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Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man in Congress and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Times Paperback – Illustrated, November 6, 2007

by George Crile (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,047 ratings
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It's common knowledge that the U.S. armed the Afghans in their fight against the Soviet Union, but until now, the fact that this was possibly the biggest, meanest covert operation in history has been absent from press reports. In one of the most detailed descriptions of a CIA operation every written, the bizarre twists and turns of the full story are told in CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR. Veteran 60 Minutes producer George Crile explains how one Congressman was able to provide the CIA with hundreds of millions of dollars to fund the Afghan program, dwarfing the price tag for arming the Nicaraguan Contras that occurred at virtually the same time.

"The scope and nature of this campaign has still not registered in the consciousness of most Americans," Crile writes in the book's Epilogue. "Nor is it understood that such secret undertakings inevitably have unforeseen and unintended consequences which, in this case, remain largely ignored."

When Crile produced his first story about Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson for 60 Minutes in 1989, he too underestimated the vastness of the program and its consequences. It was a later trip to the Arab world with Wilson, the Wilson's "princely" reception, and the events of 9/11 that opened his eyes to the far bigger picture of CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR.

Among the book's more startling revelations:

• By the latter years of the 1980s the CIA was not just providing arms to a half million Afghans, it had taken 150,000 of them and transformed them into what it called a force of "techno holy warriors." "From today's perspective," Crile observes, "that may seem more than a bit ill advised-particularly when you factor in the specialized training in urban warfare that the Agency sponsored to include the use of pipe bombs, bicycle bombs, car bombs, camel bombs, along with a host of other tactics to wreak havoc with the army of a modern superpower."

• The United States continued to fund the Afghan rebels long after the withdrawal of the Soviet Union. Incredibly, the subsidies continued despite the fact that one of the most important mujahid leaders sided with Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War.

• In addition to $200 million in aid from the U.S. and $200 million from Saudi Arabia, in 1991 and 1992 the rebels received Iraqi weapons captured by U.S. forces during the Gulf War. At the same time, the Berlin Wall came down and the Soviet Union ceased to exist. The Cold War was effectively over but what began as a war against Communism was continuing to be funded.

"The question that has puzzled so many Americans: 'Why do they hate us?' is not so difficult to understand if you put yourself into the shoes of the Afghan veterans in the aftermath of the Soviet departure," Crile says. To them, the real superpower in their struggle was Allah. The United States eventually cut off its support in the 1990s. In the Afghan's minds, Allah did not.

CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR is nothing short of a critical missing chapter in our political consciousness. Without a clear understanding of its impact, it may be impossible to comprehend the two world changing events that shook the United States on either side of the millennium: the sudden and mysterious collapse of the Soviet Union and the equally inexplicable appearance of a new global foe in the form of militant Islam. At its core, it tells of an unorthodox alliance-of a scandal-prone Texas Congressman named Charlie Wilson and an out-of-favor CIA operative named Gust Avrakotos-that armed and sustained the Afghan jihad and turned Afghanistan into the Soviet Union's Vietnam.

"The origins of this book go back to a time when the Afghans were viewed by most everyone in the U.S. government as freedom fighters and allies against a common foe," Crile writes in the Epilogue. In 1988, Crile produced a 60 Minutes profile of Wilson that he now realizes barely scratched the surface of this fascinating story. Later, while, accompanying Wilson on a trip to Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan just prior to the first Gulf War, Crile was amazed at the "princely" reception accorded Wilson in the Arab world. "The trip was just the beginning of a decade-long odyssey uncovering the many dimensions of the CIA's Afghan War," he recalls. "In short order I realized that it had been anything but a typical CIA program."

As incredible as anything in the pages of Tom Clancy or John le Carré, CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR is a gripping story of international intrigue, booze, drugs, sex, high society and arms deals. Between its covers, we meet:

• The charismatic Congressman Charlie Wilson. While Ronald Reagan and William Casey were unable to persuade Congress to fund the Nicaraguan Contras, Wilson was procuring hundreds of millions of dollars to support his Afghan "freedom fighters" through back-room machinations that would have made even LBJ blush. A colorful man of many contradictions, he worked hard and played hard, earning the reputation as the "wildest man in Congreeeeeess" while representing an archconservative Bible-belt district in Texas.

