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Robert Littell

Company: A Novel Of The Cia Hardcover

by Robert Littell (Author)

4.6 1,373 ratings

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Print length

894 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Diane Pub Co
Dimensions

6.25 x 2 x 9.25 inches
ISBN-10

0756776686
ISBN-13

978-0756776688
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Product details

Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 894 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0756776686
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0756776688
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.82 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 2 x 9.25 inches

Customer Reviews:
4.6 1,373 ratings

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Robert Littell

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Bestselling author Robert Littell has been ranked amongst John Le Carre and Graham Greene for his masterful spy fiction. A Newsweek journalist in a previous incarnation, Littell has been writing about the Soviet Union and Russians since his first novel, the espionage classic The Defection of A.J.Lewinter. Among his numerous critically acclaimed novels are The October Circle, Mother Russia, The Debriefing, The Sisters, The Revolutionist, The Once and Future Spy, An Agent in Place, The Visiting Professor, the New York Times bestselling The Company (adapted for a TNT mini-series), and Legends (winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Award for Best Thriller of 2005) and For the Future of Israel, a book of conversations with Shimon Peres. Littell is an American who makes his home in France.

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4.6 out of 5

1,373 global ratings

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Ernie Crofoot

No real surprises.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 20, 2023

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A stunning quasi-fictional recounting of the failed (mostly) major escapades of the CIA and the politicians behind them, while obviously unable to speculate on successes. This should have been three books ( author and publisher could have made more money). One very negative and in appallingly bad taste item was the occasional references to the prepubescent nieces of the Soviet spy master Starik. They added nothing to the story and were repulsive. The publisher's editor should be ashamed to have kept this useless material in an otherwise excellent book. It also diminishes the author in my eyes.

One person found this helpful

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P. Johnson

Well Written

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 23, 2023

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I really enjoyed this book. Fiction but historically accurate and believable. Fast-paced throughout. Read history then read this - fills in the blanks without seeming preposterous.

One person found this helpful

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An Epic Historical Novel Of The CIA - And A Must Read!!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 23, 2003

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Robert Littell has managed to write a densely plotted history of the Cold War and the CIA, spanning 45 years and almost 900 pages, without including a single boring moment. On the contrary, as one of the other reviewers noted, I was sorry to have the book end so soon. Littell manages his storylines, and characters so expertly that I had no difficulty keeping track of the events, the agents - single, double and triple, and all the political and undercover operations, the often deadly twists and turns, intrigues and espionage that actually happened in real life during the 20th century. If anything, the novel, which was impeccably researched, brought back the entire history of the Cold War to me, in many cases reminding me of the news events of my childhood.
"The Company" begins in 1947, when President Harry Truman established the Central Intelligence Agency. The main plot is centered on the personal and professional lives of three young CIA recruits, Jack McAuliffe, E. Winstrom Ebbitt III, (Ebby), and Leo Kritzky. The three men's various assignments with The Company take the reader through the Hungarian Insurrection, the building of the Berlin Wall, the behind the scenes reality of the plots to assassinate Fidel Castro and the fiasco at the Bay of Pigs, the Suez Canal crisis, the US and Soviet Union's involvement in Afghanistan in the 1980s, the aborted putsch again Mikhail Gorbachev, and all the other events that made up the period in world history known as the Cold War.
The novel weaves a fine tapestry of historic and fictional characters who participated in real life events which shaped today's world. The book almost reads like nonfiction. Figures like Harvey Torriti, code named "the Sorcerer," the hard drinking cowboy, who is the super effective head of Berlin base at the beginning of the Cold War, populate the novel. There are the equally effective KGB, M-16 and Israeli Mossad counterparts, all running agents in the field, all manufacturing disinformation and managing top secrets. The KGB operative, Yevgeny Tsipin and Soviet spymaster Starik (the Old Man), also play major roles in this saga. The author captures the camaraderie and esprit de corps of the men and women in the CIA - their discipline, dark humor, and high expectations, of themselves and each other.
Mr. Littell's introduction of actual historical figures really heightens the book's interest. The defection of the British moles, Kim Philby, Donald Maclean and Guy Burgess to the Soviet Union is recounted in the most chilling manner. Littrell raises the suspense level considerably when he shows the close and trusting friendship between Philby and the CIA's historic counterespionage chief, James Jesus Angleton. Harold Wilson, Eisenhower, President John Kennedy and his brother Bobby, Kruschev, Ronald Reagan, Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov, Henry Kissinger, William F. Buckley, G. Gordon Liddy, and even the upwardly mobile Vladmir Putin have roles in this epic historical novel, as do all the former CIA directors. Frank Sinatra, Judith Exner, Marilyn Monroe, Sam Giancana and other mob figures also have bit parts.
Littell's book is absolutely riveting. He has taken most of the events straight from history and his narrative is just as exciting as being an actual eye witness. His characters are absolutely 3-dimensional, and very easy to care about. His writing style may not be as elegant as John LeCarre's but it certainly carries the reader along at a good clip. And "The Company" is almost impossible to put down. Littell likens the world of espionage to that of "Alice In Wonderland." Once the jump down the rabbit hole is made, nothing is ever the same - everything turns upside down.
JANA

