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Body of Lies
CIA soldier Roger Ferris has come out of Iraq with a shattered leg and an intense mission— to penetrate the network of a master terrorist known only as "Suleiman." Ferris's plan is inspired by a masterpiece of British intelligence during World War II: He prepares a body of lies, literally the corpse of an imaginary CIA officer who appears to have accomplished the impossibl...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
April 17th 2008
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published 2007)
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Nov 06, 2008
Dante
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
No one at all
There's nothing like an intelligent, well thought out spy novel with believable characters and credible situations. If that's your kind of novel, KEEP LOOKING!
This was horrible! Indigestible and inexcusable.
It's inexcusable when an author has supposedly smart people do stupid things. But it gets even worse here. Suspicious people accept information without question. Secretive people talk to other people about their secrets. A hardened terrorist yields to the pressure of being bored in prison to...more
This was horrible! Indigestible and inexcusable.
It's inexcusable when an author has supposedly smart people do stupid things. But it gets even worse here. Suspicious people accept information without question. Secretive people talk to other people about their secrets. A hardened terrorist yields to the pressure of being bored in prison to...more
Awesome! But there are some things that are against my religion
This novel is one well crafted post 9/11 spy thriller with a highly elaborate plot. The story starts when CIA agent Roger Ferris is sent on a mission to flush out a terrorist known as Suleiman. In order to forestall further Al-Qaeda attacks he develops an intricate scheme to pit the terrorists against each other by sowing seeds of suspicion that their leaders are collaborating with the Americans. Unable to succeed alone, he requires the full support of his boss Ed Hoffman and with the help of Ha...more
Well-paced, but as with almost all such stories, it suffers from being a bit juvenile in its characterizations (over-simplifying people and their motives) and a bit formulaic in its construction. However, based on the reporter's background, it is definitely well-researched and quite a plausible plot. The technical (writing and spycraft) aspects of the novel are its strongest cards, much like the better Tom Clancy books (pre-Op Center drivel). I had already seen the film before picking up the boo...more
An interesting book that is, unfortunately, marred by a poor beginning and a somewhat unsatisfying ending. Ignatius seems to know enough about the intelligence community to write a convincing novel about its operations, but a lot of things detract from this novel. For starters, the beginning has a very weird structure to it in that it doesn't really start at the beginning. In fact, the first 100 pages are the worst part of the book as it is incredibly boring. But it picks up once Farris, the mai...more
Watched the movie and found it ok, and I tend to enjoy Ignatius's column, so I gave it a try. Have to say i was a bit disappointed - the liberal, Bush-loathing politics (that I agree with) are just put on too thick, and the book can never quite decide whether it wants to be a page-turner or a liberal manifesto on US politics in the Middle East. I also found it questionable in an overtly political novel to lionize the fictional head of the Jordanian intelligence service as a suave, non-violent su...more
I thought this was well-written. From what I read before I got this book, it made it sound as if it was going to be so terrible that I would be pulling my hair out in frustration. It wasn't that bad. The author certainly knows his way around the Middle East, specifically Jordan. It was very well researched about plots, terrorists and government officials that are off the books.
But I feel as if he could have made his characters a bit less typical. Roger Ferris was almost too goody two shoes for...more
But I feel as if he could have made his characters a bit less typical. Roger Ferris was almost too goody two shoes for...more
I was first attracted to this book because it involved the relationship between Jordanian Intelligence and the CIA. Since there had been a recent story in the news about several CIA agents who were killed by an operative who came from Jordanian Intelligence, I thought perhaps this novel may have predicted the actual news event. Well, this book didn’t do that, but I’ll have to admit that I was impressed with the book’s ending.
Through the first half of the book I seriously considered bailing out a...more
Through the first half of the book I seriously considered bailing out a...more
David Ignatius, journalist and author of Agents of Innocence, has used his vast knowledge of Middle Eastern politics to write one of the most compelling post-9/11 spy thrillers. While creating psychologically deep characters and painting rich portraits of life in Iraq, Jordan, and Syria, he narrates a fast-paced search for a terrorist. A few critics noted, however, that Ignatius bends over backwards not to stereotype his Arab characters (most are wise; few are anti-Semitic), while blatantly crit
...more
Mostly, I enjoyed this book, though I found some of the characters underdeveloped and their actions simplistic. Also, things resolve themselves far too quickly and neatly to my mind.
I thought that Ignatius did a decent job of capturing the attraction that the Levant has for people. He also portrayed Arabs and Arab culture sympathetically, which if one has read any Vince Flynn, comes as relief. There is a cogent critique of American foreign policy and the way we advance our interests in this boo...more
I thought that Ignatius did a decent job of capturing the attraction that the Levant has for people. He also portrayed Arabs and Arab culture sympathetically, which if one has read any Vince Flynn, comes as relief. There is a cogent critique of American foreign policy and the way we advance our interests in this boo...more
Overall plot is very similar to movie, with a few notable differences
- order of events is very different. The actual body of lies was a real person (a corpse) that was supposed to be a CIA agent, not just Omar Sadiki. Something about the barracks bombing was different too, in terms of order in the plot.