• The out-of-favor CIA operative, Gust Avrakotos, whose working-class Greek-American background made him an anomaly in the patrician world of American spies. Nicknamed "Dr. Dirty", this blue collar James Bond was an aggressive agent who served on the front lines of the Cold War where he learned how to stretch the Agency's rules to the breaking point.

• The eccentric staff of CIA outcasts hand-picked by Avrakotos to run the operation. Among them were "Hilly Billy", the logistics wizard who could open an un-numbered Swiss bank account for the U.S. government in 12 hours when others took months; Art Alper, the "devilish" tinkerer from the Technical Services division who roamed the world creating such novelties as exploding typewriters and developed portable amplifiers that spread propaganda among the Soviet troops; and especially Mike Vickers, the former Green Beret so junior in status that he couldn't send his own cables. His military genius allowed him to single-handedly redesign the CIA's war plan. Through his highly specific blueprint, he created a systematic plan that turned a rabble of shepherds and tribesmen into an army of techno Holy warriors who gave the legendary Red Army their greatest defeat. Today, Mike Vickers is consulting for the Pentagon on the War on Terrorism and war planning for Iraq.
The many women who shared the Congressman's jihad. It all began with a Houston socialite, Joanne Herring who enlisted Wilson to the Afghan cause via her deep-seated hatred of Communism and her influence in Pakistan. Carol Shannon, Wilson's personal belly dancer who he took with him to the jihad. Charlie's Angels, Wilson's female staffers so strikingly beautiful that they became a legend on Capitol Hill. And finally, Annelise Illschenko, aka "Sweetums", the former U.S. representative in the Miss World competition who traveled with Wilson deep into the Islamic world in outfits that were not the most appropriate attire in the eyes of Muslim men

• The Pakistani dictator Zia ul Haq, who early on realized that the way to millions of dollars in American aid was through Charlie Wilson and his covert war in Afghanistan. A dictator whom many held personally responsible for the execution of his democratically elected predecessor, Zia used his favorable status as an ally of the U.S. against the Soviets to divert attention from his own nuclear weapons program while providing the all-important safe haven and operations center for the CIA's Afghan operations .

CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR is the CIA and Congress as they have never been seen before, engaged in the last great battle of the Cold War. This is a book that has direct implications for today's world situation.
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  1. Print length
    560 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Grove Press
  4. Publication date
    November 6, 2007
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1.25 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0802143415
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0802143419
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A vivid narrative. . . . Charlie Wilson’s War is a behind-the-scenes chronicle of a program that is still largely classified. . . . In its time there was little dispute that the covert war was one of the most successful C.I.A. operations ever undertaken. . . . Few people who remember Wilson’s years in Washington would discount even the wildest tales.” —David Johnston, The New York Times Book Review

“Irresistible. . . . [A] thoroughly reported, painstakingly detailed and calmly written account. . . . The story of this odd and world-shaping partnership really can’t be believed until Crile and his thorough reporting gradually make it clear that yes, it all really happened. Crile also sketches a variety of other figures in this drama with an eye for what makes them strange and interesting.” —Steve Kettman, The San Francisco Chronicle

“Charlie Wilson’s War is one of the most important books ever written about U.S. government covert operations. . . . [It’s] such a sprawling tale that describing it adequately in a brief review is daunting.” —Steve Weinberg, The Seattle Times

“Vibrant storytelling. . . . Crile reveals in extraordinary detail the over-the-top, under-the-table machinations of Wilson, one of Capitol hill’s ablest political bulldozers, as he spearheaded what eventually became known as the Soviets’ Vietnam. . . . [Charlie Wilson’s War] offer[s] an entirely new take on Reagan-era history with international sweep and modern implications, neatly laid over the intriguing, untold inner workings of [the CIA].” —Jan Jordan, The Houston Chronicle

