Customer Reviews

The Afghan

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(37)
2 star:		(20)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

In general, I am highly skeptical of the "international political thriller" genre, however I will concede that Forsyth is a master storyteller well worth anyone's time. "Day of the Jackal" and "The Odessa File" have got to be in the genre's all time top five, and I also greatly enjoyed his short story collection "No Comebacks." This latest book, while perfectly serviceable and engaging (as long as you don't think too hard about it), falls well short of these.

Through a gripping opening highlighting the use of technology in the "war on terror", Western intelligence agencies learn of the existence of an impending Al-Qaeda attack that will be even more shocking than 9/11. Unfortunately, they don't have a clue what it is, or how to find out. A chance remark (one of the many, many coincidences required by the plot), leads them to enlist retired SAS officer Mike Martin in a desperate attempt to infiltrate Al-Qaeda. They do this via an elaborate switcheroo with an Afghan who's been disappeared into Guantanamo for five years. In another massive (though, alas, not the most egregious) coincidence, Martin just happens to have known this Afghan years ago while fighting the Soviets. The first half of the book involves setting this plan up,and the second half follows Martin's attempt to uncover the plot. (Apparently Martin was the hero of an earlier Forsyth book, "The Fist of God", however, I've not read it. Other reviewers report an egregious number of continuity errors between the two books relating to Martin.)

The story unfolds so that readers not particularly conversant with the "war on terror" and the history of Al-Qaeda will get brought fully up to speed. There's also a very clunky section explaining the difference between mainstream Islam and extremist Wahabbism. Similarly, the reader is given a very good understanding of the global reach and appeal of Al-Qaeda, for example, in Trinidad. And of course there is plenty of insiderish detail about the workings of modern espionage, which is fairly interesting stuff: telecommunications, piracy, money laundering, satellite imagery, facial identification software, and so on.

Unfortunately, the plotting is exceedingly awkward. For example, once Martin passes for the Afghan, he is directed by Bin Laden to personally participate in the grand scheme that's been set in motion. Stroke of luck that, eh? It's particularly problematic because there is absolutely no reason for him to take part. He is chaperoned halfway across the world to basically stand about on a ship, and oh yeah, foil the plot. Very weak indeed. Even worse, there's a pointless extended subplot about the "real" Afghan from Guantanamo, who is disappeared to a CIA cabin in Washington State. The reader can only assume we keep returning to him because he's going to escape at some point, and escape he does -- thanks to the engine falling off a passing F-15 and destroying the cabin! This reads like something from a parody of the genre and the reader is asked to swallow such foolishness for no good reason. The escape and pursuit, while gripping unto itself, has no bearing on the rest of the story.

Finally, as the plot accelerates to the finish line, the reader is blindsided by withheld information which is altogether silly. For the last 1/3 or so of the book, Western intelligence agencies know the Al-Qaeda threat is seaborne and have been going to massive lengths to try and figure out its probable target. Suddenly, the reader is informed that the G8 summit meeting is taking place on the QE2 sailing from New York to points south. Gee, you think that might be the target? The idea that the G8 summit would be held in such an uncontrolled environment is silly to start with, but to believe they would continue with that plan even as they are racing around with their heads cut off trying to locate a Al-Qaeda ghost ship? Paugh!

So, to recap, there is plenty to like in the book, and plenty to dislike. Like virtually everything in the genre, the book is plot-driven and the characters are pretty thin. There is some great detail and some great set piece sequences. However, there are so many contrivances and flaws that it's ultimately a disappointment, not up to Forsyth's usual standards.

Note: Various reviewers have pointed out a boatload of details Forsyth's researcher failed to get right, which I've listed below. None of these are particularly important, except for the last one, which is a pretty bad blunder for an espionage story:

-- Malaysian Airlines _does_ serve alcohol.
-- The hero is taken to the Falklands war aboard HMS Ark Royal, a ship not in service until three years after the war's end.
-- Chivas Regal is a blend and not a single malt liquor.
-- The 9/11 attacks did not occur at breakfast time in London but in the mid afternoon.
-- There is no U.S. Army rank of "Senior Captain"
-- A U.S. Air Force pilot of twenty years is ranked a Major, which is almost impossible under the U.S. military promotion system.
-- In the U.S. government a GS-15 is not a "junior staffer," but rather the highest ranked of the non-executive service, making more than$100,000/year.
-- The British SBS is the "Special Boat Service" not the "Special Boat Squadron."
-- The M21 sniper rifle was replaced by the M24 Sniper Weapon System in 1988.
-- It's somewhat unclear, but the story seems to imply that the hero learned passable Pashto from hanging out with Tajiks for six months. That's roughly like learning learning German by hanging out in France.
-- The hero is impersonating an Afghan ex-mujahedeen turned Taliban fighter. His teeth are inspected by very thorough Al-Qaeda security men, who somehow fail to notice his Western dental work.