- Faris' relationship with Gretchen is shown first-person, not just referred to
- Faris has an affair with a local (white) aid worker, not with a middle-eastern woman. Plus he has lots of sex with...more
- order of events is very different. The actual body of lies was a real person (a corpse) that was supposed to be a CIA agent, not just Omar Sadiki. Something about the barracks bombing was different too, in terms of order in the plot.
- Faris' relationship with Gretchen is shown first-person, not just referred to
- Faris has an affair with a local (white) aid worker, not with a middle-eastern woman. Plus he has lots of sex with...more
Having seen the movie a year before, I was pretty convinced that the book would have more to offer. A journaslist first and then a novelist is a fair indicator of the detailing he would provide on the topic, not widely covered. He has bundled up a brilliant with VERY fine details of the Middle Eastern countries and their landscape. Add the the backdrop of the CIA and their secret operatives and you get a compelling jig-saw puzzle to solve. While he does justice to the plot, and brings out his in...more
I wish I could give this book two raiting--3-4 stars for the plotting, one star for the characters--so I am compromise by giving it 2.
Ignatius crafts an interesting thriller with some pretty good plot twists and at some points near the ending you are not exactly how it is going to turn out.
However, Farris and Alice were soo uninteresting and at times one dimensional. Often both characters seem so self righteous that it even if you agreed with their politics it was distracting and became a huge...more
Ignatius crafts an interesting thriller with some pretty good plot twists and at some points near the ending you are not exactly how it is going to turn out.
However, Farris and Alice were soo uninteresting and at times one dimensional. Often both characters seem so self righteous that it even if you agreed with their politics it was distracting and became a huge...more
Really suspenseful read. The lack of depth of "intelligence" agents is telling (it reads true). There are slight brushes with the idea that current world affairs could stem from history, more specifically have arisen due to HORRIBLE US foreign policy decisions. But, those brushes are VERY light. I doubt the book would have gotten such widespread attention had it taken a firmer political stance. Instead, it describes action packed events, illuminates how international intelligence communities wor...more
Possibly in a minority of one, I have to confess to finding Body of Lies a disappointingly mechanical novel. I read it in forty-eight hours while on holiday and only hazy recollections remain.
There was probably no choice for Ignatius but to admit that a central plank of his plot was borrowed from The Man Who Never Was but it immediately removed one star for originality. Cardboard characters removed another. But the author conveys a sense of knowing something about the CIA and also about the Mid...more
There was probably no choice for Ignatius but to admit that a central plank of his plot was borrowed from The Man Who Never Was but it immediately removed one star for originality. Cardboard characters removed another. But the author conveys a sense of knowing something about the CIA and also about the Mid...more
am on page 64 and am loving it - it is apparent that author knows what he is talking about both from a policy point and also has knowledge about how we are really fighting the war - I did not understand the power of drones until it was explained
I have now finished this book and must say my overall feeling is one of dissappointment - I consider myself to be of at least average inteligence and this book was hard to find - it is as if whole sections were missing - maybe that was the point that the...more
I have now finished this book and must say my overall feeling is one of dissappointment - I consider myself to be of at least average inteligence and this book was hard to find - it is as if whole sections were missing - maybe that was the point that the...more
Apr 26, 2011
Luckngrace
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
political-fiction,
mystery-thriller
I learned sooo much from this book. It helped me understand more about the thoughts and principles of Arab Muslims. I learned that America shoots herself in the foot in Arabia because we deal as arrogant interlopers. Yes, we've got the power, the money and the weapons, but it's their home.
Body of Lies was full of adventure and spy story sizzle. It would make a great movie (starring Bruce Willis, if I got to choose). There were surprises at every turn and took me on a thrilling ride all the way t...more
Body of Lies was full of adventure and spy story sizzle. It would make a great movie (starring Bruce Willis, if I got to choose). There were surprises at every turn and took me on a thrilling ride all the way t...more
1 like
·
like
· see review
The current book by Ignatius, again devoted to espionage in the modern Middle East. His writing has improved since Agents of Innocence; this actually reads like a story rather than a history of a particular spy case with novel pieces tacked on here and there. While still a little clunky, particularly with respect to some of the characters (a sexpot named Gretchen? Give me a break), the narrative moves right along and the surprise ending is well handled. Having said that, I have now had enough I...more
This was a nice break from a non-fiction bender I was on...I haven't seen the movie, but could easily picture Russell Crowe and Leo DiCaprio in their respective roles. I'm not sure if I bought the Ferris character entirely. It seemed odd to me that someone in his field, who had no problems ditching his wife and compartmentalizing his emotions, could fall head over heels for another woman. He just didn't strike me as a "love at first sight" kind of guy. Very suspenseful. Lots of action. Overall,...more
The title of this book refers to a corpse that is dressed and made to appear to be an imaginary CIA officer with all the background paperwork to support that fiction. This corpse is depositied in a foreign country to sell the fiction to terrorist organization that this CIA officer hs penetrated their organization. A trojan horse scenario.