“[A] glowing account. . . . Crile is . . . an exhuberant Tom Clancy-type enthusiast for the Afghan caper. . . . Criles account is important, if appalling, precisely because it details how a ruthless ignoramus congressman and a high-ranking CIA thug managed to hijack American foreign policy.” —Chalmers Johnson, The Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Charlie Wilson’s War reads like a best-selling novel. . . . Crile’s globe-trotting research and adroit writing have produced a vastly entertaining book that outmuscles most spy novels in its quota of sheer thrills and chills.” —John Marshall, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“Crile’s real accomplishment is in telling the human story of Rep. Charlie Wilson of Texas and a now-retired covert CIA operative named Gust Avrakotos. . . . [Crile] has unearthed some startling details about this chapter of our covert history, found and written about two colorful if flawed characters, and lent a great deal to a better understanding of our recent past and our troubled present.” —Edward P. Smith, The Denver Post

“A cross between Tom Clancy and Carl Hiassen, with the distinguishing feature that it’s all apparently true. . . . Throw in a middle-aged Texan belly dancer, an assortment of Congressional looinies, a few beauty queens, some ruthless Afghan rebels, and a murderous Pakistani dictator who only wants to be understood.” —Gerard DeGroot, Christian Science Monitor

“Charlie Wilson’s War conveys the sense of victory CIA leaders felt over the ‘success’ in Afghanistan. . . . Wilson himself is a writer’s dream of a main character. . . . A rollicking good tale.” —Karen Sandstrom, The Cleveland Plain Dealer

“In the midst of Crile’s important expose of U.S. covert policy in Afghanistan and it’s ramifications, there’s an engrossing character study as well.” —Clay Smith, The Austin Chronicle

“A classic story of good intentions gone wrong, a comedy of can-do Americans loose in a world it really doesn’t understand.” —Charles Taylor, Salon.com

“His narrative is fast-moving, supercharged, and overheated, chock-full of high drama and sexual innuendo. In short, it is great fun.” —Raymond Puffer, KLIATT

“The subtitle here—The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man in Congress and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Times—says it all. Almost. . . . Much of the tale of getting there is only now revealed by Crile, a veteran TV producer and hell of a story man.” —Celia McGee, New York Daily News

“A helluva story. . . . [Crile] eschews highfalutin generalizations in favor of racy vignettes. This yields a riveting glimpse of the inner workings of a secret area of government.” —James Critchlow, The New Leader

“A gripping read for students of the cold war, anyone who wants the lowdown on how their tax dollars really get spent, Central Asia junkies or those who delight in cloaks, daggers and plausible deniability.” —The Economist

“[Crile] gives intriguing insight into the methods and mentality of the cloak-and-dagger business, as well as to the machinations of that handful of relatively unknown members of Congress who dominate Capitol Hill by controlling appropriations.” —Gerard A. Patterson, Pittsburg Post-Gazette

“An engrossing story of this little known and often forgotten war.” —Sterlin Holmesly, The San Antonio Express

“This I-can’t-believe-it’s-not-fiction tale has it all: a Marlboro Man handsome leading man, a parade of impossibly gorgeous women, sex, spies, copious quantities of booze and enough violence to take Arnold Schwarzenegger and his Terminator scriptwriters through several more sequels. … The story, narrated with cinematic verve by George Crile . . . is both hilarious and harrowing.” —Kathy Kiely, Arkansas Democrat

“Charlie Wilson’s War is one of those rare, priceless books about politics and history. It has the uncanny ability to uplift even the most hardened of spirits while simultaneously confirming anyone’s deepest fears about the way it all really works. . . . A masterful narrator, Crile manages to include the relevant technical data. . . .[He] offers a trenchant meditation on just how fleeting glory really is, and just how quickly the wheel of fortune can turn the other way. . . . It has more political intrigues, more suspense, more intense psychological analysis, and more technological know-how than anything Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum could fantasize about. And it has something else besides: it’s true.” —Michael Shannon Friedman, Charlotte Gazette