21 people found this helpful

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Hank Hazen

Keeping Secrets in an Open Society

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 2, 2023

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A bit long, but a well written book. He covered most of the era of the CIA. The characters were well put together and enhanced the plot. I recommend it.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 1, 2023

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Pleasantly surprised that it kept my attention for almost 900 pages. Excellent characterizations and plot lines. Comfortable segues from one to another. Liddell has joined my list of favorite authors.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 24, 2020

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There is an unusual type of dramatic irony in Robert Littell's "The Company." When a defector reveals to his CIA handler the presence of a mole in M16 in 1950 the reader with even a minimal knowledge of history latches onto Kim Philby. Consequently when the information is handed over by a senior analyst, Angleton, to a stuttering M16 liason officer it is difficult not to shout "don't do it damn it."
Sometime later, the author lets us know explicitly, "Angleton's luncheon partner, Harold Adrian Russell Philby - Kim to his colleagues in M16, Adrian to a handful of old Ryder Street pals like Angleton." The author proceeds' to take us down Alice's rabit hole and through her looking glass into a view of the apparently schizophrenic world of spies for both sides of the cold war.
The world of "The Company" includes real events and real people, Allen Dulles, Frank Gardiner Wisner, James Jesus Angleton, Khrushchev, Philby, Chicago mobster, John Rosselli and many others interact with the fictional characters. Some of the real events include the Bay of Pigs failed insurgency, the failed Hungarian revolution, and the failed Putsch in Moscow in mid August 1991.
The book offers insiders views of tradecraft and jargon: for example, "walking the cat," to trace back along path of deception to its origins to discover a "mole." some of the cryptonyms used by the fictional agents include: MOTHER - Jim Angleton, SORCERER - Harvey Torriti, SORCERER'S APPRENTICE- Jack McAuliffe, SWEET JESUS - Silwan I, FALLEN ANGEL - Silwan II, RAINBOW - Helga Agnes Mittag de la Fuente, SNIPER - Professor Ernst Ludwig Loffler, SNOWDROP - Konstantin Vishnevsky. The Russians used cryptonyms also: PARSIFAL - Kim Philby, STARIK - Pavel Semyonovich Zhilov, GREGORY OZOLIN - Yevgeni Alexandrovich Tsipin.
"The Company" is filled beginning to end with the very best spy fiction and a lot of downright insight into the real world confrontation between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.

8 people found this helpful

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Maybe the best spy novel written, No Spoilers in this review

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 26, 2022

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I read this years ago, then purchased it and read it again and bought the audiobook too. I recently purchased a hard copy to gift to a family member. This book is huge in scope, from the early years of the CIA to more recent times, incorporating both real and fictional characters, and taking us around the world from Germany to Cuba to Hungary, the USA, and the old Soviet Union. There are several characters and many suspenseful interwoven stories. Though this is a long book, it pulled me along through every chapter and I read and reread it quickly.

For any spy novel fan, I highly recommend this book. I would also be careful about reading too many reviews unless they are marked, like this one, no spoilers. This book is just too good to let someone spoil the fun and suspense of reading it.

5 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

derryhawk

Interesting Fiction of the Cold War Years, and the Secret Servicess

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 19, 2012

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This book gives an interesting view of the CIA, MI6, and the KBG, in those Cold War years, and though fictionalised, it is obviously a well researched work; and includes many actual happenings. It is fast paced, and exciting, but I promise you, it will do nothing to make you feel safer in this World, where the great powers like to meddle in everyone else's affairs; always claiming they have justification, but always with hidden agendas of their own. Some of the characters are very likeable, though some are fairly repulsive. I think the amount of strong language, and sex, spoils the story somewhat. Realism, is okay, but I do wonder why authors no longer leave anything to the readers imagination in these areas. I don't think any of the role players here come out with flying colours; and one is left with the feeling that the lives of any man or woman in the street, does not count for much. The KGB, and the Western Security services seemed to feel that the end usually justifies the means...I do not have cause to think that has changed much, but anyone reading this book, will find they have a better insight into what was...As well as how often it came to what might have been...I am sixty years old, and remember much of the events in this Story. I am grateful we survived, but would not like to trust any of the organizations in this story.

2 people found this helpful

Serious Snapper

Essential reading for the spy fan

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 30, 2013

Verified Purchase

If you're into Ian Fleming, john Grisham, John le Carre or similar in the espionage thriller genre you need this book. It takes you through the history of the CIA from its inception upto the 80's by way of the Cold War in East and West Berlin, spying for and against Russia, the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba and many more historic triumphs and failures. This is not a cold facts documentary of a book but a fast paced thriller that will keep you gripped from page one. Buy this book.

2 people found this helpful

NEIL CLEMENT

I am currently reading this excellent novel. The period covers the international affairs that ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 3, 2015

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I am currently reading this excellent novel. The period covers the international affairs that I all too readily remember and Littell style is for me excellent with only a few Americanisms that can be deduced from the narrative. Thoroughly recommended if you enjoy this genre.

Joe

If anybody reading this review have not read any of ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 14, 2016

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If anybody reading this review have not read any of this Authors books do your self a favour and look him up. He can sure tell a tale.
You could start with Legends.

One person found this helpful

Al

Splendid buy.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 2, 2017

Verified Purchase

Excellent buy especially for the price. Arrived well a head of expectation as well. A great book I would definitely recommend to anyone.

One person found this helpful

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