Roger Ferris is a CIA soldier who creates this plot to try to penetrate Suleiman's organization. The problem is no one knows Suleiman. Roger works with George S...more
Roger Ferris is a CIA soldier who creates this plot to try to penetrate Suleiman's organization. The problem is no one knows Suleiman. Roger works with George S...more
Jan 02, 2010
Lanier
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Spy readers, action, Middle East, terrorist fans
Though I picked this up because the movie was fascinating, I love the ending of the book much better, yet I can understand why Hollywood might have changed it to be less threatening to the larger viewing public. It's too bad, because, while the movie works, the book's conclusion fits so much better on many more levels. I loved how Roger Ferris was portrayed in the beginning of the film, looking and acting more Islamic than in the book, which ironically would've work far better in the latter. Alt...more
Nov 04, 2008
Ari
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
politics junkies
Shelves:
owned
he other week, as I was flying home from Chicago, I needed something
to read, so I bought a copy of "Body of Lies," which is a
political/espionage thriller set mostly in Jordan, written by David
Ignatius. He's one of the better Washington Post columnists, and not
a bad novelist.
I liked the book. David Ignatius has a good eye for character, and I think he captures something of the intelligence mindset. It has some cute ideas in it.
One of the heroes of the novel is a senior Jordanian intelligence offi...more
to read, so I bought a copy of "Body of Lies," which is a
political/espionage thriller set mostly in Jordan, written by David
Ignatius. He's one of the better Washington Post columnists, and not
a bad novelist.
I liked the book. David Ignatius has a good eye for character, and I think he captures something of the intelligence mindset. It has some cute ideas in it.
One of the heroes of the novel is a senior Jordanian intelligence offi...more
There are several issues with this book that detracted from my enjoyment. The first is that the story felt rushed. The initial premise was quite compelling (CIA agent creates and carries out daring plan to ensnare an elusive terrorist before more violence erupts!), but the development of the story and characters was lacking. There was little actual action in the story, and the intrigue was uninteresting.
The second issue is the over-arching liberal message of the story. To be brief, all of the w...more
The second issue is the over-arching liberal message of the story. To be brief, all of the w...more
Reading as a promise to Bert who REALLY wants me to see this movie with him when it comes out in the next few months. Stars George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio (hell, who wouldn't want to see THAT movie?!). This is not my typical genre and 85 pages in I remain skeptical about liking it.
Post Read: OK, so the movie stars Russell Crowe, not George Clooney. Darn.
Anyway, I can see how this book can be translated into a really good and thrilling movie. In fact, it almost seems as if it was written t...more
Post Read: OK, so the movie stars Russell Crowe, not George Clooney. Darn.
Anyway, I can see how this book can be translated into a really good and thrilling movie. In fact, it almost seems as if it was written t...more
Care to enter a mixed-up world in which intelligence professionals play each other for the highest stakes? David Ignatius constructs a credible, thrilling portrait of post-9/11 espionage, in which America's allies can't always depend on the CIA and the Agency's best have to go rouge to crack a ring of car bombers in Europe. Clear morals don't thrive here, but a cast that grows beyond type and stereotype offers a seductive, serpentine look into an imagined black hole from the Global War on Terror...more
This book is put together from the 9/11 attack with a great plot.I liked the action that took place in the book because it felt like it was the movie. The CIA feeling of the book really interested me and i liked how the author David Ignatius didnt just show Roger ferris as a agent but also as a regular person with problems. His relationship with his wife and later on a new girlfriend was a turning point in the story. The ending of the book was very surprising.
Wanted to read it when I saw the movie that is out. A good read, and a very clever plot. CIA agent trying to catch a new, scary Al Qaeda car-bomb planner comes up with a twist on a British ploy used against the Germans in WWII: Create a fake agent and pretend he has infiltrated Al Qaeda to make the planner surface so he can be caught. A little like Le Carre, whom I can't stand, and too raunchy, but 3 stars for great plot and very good writing.
Unfortunately I did not find this novel as compelling as my fellow reviewers. The prose was mechanical and the plot formulaic. Worst of all were the cardboard characters that Mr. Ignatius moved around the cut-out diorama of his book. Quickly I lost interest and ultimately I had to put it down. I found Robert Baer's "See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism" much better written and much more compelling.
I learned that to secret service officers, the end truly does justify the means. Collateral deaths are regrettable but acceptable in the course of a project meant to enhance national security and/or weaken enemies. Ignatius' characters, while they could have been fleshed out much more, were entirely believable. The author seemed to have been workng from real-life models of people he had known during his long career in journalism.
If I could have given it two-and-a-half stars it might have been more accurate. It was more than "just okay" but less than "I liked it." As spy thrillers go, it had its thrilling moments, and towards the end of the book it had more unexpected layers/twists than a Russian stacking doll. However, I'm NOT a fan of the rough language and sexual sidelines in the story. I really believe the adage that any swearing is a sign of a weak mind trying to express itself. So that doesn't say a lot for the aut...more
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David Ignatius, a prize-winning columnist for the Washington Post, has been covering the Middle East and the CIA for more than twenty-five years. His novels include Agents of Innocence, Body of Lies, and The Increment, now in development for a major motion picture by Jerry Bruckheimer. He lives in Washington, DC.
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