“Fascinating [and] entertaining. . . . What a story!” —Dennis Lythgoe, The Deseret News

“If you like tell-all books about the unbelieveable things that our elected folks can do for you, you will love this book. Charlie Wilson’s War has it all as well as an explanation about how our most feared enemy, Osama bin Laden, got his start with a little unintended help from his friends right here in the United States.” —Saralee Terry Woods, The Nashville City Paper

“A bizarre chapter of contemporary history that could have been written by Ian Fleming (it is too improbable for Tom Clancy or John LeCarre), Charlie Wilson’s War is a true tall tale of silver screen-sized characters that, for better or worse, changed the world.” —Mary Brown Malouf, The Salt Lake Tribune

“Charlie Wilson’s War shines the light on a gripping story of international intrigue, booze, drugs, sex, high society and arms deals. The last great battle of the Cold War was anything but a typical CIA program.” —Lucas Everidge, Politics Now

“One thing I especially like about Crile’s treatment of all this splendid material is his almost tender portrait of Wilson himself, warts and all. . . . It’s a whale of a tale, and I recommend it highly. You’ll never find another history that reads more like a cross between Flashman and a Tom Clancy novel.” —Molly Ivins, Working For Change

“Fascinating.” —Larry D. Woods, The Nashville City Paper

“Wilson and Avrakotos give life to an incredible story about U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. . . . If there is one book to read about U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and its relevance to the emergence of the Taliban, September 11th, and the war in Afghanistan, this is it.” —Craig A. Stoehr, The Northeast Book Reviews

“Put the Tom Clancy clones back on the shelf; this covert-ops chronicle is practically impossible to put down. No thriller writer would dare invent Wilson. . . . Superb writing from Crile . . . will keep even the most vigorous critics of this Contra-like affair reading to the end.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Crile offers an absorbing, thoroughly detailed look at the largest and most successful CIA operation in U.S. History. . . . [Charlie Wilson’s War is an] engrossing account of the remarkable battle that ended the Soviet Union’s hold on Afghanistan. Readers interested in the politics and cultures of Washington, D.C., and the Middle East will relish this book.” —Booklist (Starred Review)

“An engaging, well-written, newsworthy study of practical politics and its sometimes unlikely players, and one with plenty of implications.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Crucial and timely. . . . Criles book, with its investigative verve and gripping narrative, is a comprehensive political assessment and sobering account of the power structures that run parallel to, but apparently unknown by, official government authorities.” —PW Daily for Booksellers

“Americans often ask: ‘Where have all the heroes gone?’ Well a lot of them come roaring through in this tour de force of reporting and writing. Tom Clancy's fiction pales in comparison with the amazing, mesmerizing story told by George Crile. By resurrecting a missing chapter out of our recent past, Charlie Wilson's War provides us with the key to understanding the present.” —Dan Rather

“An amazing tale, made all the more amazing because it was missed by the press. George Crile has written a book revealing the extraordinary details and intrigue of a secret war, and that alone would be a monumental achievement. But he has also written a book about how power works in Washington, about how the C.I.A. succeeded in this war but failed because it armed an ally who became our enemy, about how we might better understand Islamic fundamentalism, about how a solitary Congressman guilefully moved the U.S. government, and all of this comes with a breathtaking cast of characters worthy of a LeCarre novel. Only it's all true. And just as vivid.” —Ken Auletta

“[A] riveting, beautifully researched and profoundly disturbing book. . . . Crile’s book is also an astonishing glimpse into the world of the CIA and the power of individual, cash-rich lobbies in American politics. More than anything, it is the parade of characters that is the real pleasure of the book.” —Jason Burke, Guardian (UK)

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grove Press; Reissue edition (November 6, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 560 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0802143415
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0802143419
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.25 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,047 ratings

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George Crile

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and entertaining. They appreciate the insights into the clandestine service and the thorough research. The writing quality is described as well-written and easy to read. Readers praise the biographies of the characters as interesting and unique. The narrator is described as compelling and provides a detailed civics lesson on how government works. Overall, customers find the visual style colorful and engaging.