Being a great fan of Frederick Forsyth, I was eagerly waiting for the next installment of intrigue and drama from the great one.

The Afghan was big disappointment for me. The book falls short on a number of accounts when compared to his previous offerings. Detailed information and complex plot are Forsyth hallmarks. This novel fails in both aspects. Also the story lacks the drive and engrossing quality of his other novels. If you add an ending which peters out rather than reaching the climax then you have a very oridinary novel by Forsyth standards.

But then again, the novel is ordinary only by his own standards. If you have not read a Forsyth novel before then it can be a good read. Also the media hype surrounding Al-qaeda and taliban and easy availibility of information about them may have taken out some intrigue from the book.

While "fresh as this morning's headlines" has become a rather timeworn expression, it is not at all trite but decidedly true in regard to Frederick Forsyth's latest spine tingler. Even as I write this we are hearing of another terrorist plot which would have been even more horrific than 9/11 had it not been stopped. Yes, in the very real world we're the targets of hatred and the fictional world of Forsyth mirrors our plight.

A giant at creating international thrillers (The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Dogs of War), Forsyth has now crafted a novel so loaded with the latest in espionage technology and tactics that it raises the hair on the back of your neck.

The time is today and the CIA and the British Secret Intelligence Service have learned of a planned terrorist attack. That's it, that is all they know. In order to circumvent the unthinkable they must infiltrate Al Qaeda and discover the nuts and bolts of this heinous plan - who, what, where.

Forty-four year old Mike Martin is a British Special Forces veteran who has seen his share of battle in some of the most volatile spots on our planet. Now retired he only wants to spend the rest of life in peace and quiet. However, he is the one person, the only man for this job. He was raised in Iraq, speaks fluent Arabic, and has skin dark enough to pass for a Middle Easterner.

He has a double - it is Izmat Khan, an Afghan who has been held at Guantanamo for some five years. After intensive training Martin takes Khan's place and a fake escape is staged, allowing Martin to eventually contact Al Qaeda.

True to form Forsyth leads listeners on a suspense filled trail as Martin attempts to uncover Al Qaeda's plan. Also true to form, award winning actor Robert Powell delivers a splendid narration adding to the tension and building to a shocking finale.

Highly recommended.

- Gail Cooke

I found the beginning of the book quite gripping and educational, but as I got further and further into the story, I found myself getting bogged down with longer than necessary Afghan history, long Arabic names and conicidence after coincidence. That an American AF plan could just happen to crash onto a remote cabin was just too much.
I am grateful for all those in the USA and GB who work daily to see that attacks such as the one planned in this book never happen. That there are some who are prepared to give their lives for people they never knew and who never knew of their sacrifice, I have no doubt. Some probably already have.
The book just needed some shortening and plot reworking. The concept, though, is frightening....

Well below Forsyth standard. As another review noted an incredible string of "coincidences". A character escapes literally by means of a bolt out of the blue, which destroys the walls and kills guards but does not injure him. He then finds added assets under impossible conditions with no possible way of knowing where to look. There are even more one-in-a- million coincidences in this part of the book but any more would spoil it assuming any remaining credibility.

Several screaming factual errors. Chivas Regal is a fine Scotch but it is not a single Malt. Forsyth should know this. The mentioned jet took off from Pensacola "Air Force" base. Pensacola is a Naval base. The Air Force base in the area is Eglin.

Major loose ends at the end, like how did the bad guys know enough to plan their attack, which required very closely held information.

Lots of good material but some real blunders along the way.

I feel he has treated great character very shabbily.

The rapid fire narratives are still there. As do the meticulous research and intricate plot twists. The theme relating to current events is the basis of some of the greatest stories Forsyth has ever written (Jackal, Icon, Jackal, Dogs of War, Fourth Protocol), and is one of the reasons that attract people to keep buying his books. It is also a welcome return to form after the "small stories" contained in his last several outtings.

However, what really differentiates his books from the work of others are the surprise endings that propel readers to keep going to the end with the goal to discover what they are. Sadly, this book contains no such "surprise ending" - the first Forsyth story ever to end like this.

The Afghan will be most appealing to people who don't know much about Al Qaeda, antiterrorism, current military technology, and recent Afghan history and want to get a smattering in novel form. For those who are knowledgeable in those areas, this plot is filled with unnecessary details that considerably slow down the story. In addition, the plot is so far-fetched in places that you'll wonder if you are supposed to be reading a fairy tale or a realistic thriller. Strangely, the book contains more than its share of factual errors that hurt the credibility of the story. Above all, I found myself always feeling like I was reading a story rather than being drawn into something that seemed real to me.

Occasionally, the book reminds you of Day of the Jackel for a few paragraphs . . . but mostly the emotional juice has been replaced with artificial sweetener. I think the biggest weakness of The Afghan is that you probably won't identify with the protagonist all that much. In the best of Forsyth's books, someone is trying to save the world and you find yourself rooting strongly for and identifying with them. That identification with the hero simply isn't strong enough here to allow that kind of reading pleasure.

