War Dogs

How Three Stoners From Miami Beach Became the Most Unlikely Gunrunners in History

By: Guy Lawson

Narrated by: Jason Culp

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

The pause-resister inside account of how two kids from Florida became big-time weapons traders - and how the US government turned on them.

In January 2007 two young stoners from Miami Beach - one a ninth-grade dropout, the other a licensed masseur - won a $300 million Department of Defense contract to supply ammunition to the Afghanistan military. Incredibly, instead of fulfilling the order with high-quality arms, Efraim Diveroli and David Packouz - the dudes - bought cheap Communist-style surplus ammunition from Balkan gunrunners. The pair then secretly repackaged millions of rounds of shoddy Chinese ammunition and shipped it to Kabul - until they were caught by Pentagon investigators and the scandal turned up on the front page of The New York Times.

That's the "official" story. The truth is far more explosive. For the first time, journalist Guy Lawson tells the thrilling true tale. It's a trip that goes from a dive apartment in Miami Beach to mountain caves in Albania, the corridors of power in Washington, and the frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan. Lawson's account includes a shady Swiss gunrunner, Russian arms dealers, corrupt Albanian gangsters, and a Pentagon investigation that impeded America's war efforts in Afghanistan. Lawson exposes the mysterious and murky world of global arms dealing, showing how the American military came to use private contractors like Diveroli and Packouz as middlemen to secure weapons from illegal arms dealers - the same men who sell guns to dictators, warlords, and drug traffickers.

©2015 Guy Lawson (P)2015 Recorded Books

Not Really Sure

I'm not really sure why I read "War Dogs" because I've already know the story of Diveroli and Packouz. I've already seen the movie and watched the episode on American Greed. If I didn't heard about their story before, I would had given more stars to the book. You may argued that they are criminals for ripping off the government for selling weapons that were made in China, but they were in business for profit. We get our toothbrushes from China, what's the big deal about selling rounds from the Reds? They could had structure their company to be more legal, but we are asking too much from stoners from Miami. I feel like AEY's story has been told more than once that reading the book is a side note that you don't have to bother.

They did what?

Amazing story. Typical government stupidity leads to huge waste of money. I never though gun running was a legitimate business option. Who knew.

Well told tale.

Engaging story. Well researched and presented. The story flows like a thriller but it's real. It's a universal story of strivers, assholes, war, greed & expediency. As if there weren't enough reasons to hate war & corporate greed, this story gives you more. The whole procurement shell game is based on enriching corporate masters & satisfying war lust. If only these dudes had K Street lobbyists .

Fantastic Journalism

An enlightening journalism masterpiece giving a glimpse into the dark industry of weapon sales and the political mess that is the US government’s oversight and involvement in such matters.

Excellent & Interesting Account of Entrepreneurship into the Arms Dealing Realm

Great Read / Listen.
Can't wait to compare the book to the movie.
The reality to how the US government has contradictory departments and unless you have money or influence your just small fry or the escape goat.

Interesting True story

The story line was entertaining and l can see why it was made into movie. The narration was absolutely awful! He sounded like the geeky Dad that tries to talk cool to impress and be accepted by his teenage kids.

It was just...... ok.

Towards the end I got really tired of the story. The narrator did a good job with the voices.

Engrossing and accurate reporting

It's basically a gigantic news report with a great story in it. The trials and tribulations these guys endured to deal with the ridiculous bureaucracy of procurement contracts is staggering.

Everyone, from the top to the bottom, was misinformed about the actual law. Without proper legal analysis, the armchair lawyers throughout the government decided that what was actually legal was instead illegal. This jeopardize the mission, wasted money, and endangered the lives of tens of people in the procurement process and thousands of lives in the war zone.

Cool story but it really is about procurement

Cool story but it really is about an f'ed up procurement process - a little slow at times.

Good story, bad performance

I liked the movie War Dogs, so I wanted to give the book a try. This book is a good story about how some young guys won, and tried to fulfill a big contract for the US military. It shows the bureaucracy and red tape of our government. I got tired of the constant reference to the "dudes" being dope heads. The author just will not shut up about that aspect of these guys. But the worst part was the narrator. When he is reading the book he is OK, but when he tries to perform as Efraim, David, or Alex he is terrible. Just read the darn book! Otherwise, yes I liked it.