Charlie Wilson's War

The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History

De: George Crile

Narrado por: Christopher Lane

Charlie Wilson’s War is the untold story of the last battle of the Cold War and how it fueled the rise of militant Islam. Charlie Wilson, a maverick congressman from east Texas, conspired with a rogue CIA operative to launch the biggest, meanest, and most successful covert operation in the Agency’s history.

In the early 1980s, after a Houston socialite turned Wilson’s attention to the ragged Afghan freedom fighters who continued to fight the Soviet invaders despite overwhelming odds, the congressman became passionate about their cause and procured hundreds of millions of dollars to support the mujahideen. The arms were secretly procured and distributed with the help of an out-of-favor CIA operative, Gust Avrokotos, whose working-class Greek-American background made him an anomaly among the Ivy League world of American spies. Avrakotos handpicked a staff of CIA outcasts to run his operation and, with their help, continually stretched the Agency’s rules to the breaking point.

Moving from the back rooms of the Capitol, to secret chambers at Langley, to arms-dealers conventions, to the Khyber Pass, Charlie Wilson’s War is a detailed and brilliantly reported account of the inside workings of the CIA.

©2003 George Crile (P)2004 Blackstone Audiobooks

Reseñas de la Crítica

• 2004 Audie Award Winner, Unabridged Nonfiction

"Crile, a 60 Minutes producer, offers an absorbing, thoroughly detailed look at the largest and most successful CIA operation in U.S. history: the arming of the Mujahideen in Afghanistan." (Booklist)
"An engaging, well-written, newsworthy study of practical politics and its sometimes unlikely players." (Kirkus Reviews)

“Narrator Christopher Lane affects an even tone and pace, allowing the events of the story to carry the listener to the extraordinary highs and sickening lows of the flawed but heroic Wilson. Thankfully, Lane takes it easy on the accents and shines brightest when allowing a tinge of cynicism in his delivery." ( AudioFile)

“Put the Tom Clancy clones back on the shelf; this covert-ops chronicle is practically impossible to put down.” ( Publishers Weekly)

Detailed and sometimes dry

The book is very, very detailed and can seem very slow at times. However, Crile does a very good job explaining he circumstances surrounding our initial involvement in Afghanistan. It also gives a glimpse into the unintended consequences of getting involved over there and how those decisions affect current day events.

Should we have learned from the Soviets Mistake ?

I thought the story started out very well, but having a hard staying focused on the enormous amount of detail being presented in the second half of the book.
Is this really the last battle of the cold war or are we in it now? I wonder what government is behind killing Americans. I'll be willing to bet, that every dollar they spend, costs the US at least $100.

Really makes you wonder.....

Good book that details the US covert action in AFG

Crile does a terrific job of detailing the covert action in Afghanistan and the enormous part Congressman Wilson played in that action. The support from the United States and the Saudis to the Mujahideen arguably led to the end of the Cold War. One can't help but like the unlikely pair of gruff men in Charlie and Gust. Their fowl mouths and shared willingness to work in the grey of rules and laws comes across as amusing.
The book is long, but well worth the read or listen.

historic and entertaining

excellent look inside how government works wrapped in an incredible and entertaining story. must read/listen

How things get done

As today’s congress struggles to get anything done, this story of how one man decided to make an impact is both interesting and provides hope that we could see another time when congress could effect change.
While this effort may have created the Taliban and empowered jihadists, it was the right thing to do at the time.