By Order of the President

Presidential Agent, Book 1

By: W. E. B. Griffin

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Length: 20 hrs

Publisher's summary

Two armed men board a 727 that has been all but forgotten at an airfield in Angola. Hijacking the jet, they then slit the throat of the lone crew and fly to parts unknown. The consternation is immediate, as the CIA, FBI, and other agencies race to find out what happened, in the process elbowing one another in the sides a little too vigorously.

Fed up, the president of the United States turns to an outside investigator to determine the truth, an Army intelligence officer serving as special assistant to the secretary of homeland security.

Delta Force major Carlos Guillermo Castillo, known as Charley, is the son of a German mother and a Tex-Mex father who was killed in the Vietnam War and awarded a Medal of Honor. A West Point graduate, a pilot, and a veteran of Desert Storm, Castillo has a sharp eye for the facts - and the reality behind them.

Traveling undercover, he flies to Africa, and there, helped and hindered by unexpected allies and determined enemies, he begins to untangle a story of frightening dimensions - a story that, unless he can do something about it, will end very, very badly indeed, not only for Castillo...but for all of America.

©2004 W. E. B. Griffin (P)2004 Brilliance Audio

Critic reviews

"Proving himself solidly in control of cutting-edge military material, Griffin bases his new series not on wars past but on today's murky exigencies of terrorism and international political intrigue." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Dick Hill does a top-notch job presenting a huge cast of charters from far-flung corners of the globe." ( AudioFile)

One if author’s best

One of author’s best. Will read next in series. Recommend to author’s fans. All the best

2nd Griffin Book... A good listen

Interesting story but a little rushed ending left details unaccounted for.... Good story and recommend

Not the best but not bad

there definitely could have been a better story line about the ruthlessness of the terrorist but there was plenty of depth otherwise

Humorous and Well Written, if Also Homophobic and Ethnocentric

Very much in the vein of Tom Clancy, the writing is solid and the story is pretty good. The characters are slightly flat and their back stories somewhat unlikely, but that's to be expected from a military thriller of this sort. I don't demand rigid political correctness from a book by any means, but the unnecessary homophobic remarks annoyed me after a while. Moreover, a jet setting novel that occurs on three continents needs a more complex understanding of other countries in order to give those settings more color.

Not a bad book but I just didn't love the worldview it represented.

Well....

I enjoyed the story. I have to say if it were not an audio book and narrated by Dick Hill, I wouldn't have gotten past the 2nd chapter.

Pleased with audio version

What made the experience of listening to By Order of the President the most enjoyable?

The narration made the book come alive.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Tended to drag in spots.

Have you listened to any of Dick Hill’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is equal and very good. Enjoy his presentation.

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

This one took several sittings due to length but wouldn't change a thing.

Any additional comments?

Find that audible version of Griffin's writing easier than reading the thick, detailed book.

Good read

I thought it was a good listen/read. I would recommend it. I liked Hills reading and the weird phone voices!!

Want more

This is a great book. Excellent characters, good story line and held your interest through out the book. 5 stars

Dick Hill is the right reader; interesting story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Listen to Presidential Series in order and follow the changes in life caused by each story. The story length might make you thin it will be a slow pace and in places it is but it makes the story more real and interesting. Once I started this series I had to read them all.

What other book might you compare By Order of the President to and why?

I listened to the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child read by Dick Hill. I loved the series and the Jack Reacher Series and had a hard time converting from Jack to Charley Castillo in this story.

Which character – as performed by Dick Hill – was your favorite?

Jack Reacher was my favorite but Charley Castillo; Cam Richter in this series is a close second but don't forget another great character read by Dick Hill; Cam Richter by P.T. Deutermann

Any additional comments?

Read the whole series in order, you certainly get your money's worth of entertainment.

Good start

Most fun listening since the old Jack Ryan books .. looking forward to more. Loved the characters and am happy they will continue with more adventures