<![CDATA[The Afghan]]>

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109509

A chilling story of modern terrorism from the grandmaster of international intrigue. T he Day of the Jackal, The Dogs of War, The Odessa File-the books of Frederick Forsyth have helped define the international thriller as we know it today. Combining meticulous research with crisp narratives and plots as current as the headlines, Forsyth shows us the world as it is in a way that few have ever been able to equal. And the world as it is today is a very scary place. When British and American intelligence catch wind of a major Al Qaeda operation in the works, they instantly galvanize- but to do what? They know nothing about it: the what, where, or when. They have no sources in Al Qaeda, and it's impossible to plant someone. Impossible, unless . . . The Afghan is Izmat Khan, a five-year prisoner of Guantánamo Bay and a former senior commander of the Taliban. The Afghan is also Colonel Mike Martin, a twenty-five-year veteran of war zones around the world-a dark, lean man born and raised in Iraq. In an attempt to stave off disaster, the intelligence agencies will try to do what no one has ever done before-pass off a Westerner as an Arab among Arabs-pass off Martin as the trusted Khan. It will require extraordinary preparation, and then extraordinary luck, for nothing can truly prepare Martin for the dark and shifting world into which he is about to enter. Or for the terrible things he will find there. Filled with remarkable detail and compulsive drama, The Afghan is further proof that Forsyth is truly master of suspense.

3003265

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2006

The Afghan

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1 2 false false Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Oct 30 08:12:44 -0700 2007 Tue Oct 30 08:22:06 -0700 2007 Forysth's dialogue is wooden at best. In this one, he handles d...more...]]> 2 1 false false Wed Mar 04 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Mar 03 12:52:03 -0800 2009 Thu Mar 05 17:05:53 -0800 2009 Once
How far the mighty have fallen.

In what reads like a channeling of Tom Clancy, "The Afghan" goes on and on with details that have little or nothing to ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Apr 27 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 23 22:50:49 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 27 21:57:45 -0700 2009
"I'm from Minnesota, sir."
"Save your problems for the chaplain."
from "The Afghan"

What I learned from listening to "The Afghan":

Although I have some bad days on my j...more...]]> 2 0 false false Mon Dec 08 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 09 16:31:48 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 09 16:37:01 -0800 2008 This was my latest, having not read a ton of "spy thrillers" but I was definitely enterta...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Apr 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 27 17:12:55 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 27 17:23:49 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Nov 24 21:42:03 -0800 2008 Mon Nov 24 21:46:51 -0800 2008
This has nothing on "Fist of God".

The Afghan relies too much on coincidence and needless subplots that do little to help the flow.

The final Al Asra that is hinted at is so ham handed so as not inspire any terror.

Col. Mike Martin ...more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 05 18:20:19 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 05 18:24:46 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false true Fri Nov 07 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Oct 31 18:39:36 -0700 2008 Sat Nov 08 13:20:49 -0800 2008 1 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat May 31 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 30 06:19:50 -0700 2008 Sat May 31 16:08:46 -0700 2008 The Dogs of War or Day of the Jackal) Still, below-average Frederick Forsyth is better than a lot of espionage thriller writers who are on form.

The basic premise of this one is that British and American ...more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Dec 18 21:50:19 -0800 2007 Tue Dec 18 22:00:27 -0800 2007 As always, great attention to detail and a gripping plot

Cons
Less than substantive conclusion

Review
I’ve been a Frederick Forsyth fan from the moment I read The Day of the Jackal, years ago in the 10th or 11th grade. When I saw that he had a new book out...more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Fri Aug 31 21:40:30 -0700 2007 Fri Aug 31 21:42:55 -0700 2007
Narrated By: Robert Powell

When British and American intelligence catch wind of a major Al Qaeda operation in the works, they are primed for action - but what can they do? They know nothing about the attack: the what, where or when....more...]]> 2 0 false false Sat Jun 14 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Jun 06 11:14:27 -0700 2008 Sat Jun 14 20:40:46 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat Jan 12 12:21:13 -0800 2008 Mon Jan 14 20:59:24 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Jan 26 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 26 11:10:23 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 26 11:14:09 -0800 2009 more...]]> 0 0 false false Sun Jan 25 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Jan 25 00:25:26 -0800 2009 Sun Jan 25 00:31:38 -0800 2009 Rather than a novel The Afghan reads like a modern history book on Afghanistan and their struggle. The level of detail is humbling, but I wonder if Forsy...more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue May 19 18:03:00 -0700 2009 Tue May 19 18:04:45 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Jun 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 10 08:56:03 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 10 09:03:27 -0700 2009
This follows the story of Mike Martin (remember him from 'The Fist of God") who again goes undercover amidst the "AQ" and trys...more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Dec 04 15:47:52 -0800 2008 Thu Dec 04 15:49:30 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Sat Dec 13 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat Dec 13 08:46:00 -0800 2008 Sat Dec 13 08:50:40 -0800 2008
]]> 4 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Oct 25 07:04:23 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 25 07:12:52 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=109509