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Select to learn more
ReadabilityInsightWriting qualityCharacter developmentNarratorVisual styleEntertainment valueAuthenticity
152 customers mention "Readability"149 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find the narrative engaging and fun to read. Many consider it better than the movie and a smooth, exciting read that carries all the excitement of a real pot-boiler.

"...Read Charlie Wilson's War and I promise you that you will not only love the book, but better understand our current state of affairs...." Read more

"The book is a smooth read and carries all the excitement of a real pot boiler. It is a page-turning vacation reader of the first class...." Read more

"...of government secrets; for managing to produce an coherent, fun-to-read manuscript from a bounty of fascinating stories that might have overwhelmed..." Read more

"...The movie is highly entertaining, and the book reads very quickly, so even if you don't read more into it, it's an entertaining endeavor." Read more

69 customers mention "Insight"69 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's insights. They find it well-researched and educational, providing a fascinating glimpse into how things work in clandestine service. The book explores Charlie Wilson's inner motivations and flaws in great detail. Overall, readers say the book helps them better understand current events and the inner workings of our clandestine service.

"...you that you will not only love the book, but better understand our current state of affairs. Thank you for reading this review...." Read more

"History books, especially those with an emphasis on investigative journalism, are rarely fun to read...." Read more

"...This book is a treasure trove: details on the bureaucratic backbiting and caution that often make the CIA so ineffective; a peek into the lunatic..." Read more

"Fast delivery, Spot on description of book. Thank You!" Read more

32 customers mention "Writing quality"25 positive7 negative

Customers enjoy the well-written story. They find it easy to read and engaging, with a coherent narrative that reads like fiction.

"...all, the book brings forth Wilson's life and achievements in an easy to read manner, with numerous lines that caused me to laugh out loud...." Read more

"...astonishing number of government secrets; for managing to produce an coherent, fun-to-read manuscript from a bounty of fascinating stories that..." Read more

"...The book reads really well and ... well, how do I put this? All the back door mechanizations in politics, simply makes one lose their breath." Read more

"...The author expertly takes the reader through Wilson's campaign within Congress to fund the mujahideen freedom fighters...." Read more

28 customers mention "Character development"25 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book. They find the biographies of the characters interesting and well-written. The book provides detailed background information on the characters, including their personalities and backgrounds. Overall, readers find the characters colorful and unique.

"...the one that meant the most to me is how the author explained the interplay of characters' backgrounds, perceptions, beliefs, and feelings so that I..." Read more

"...Both are fine actors but were seriously miscast in these roles. Ironically, perhaps, Hoffman is brilliant as Avrakotos...." Read more

"...Of course his is the good fortune of choosing colorful characters (to say the least) to write about but a lesser writer, I feel sure, could destroy..." Read more

"This is an amazing story both autobiographical and historic...." Read more

20 customers mention "Narrator"20 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and informative. It provides a detailed civics lesson on how government works. They appreciate the comprehensive look at one congressman's role in the covert American effort to prevent World War II. The book is described as an excellent nonfiction account of an American hero.

"...of the House Appropriations Committee (HAC), the most powerful committee in the Congress because it dispenses more than $500 billion per year in..." Read more

"...The book is part biography of Democrat Charlie Wilson, part history of the Afghan war effort, and part policy review of the roles played by various..." Read more

"...in equal parts by Joseph Heller, Larry McMurtry and the great military historian, Victor Davis Hanson...." Read more

"...told, compelling recount of a Congressman who FOUGHT for his belief...." Read more

17 customers mention "Visual style"17 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's visual style. They find it entertaining and enlightening, providing an insightful look at the lives of Congressmen and the government's use of money in a covert war in the Middle East. The story is told in detail and is never dull, making it a great rendition of the book.

