Excellent book

Great insight into modern history. Narrator also did an excellent job. If you want keen insight into major events in the war on terror and to better understand the real sacrifice some are making, then this book is a must read.

Misleading title

The title makes it sound like there was some clever scheme but really all that happened was the CIA thought the potential payoff was so great that they ignored every red flag pointing to the outcome.

Fascinating look at the CIA'a org structure

Would you listen to The Triple Agent again? Why?

Yes

What other book might you compare The Triple Agent to and why?

Jaw Breaker.

Both books examine how the CIA makes decisions regarding promotions and the selection of personnel as it relates specific assignments.

What does Sunil Malhotra bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Excellent speaking voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

What made the book interesting to me was the authors examination of how the CIA makes personnel decisions. Like any other organization, the CIA has to make important personnel decisions, and like any other organization they get caught up in political correctness instead of putting the best person in the job-