Basically, Mr. Forsyth tried a little too hard. With a slightly different and more plausible plot, fewer details, and a more accessible hero, this could have been a terrific story.

If you don't know the book's basic premise, let me summarize it for you. A senior Al Qaeda operative's computer is captured after a ridiculous security breach. On the computer comes a veiled reference to a new operation. What's going on?

Through a string of coincidences, it occurs to the powers-that-be that they may be able to infiltrate a ringer to find out the plot. Retired SAS colonel Mike Martin is transformed in a few weeks into the Afghan, a legendary Taliban leader, who is now incarcerated at Guantanamo. It turns out that the two men have a shared past which makes the switch more likely to succeed. You'll find yourself wondering what the plot is until very near the end, which is the main element of suspense that keeps the book from being a below-average offering.

My final quibble about the book is that it makes Al Qaeda seem vastly more capable and threatening than it is. People who are afraid of terrorists will find their fear fanned by this book. Statistics suggest that your chance of being harmed by a deer are greater than being injured by a terrorist.

My advice to Mr. Forsyth is that he move on to some more realistic premise in the future such as a possible war between the United States and Iran over the oil fields in the Middle East . . . and keep it simple. In addition, hire someone to check your facts for you.

Ready for a good old-fashioned thriller? One that brings the tension of "Day of the Jackal" to mind? Well, Frederick Forsyth is back with "The Afghan," a thriller that brings to mind a much younger Forsyth. Despite a very few major blunders, Forsyth delivers a real page turner. Considering the tepid to awful efforts of other aging authors such as the latest from W. E. B. Griffin (and son), Forsyth is a welcome breath of fresh air: he still delivers the goods.

One of the bodyguards of a senior Al Qaeda leader in Pakistan makes a stupid mistake and uses the cell phone of his boss. The cell phone is on a "wanted" list and alarm bells go off. The cell is traced, a raid is mounted and the mystery begins. A single reference to an episode in the Koran involves the CIA and intelligence agencies around the world.

Through a series of chance occurences, retired SAS Colonel Mike Martin is tasked to pose as a hardcore Taliban fighter who has been held in custody for five years. His job is to infiltrate Al Qaeda and discover the secret of the Koranic reference, which is presumed (correctly) to be a major terror operation.

In the hands of a lesser skilled author, the reader might stop right there. Uh, yeah, sure: an Englishman will infiltrate Al Qaeda posing as an Afghani. Forsyth pulls it off, creating much the same tension he did in "Day of the Jackal."

Forsyth weaves a tapestry of events and characters spanning Europe, the United States and Southeast Asia. An act of high seas piracy here, a fraud in London there, am abitious intelligence analyst spots a small detail, a dhow pulls into a Dubai port . . . Forsyth builds block by block a true thriller.

There are pitfalls along the way, one of them that literally kicks you in the teeth. (When you read the novel, the intended pun here will become obvious.) There are also a couple of plot points that are simply unbelievable, but Forsyth's overal story will pull you along. Finally, as is the case in all too many books of recent years, proofreading and even editing have become lost arts.

None of this however detracts from this first-rate thriller. Forsyth blends technology with old-fashioned derring-do and "secret agent" resourcefulness to create a very satisfying thriller. Reserve this one for a time when you can read it in one or two sittings. Hats off to Forsyth: he's still got the right stuff.

Jerry

I am a long-time fan of FF and have read a good number of his writings. Unfortunately, I was extremely disappointed with this installment. The idea is a spin-off of "The Fist of God" (the reuse of the Martin brothers), but the characters are not developed any further. The story is borderline ludicrous, but worst of all, the pace is slow and not much happens until the last 60 pages, and even that isn't great.
I wouldn't write FF off for this faux pas, but I wouldn't recommend it.

The forces of American and British intelligence gather information about
another terrorist strike by Al Qaeda.They know no details except for the name of the operation,al-Isra.They have no agents within AlQaeda so they
are unable to gain any further information.
Once again our hero from "Fist Of God" Colonel Mike Martin comes into play.Because of his Indian features he can play the role of a Taliban warrior.The warrior that he is to play is Izmat Khan who is being held as
a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay Cuba. Khan had previously seen duty in war against the Russians.Khan is released by the U.S. government
and whisked away to Washington state.There he is put under lock and key
and placed under heavy security.Martin begins training to be Khan.He stages an escape in Pakistan and is able to infiltrate Al Qaeda.He passes
himself off as Izmat Khan.The Al Qaeda leadership makes him a part of the
al_Isra strike team.He next has to figure out how Al Qaeda will strike
and how he will stop the terrorist act.He has no method to alert his
superiors.
This is another good book from Forsyth that is enjoyable reading.Be sure to read it.