"...He is Hollywood handsome, tough, smart, Annapolis trained, party lover, womanizer, patriot, and anti-communist...." Read more

"...of Afghan rebels backed by the CIA -- he found two crucial, colorful insiders who were willing to tell him everything and who were fascinating..." Read more

"...Wilson was ready to leave, they had presented him with an impressive-looking design, complete with detailed specifications...." Read more

"...This book was a real eye opener. So much money being spent on secret deals. No wonder no one was in shock or upset when Pres...." Read more

12 customers mention "Entertainment value"12 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's entertaining content. They find it humorous, with humorous anecdotes about Wilson's partying and drinking habits.

"...He is Hollywood handsome, tough, smart, Annapolis trained, party lover, womanizer, patriot, and anti-communist...." Read more

"...world of fanatically anti-communist Texas millionaires; Wilson's hilarious antics, including his clandestine trips into the Muslim world in the..." Read more

"...very quickly, so even if you don't read more into it, it's an entertaining endeavor." Read more

"...Just outstanding. A funny, entertaining, sad, uplifting, tragic sort of book...." Read more

34 customers mention "Authenticity"21 positive13 negative

Customers have differing views on the authenticity of the book. Some find it an intriguing story about American foreign policy making and an important spy story of our time. They describe it as accurate and more factual than the movie, showing how world politics are really carried out. However, others find the story hard to believe, unreliable, and with long backstories and repetition. The book also receives criticism for being too detailed and repetitive.

"...The book is part biography of Democrat Charlie Wilson, part history of the Afghan war effort, and part policy review of the roles played by various..." Read more

"...The inconveient facts that are left out are, by far, more important. However, it is a good entertaining read...." Read more

"...hundreds - over more than a decade; for learning an astonishing number of government secrets; for managing to produce an coherent, fun-to-read..." Read more

"...this man Wilson in that he was able to captivate women and numerous covert ops men who believed that Jimmy Carter had weakened the US by cuddling up..." Read more

From the land of hero's.
5 out of 5 stars
From the land of hero's.
Great book about an immigrant patriot that changed the world. A no nonsense unapologetic son of Greek immigrants who's only mission was to defeat communism and the Russians. Raised in the small town of aliquippa, a steel town in western Pennsylvania where pride and courage gets hardened in you like the steel they make. God bless the men that like Nathan hale regret that they have only one life to give for their country. Where failure is.never an option.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Richard of Connecticut
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Story that Reads Better than Fiction - that is COMPELLING - A PAGE TURNER without equal - Five Stars !!!!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    However you make it happen, this is a book you must read. First of all it's the true story of one of the great events and periods of the 20th century. It is a page turner, it is history, it is gripping, and it's true. The Russians invade Afghanistan and believe that they will roll to victory very quickly. There is nothing but the will of the Afghan people to stand in their way. The Russians are modern, mechanized, strategic thinkers, determined and without morality as to how to deal with their enemies. As for rules of engagement - what rules? There are none.

    The Afghans have been through this before, actually many times before, for over a thousand years, and nobody had ever been able to conquer them and hold the territory. The Afghans fight with obsolete weapons, on horseback and on foot. Slowly but surely unless stopped, the Russians will smother out the Afghan's will to fight. There must be an intrusion, something to upset the balance of balance between the tribes and the Russians.

    That intrusion will come in the form of Congressman Charlie Wilson of Texas. He is Hollywood handsome, tough, smart, Annapolis trained, party lover, womanizer, patriot, and anti-communist. He is a Christian from Bible-Belt Texas who loves the Israelis. The key to his story is that he is a member of the House Appropriations Committee (HAC), the most powerful committee in the Congress because it dispenses more than $500 billion per year in spending. If you are on the right subcommittee of the HAC, you can cut the right deals and get things done, and that's what Wilson was born to do.

