The Afghan
A gripping political thriller from the master storyteller
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4.0 • 106 Ratings
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- £4.99
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
A chilling story of modern terrorism from the master of international intrigue.
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. 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 Guantanamo Bay and a former senior commander of the Taliban. The Afghan is also Colonel Mike Martin, a 25-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 he is about to enter. Or for the terrible things he will find there . . .
The 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 . . .
***Praise for Frederick Forsyth***
'In a class by itself. Unputdownable.' Sunday Times
'Forsyth did away with the conventions of thriller-writing and still kept readers enthralled. He reset the whole genre.' Guardian
'Meticulously researched' BBC
''Forsyth...personified the journalist-author as superstar.' Telegraph
***Don't miss Revenge of Odessa, the new book from Frederick Forsyth and Tony Kent***
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in the very near future, veteran Forsyth's latest isn't quite up to the level of The Day of the Jackal or his more recent Fist of God, but it's a cut above most other post-9/11 spy thrillers. The threat of a catastrophic assault on the West, discovered on a senior al-Qaeda member's computer, compels the leaders of the U.S. and the U.K. to attempt a desperate gambit to substitute a seasoned British operative, Col. Mike Martin, for an Afghan Taliban commander being held prisoner at Guant namo Bay and then arrange Martin's release into Afghan custody. Martin must maintain his cover under the closest scrutiny, even as the details of the planned outrage are kept beyond his reach. Despite the choice to have Porter Goss as CIA director at the end of 2006 and some nick-of-time Hollywood heroics, Forsyth convincingly conjures up the world of counterterrorism and offers an all-too plausible terrorist plot. 250,000 printing.
Customer Reviews
Very detailed but very readable
As usual a tremendous amount of detail and research goes into his books. Very good story with unexpected ending. Did just feel could have made the climax better.
Not his best - rushed at the end.
A great build up but was quite anticlimactic at the end. It all seemed a little rushed an “convenient”.
The afghan
Fantastic couldn't put it down but read the fist of god first I made the mistake of reading the afghan first