Dark Alliance

The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion

By: Gary Webb

Narrated by: Christian Rummel

In July 1995, San Jose Mercury-News reporter Gary Webb found the Big One - the blockbuster story every journalist secretly dreams about - without even looking for it. A simple phone call concerning an unexceptional pending drug trial turned into a massive conspiracy involving the Nicaraguan Contra rebels, L.A. and Bay Area crack cocaine dealers, and the Central Intelligence Agency. For several years during the 1980s, Webb discovered, Contra elements shuttled thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States, with the profits going toward the funding of Contra rebels attempting a counterrevolution in their Nicaraguan homeland. Even more chilling, Webb quickly realized, was that the massive drug-dealing operation had the implicit approval - and occasional outright support - of the CIA, the very organization entrusted to prevent illegal drugs from being brought into the United States.

Within the this audiobook version of Dark Alliance, Webb produces a massive amount of evidence that suggests that such a scenario did take place, and more disturbing evidence that the powers that be that allowed such an alliance are still determined to ruthlessly guard their secrets. Webb's research is impeccable - names, dates, places, and dollar amounts gather and mount with every page, eventually building a towering wall of evidence in support of his theories.

After the original series of articles ran in the Mercury-News in late 1996, both Webb and his paper were so severely criticized by political commentators, government officials, and other members of the press that his own newspaper decided it best not to stand behind the series, in effect apologizing for the assertions and disavowing his work. Webb quit the paper in disgust in November 1997. This audiobook serves as both a complex memoir of the time of the Contras and an indictment of the current state of America's press; Dark Alliance is as necessary and valuable as it is horrifying and grim.

©1999 Gary Webb (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Gripping complicated story

What made the experience of listening to Dark Alliance the most enjoyable?

As the child of the 1980's I vaguely remember hearing phrases like Iran/Contra/ & something about how crack was the latest plague of the far off innner cities. It was a treat -as an adult- to finally hear the entire story in such an engaging format.

What about Christian Rummel’s performance did you like?

What can I say- the man's a master.

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

Yes.

Must read

Gary Webb died so you can read this book. That’s all. Read it and take notes.

Great book and really opens your eyes.

I really enjoyed this book and still shocked in what is told in this book. The story is told very well and gives a great break down of the events backed with facts that can be verified. Extremely upsetting and sad to know what happens to him for telling the truth. The only down side to the book is the person narrating it. I didn’t need the the different accents and plays a lot on stereotypes as to how certain races speak.

Demonstrative, overwhelming amount of detail

Informative, narration pleasing to the ear. Eye-opening and at times suspenseful. Accurate with details and interviews.

love it

very informative. I really enjoyed it. the reader was great with the change in voices

Necessary reading.

In the eyes of your government, the ends justify the means. Want to topple communist governments of third world countries? Enable their criminals using our intelligence resources and taxpayer money. Then lie about it to the American people about it. I've read the rebuttals to this series and while some of the connections may be stretched, if even a tenth of these allegations are true, you have no reason to trust your government or the media. Oh, and the narrator is pretty good.

“C.I.A. Says It Has Found No Link Between Itself and Crack Trade” — new york times, dec. 1997

webb’s greatest gift here was taking a brilliant piece of newspaper journalism and turning it into truly a marvelous piece of journalism-as-literature. also woefully ironic and eerie to listen to webb’s occasional ruminations on the work of danny casolaro knowing that the circumstances of webb’s death are also shall we say ever so slightly controversial. the narrator’s blaccent when doing freeway ricky ross, and oddly-pitched attempts at femininity when voicing any woman, were each a little much though.

Excellent

It’s read with distinctive voices for different characters. Very informative book on how drugs, politicians, the mainstream media and law enforcement work hand and hand. Definitely a good listen!

Most definitely a great read!!

I loved it because this man was a true investigative journalist it shed light on things that normally don't get reported much less substantiated.

Long-Form Media Shines

Really enjoyed the listen. IMO, this is long-form media at its finest. A genuine deep-dive into complex yet interrelated topics that could never be truly explored in a featured segment on mainstream media nor in a public education classroom. My personal belief is that those aforementioned outfits often serve as nothing more than state-sanctioned propaganda mouthpieces. But, even if you have more faith in them than I do, the format in which they present information is not conducive to examining and understanding anything of depth.

Dark Alliance couples real investigative journalism, highlighted by a detailed & compelling story, with a strong voice performance. Kept my interest the entire way, and presented a lot of information I had never heard before that shed new light on some major storylines from the 80’s and 90’s.