• Stalling for Time

  • My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator
  • By: Gary Noesner
  • Narrated by: Gary Noesner
  • Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,181 ratings)

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Stalling for Time  By  cover art

Stalling for Time

By: Gary Noesner
Narrated by: Gary Noesner
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Publisher's summary

The FBI’s chief hostage negotiator recounts harrowing standoffs, including the Waco siege with David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, in a memoir that inspired the miniseries Waco, now on Netflix.

“Riveting . . . the most in-depth and absorbing section is devoted to the 1993 siege near Waco, Texas.”—
The Washington Post

In Stalling for Time, the FBI’s chief hostage negotiator takes readers on a harrowing tour through many of the most famous hostage crises in the history of the modern FBI, including the siege at Waco, the Montana Freemen standoff, and the D.C. sniper attacks. Having helped develop the FBI’s nonviolent communication techniques for achieving peaceful outcomes in tense situations, Gary Noesner offers a candid, fascinating look back at his years as an innovator in the ranks of the Bureau and a pioneer on the front lines. Whether vividly recounting showdowns with the radical Republic of Texas militia or clashes with colleagues and superiors that expose the internal politics of America’s premier law enforcement agency, Stalling for Time crackles with insight and breathtaking suspense. Case by case, minute by minute, it’s a behind-the-scenes view of a visionary crime fighter in action.

©2010 Gary Noesner (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Captivating . . . an electrifying read . . . No Hollywood movie can top this story for thrills, suspense, or action.”—New York Journal of Books

“Certain to fascinate true crime readers . . . The compelling centerpiece of the book is Noesner’s analysis of ‘what went wrong at Waco’ with the Branch Davidians.”—Publishers Weekly

“Engrossing . . . The book is also an intimate history of contemporary American militia movements.”New Republic

What listeners say about Stalling for Time

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

talk about drinking the Kool-aid!

First, I did like the author/narrator's voice, it was performed well. However, I didn't get through his account of events surrounding the Waco siege.
He kept referring to David Koresh as the "sinful messiah", which I found disrespectful to the dead that innocently believed in Koresh' teachings. After watching the most recent Waco dramatization. and listening to David Thibideau's audiobook, the author continually disparaged, and took cheap shots at the Branch Davidians, even continuing to refer to "Mt. Carmel", as the Davidians called it, as "Ranch Apocalypse".
The issue with the Waco siege was not Koresh' alleged child abuse, but should have been the atrocities/overeach of the FBI, the ATF, and the HRT.
The author seemed to automatically accept the disgruntled former members' account of Koresh' foibles. I'm in no way a fan of David Koresh, nor do I find him innocent, not by a long shot, but the bloodlust of the FBI, after having lost agents in an unwarranted attack on dozens of women and children was all too obvious in the aftermath of the initial attack on the Davidians.
In my opinion, if you want a true account of what happened in Waco, listen to David Thibodeau's book.

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23 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting but lacking

I had hoped for more details about the negotiation process itself, and I would have liked to have heard about more real world examples. My biggest complaint is that the author sounded a little self-indulgent at times. Overall I would say it was interesting and worth the time.

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10 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Top Notch

Mr. Noesner's narration is second to none. His voice is soothing and consistent. No wonder he had such a successful career as a negotiator.

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9 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Outstanding

the inside the author provides is amazing this book is worth a listen or read

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4 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Not what I thought.

I got this book after reading David Thibadeau's book, and watching the series on Netflix. While this book was good, it wasn't what I expected. Very little was about Waco, and I guess I should've expected that. It is about Mr. Noesner's career as a whole, and I had hoped it would've had a focus on Waco. Good book about his exploits as an FBI negotiator.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Gary rocks

An incredible glimpse into a life journey that has culminated in a unique skill set and perspective about the necessity of using communication skills to save human lives. Gary has laid out several examples of how these skills, in conjunction with tactical support at times, minimize the loss of life and preserve the dignity of those involved. Some examples underscore how ignoring the importance of maintaining a dialogue with perpetrators have gone sadly awry. Another important theme emerges, that of careful coordination among all responders is paramount. Such a
skill set has implications beyond major events, but is useful in many settings including health care. I applaud Gary for baring his soul, risking the displeasure of colleagues and illustrating the importance of what his life’s work, his passion, has accomplished. Kudos, my friend!

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3 people found this helpful

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Informative

After watching the Waco miniseries on Netflix, I was curious about the boots-on-ground perspective from both the FBI and from the Branch Davidians. Special Agent Seosner does a remarkable job about staying facts from his perspective, while also acknowledging how they could've approached it better.

He also detailed other sensitive cases he was involved with such as Talladega and Ruby Ridge. An informative and interesting read.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great listen!

Each chapter is a vignette of a case Gary played a role in or exemplifies tactics and strategies he seeks to explain in the book.
The book is captivating, entertaining, and is for everyone...all of life can be seen as negotiation.
Having Gary read the book is an added bonus.

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  • CB
  • 06-19-23

Much more than the title suggests

This retired FBI agent was ahead of his time and a pioneer, even by todays standards when it comes to law enforcement and how America can and should police itself during myriad crisis situations, occurring individually and across this nation daily. Just as much of a lesson for our courageous law enforcement officers, it is a compelling argument for political, usually elected officials to adequately fund the financial costs of patience and "stalling for time" as opposed to placing usually unnecessary pressure on a situation that if ended with tactics that cost a life or lives, will likely be more expensive to clean up and litigate than just giving disturbed persons and professional negotiators the time they need. He rightfully points out that not all situations can and will end peacefully, but too often the time needed to make that decision is cut short in the interest of financial cost, ego, hubris, or other reasons.

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good story and lessons, but audio was distracting

the overall presentation was a good way to deliver a non-violent approach to terrorism. But often the audio kept cutting between the speaker's active and passive voice which was distracting

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1 person found this helpful