    Enter Gust Avrakotos, CIA's man in control of Afghanistan. He is a renegade, abusive of authority, and anything but a company man. He calls the blue bloods who run the Agency "cake eaters". He is the man who can get things done, and he does not care who gets in the way, because you are either part of the problem or part of the solution. Together Charlie Wilson and Gust Avrakotos are going to make history. Their intention is nothing short of enabling the Afghan tribal warriors to win the war against the Russians, and in the next 523 mesmerizing pages they show you how they did it. Here are some highlights:

    * It would start out small. Wilson would get Gust $5 million from the Congress. The Saudis would match the funds and it would be $10 million. It would grow to $25, $50, and $100 million. Before Wilson was done, the US was spending hundreds of millions of dollars funding the Afghan tribes. The Russians would have to spend 10 to 50 times as much to match the American spending because the CIA through Gust was getting a much bigger bang for the buck than the Russians.

    * The Russians dominated the air with planes and helicopters, but soon America was supplying shoulder fired missiles that could take down those planes and helicopters. The Russians went from dominating the air, to being sitting ducks. A $70,000 portable weapon was bringing down a $20 million helicopter. The Russians were afraid to fly.

    * The bureaucrats at CIA were fighting Wilson and Avrakotos all the way, until word came from CIA Director Casey to get on board or get left behind. President Reagan got behind the program as well.

    * You will meet Houston heiress Joanne Herring who would introduce Wilson to all the right people, including the President of Pakistan whose people would act as the go between with the weapons coming from America and going to the Afghans.

    * Even the Israelis would get involved as the largest repository of Russian weapons in the world, leftovers from two Arab-Israeli wars. The CIA had a policy of not introducing American made weapons into a theater of war because of the potential backlash.

    * When it comes to Wilson, there are always the girls. Wilson surrounded himself with the most beautiful women, which included his entire all girl staff in the Congress. He is probably the only Congressman who could and did get away with it.

    * Wilson was totally unique and was one of the few Congressmen that could be counted on in the clutch. When a man was down on his knees, Wilson was there to pick him up. He defended Congressman John Murtha during the ABSCAM scandal where various members of Congress were entrapped taking brides. He defended Congressman Carl Stokes who was arrested for drunken driving. His willingness to protect people endeared him to countless members of Congress who would later protect Wilson.

    * Between Wilson and Gus Avrakotos they had virtually created their own defense contractor, that's how much war material they were buying. They actually for a while controlled the demand for AK 47's throughout the world, including the cost of ammunition.

    * It was in negotiations where Wilson shined. He was able to raise untold hundreds of millions of dollars for the war, and bring enemies together like Israel and Pakistan's President Zia who on more than one occasion told Wilson, if I see one Star of David on the military supplies coming into this country I am going to go nuts.

    CONCLUSION:

    Although this book is TRUE, it reads like fiction through and through. You just can't put down Charlie Wilson's War once you have begun it. In light of our predicament in Afghanistan and Iraq today, it is even more compelling that you read this book now. The Afghans who are fighting us today are the remnants of the army we trained a generation ago to fight the Russians. Much of the weapons they currently use against us come from the caches that we supplied them during the Russian invasion.

    After we helped them win the war against the Russians, we walked away, and left them on their own. They did not forget this, and in many ways we are paying a price for it now. Read Charlie Wilson's War and I promise you that you will not only love the book, but better understand our current state of affairs. Thank you for reading this review.

    Richard C. Stoyeck
    18 people found this helpful
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  • James McCabe
    5.0 out of 5 stars Waiting For Cybill The Soothsayer OR The Revenge Of TV Journalism
    Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2006
    Verified Purchase
    The book is a smooth read and carries all the excitement of a real pot boiler. It is a page-turning vacation reader of the first class. Honest.

    The tone of book is that of one of the many Judy Garland-Andy Rooney movies of the 30's: The bluebloods have made a total mess of things and the plucky little dead end kids pick up the pieces, "I know what we'll do, we'll give a show". Well folks, that what you get when you let TV's version of journalism spill over onto the printed page: It's all show biz. And it is entertaining, five stars worth of mind candy.

    I was over a hundred pages into this very entertaining book, though, when I made an abrupt volte-face. I realized I truly loathed all the characters

    Start things off with a shameless Texas politician (is there any other kind?) that parlayed sucking up to AIPAC into membership on a vital congressional committee long before his time and who gets conned into supporting the most extremely fanatical Islamic war-lord in Afghanistan, and the most murderous dictator that the sub-continent has seen, by a blonde, Bircher, Texas Oil divorcee who was set upon this course by the black sheep scion of a wealthy family turned wrestler and movie actor. It's a cast that could only be assembled on the Mothership and, really, the wrestler was the only one of the bunch that I liked: He reminded me of an Ed Wood character that only Johnny Depp could play. (They are making a movie about this to boot.)

    Simultaneous with his exposition about his introductory cast of jetsetting crypto Falangistas, the author is extolling the virtues of the lower class kid form Pennsylvania whose Hero status is enshrined by propping up the Greek Junta enshrined in "V" for the CIA. Add an insider's description of the Democratic Congressional political pork machine where the backwoods Texas congressman flies first class all over the world with his many bimbos sucking scotch through the ice cubes all the way. First class hotel suites, food and booze up the wazoo, motorcades..... all at my expense. In my darkest heart of hearts I never thought that this book would get me to sing the praises of that mad bomber Gingritch who brought the whole pork machine down (only to replace it with an more efficient version). Beware gods with a sense of humor.

    Crile's genius is that he makes heroes of this reprehensible cast that sold the country down the road and anesthetizes the reader to the fact that we armed the Islamic crazies that are scheming to murder our children in their sleep at this very moment. It was all worth it to topple the Evil Empire at any cost, wasn't it? The mea culpas are saved for the epilogue where it turns out that the whole thing was not a cold warrior's "A Night At The Opera" but was probably Clinton's fault after all. Go ahead, kid, drink the Kool-Aid.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • J.J. Sour
    5.0 out of 5 stars The War in Afghanistan that the USA Won
    Reviewed in Canada on July 23, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Crile's work brings together a wealth of knowledge and experience, in-depth insight into the issues and geopolitics, and extensive research into and interviews with all the major players. Beyond a detailed history of the USA's covert war in Afghanistan, Charlie Wilson's War provides a guided tour of the internal operations of the CIA and a study of the fraught relationship between the US government and its spy agency. Crile details how a motley crew of characters--Congressman Charlie Wilson, socialite Joanne Herring, rogue CIA agent Gust Avatagos, and young savant warfare strategist Mike Vickers, to name but a few--managed to manipulate global politics involving the USA, Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Nicaragua, Iran and China, and, arguably, caused the collapse of the Soviet Union in November 1989. In short, the book tells us how the CIA works, how the American government works, and even, in some measure, how the world works--and it's never quite as we might imagine.
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  • Deepak Chaubey
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nice book must read
    Reviewed in India on July 27, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Nice book
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  • wally
    5.0 out of 5 stars 1000 volte meglio del film come al solito
    Reviewed in Italy on November 3, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    1000 volte meglio del film come al solito

    1000 volte meglio del film come al solito1000 volte meglio del film come al solito1000 volte meglio del film come al solito1000 volte meglio del film come al solito1000 volte meglio del film come al solito
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  • Simon Keyes
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 12, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    If you want to understand how Afghanistan works and why the Taliban are as effective as they are read this book.

    Charlie wildons War shows how the CIA armed and equipped the Afghans to fight the Soviets in the 80's. It reads like a great novel, but is an account of real events.
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  • F. Seelig
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ausgezeichnet
    Reviewed in Germany on January 27, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    George Crile versteht es in diesem Buch ausgezeichnet, die Tätigkeiten von Congressman Charlie Wilson in Zusammenarbeit mit der CIA in Afghanistan darzustellen. Auf gut 500 Seiten erfährt man eine Unmenge an Details über die Abläufe in Congress und CIA, die Verhältnisse im nahen Osten und zwischen Pakistan und Afghanistan und all die verdeckten Hilfen und Zusammenhänge, die zum letztendlichen Sieg über die Sowjetunion in Afghanistan geführt haben. Die Charaktere agieren wie in einem Roman, es gibt spannende und romantische Szenen und Charlie Wilson selbst wird hervorragend potraitiert.

    Uneingeschränkt zu empfehlen.
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