Charlie Wilson's War

Rating:
Summary: Full of Hubris; Full of Errors
Review: This is a great story, but Crile is not a great writer, or even a good one. This is more of a hagiography than a serious critique of a man who played fast and loose with the rules and in the process helped arm radical Islamists--and we've already seen the consequences of that.

Rating:
Summary: Good-time Charlie
Review: Charlie Wilson is a subject close to my heart. I took him as the prototype for the president in my second novel, "The Sixth Battle," but still learned far more in Mr. Crile's book than I knew before. Moreover, it's a highly entertaining as well as informative volume: the extent of Crile's work is evident in the scope and detail of the text, to say nothing of the huge cast of characters he interviewed. I would happily rate this book at five stars except for the author's obsessive reliance on indefinite articles. "This" and "these" are vastly over-used on nearly every page (6 times on pg 301 alone), referring to subjects that usually are obvious but sometimes are not. Frankly, Crile's otherwise excellent manuscript deserved better editing. Otherwise, "Good-Time Charlie" is a subject worthy of a movie, complete with a colorful, flawed hero; back-channel contacts; politics; sex; guns; and an ending that defines "unintended consequences."

Rating:
Summary: worth reading for the details
Review: A really fun book more insightful about how Congress really works than how the Soviets were kicked out of Afghanistan. Great exemplification of a master (Mr. Wilson) working the committee system of Congress to get what he wants done. Great insight into how the SA-7 is a pretty lousy SAM. Some insight into how Agency ran its Pakinstani and Afghani ops during this period. If you know the basics about the situation, the book connects a lot of dots. Read it.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Nonfiction!
Review: We often think of history as a grand game, marshaled and directed by immensely powerful men and nations, who issue edicts from palaces on high. For the most part, this is a pretty faithful interpretation of historical currents. The reader has to throw that supposition out the window when reading Charlie Wilsons War, a brilliant and fascinating account of the US involvement in the Soviet war in Afghanistan. Rather than players entrenched at the highest echelons of national power, author George Crile introduces us to an amazingly eccentric bunch of characters who, through determination, luck, brains, and tons of money, managed to pull off one of the most complex and successful covert operations in history. It is strange to think that such shadowy heavyweights such as Allen Dulles could be relatively unsuccessful at covert operations while less well known figures could pull it off so spectacularly. Rarely have I read non fiction this engrossing, this compelling.

The books namesake is introduced early on to the reader, in less than flattering circumstances. Charlie Wilson is the almost stereotypical Texas congressman run amok. Stetson, cowboy boots, towering, powerful persona, a drinker and a womanizer. Although surprisingly liberal on some issues, the congressman from Texas never lost his connection with his districts strict sense of patriotism and religion. A man found in hot tubs with playmates, suspected of doing cocaine in limos, bilking thousands of dollars from the taxpayers for international jaunts. Hardly a man who could alter the balance of the world. However, as Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan and began a brutal campaign of repression and violence, a seed of American admiration for the desperate Afghan freedom fights began to spread. It found the right ears, getting to people like ultra-conservative Texas socialite Joanne Herring, who put the idea to Charlie first. Charlie, a rabid anti-communist who loved the underdog, began to make noises. Because of his political relationships, Charlie began to put together a secret consensus, allowing millions to flow to a covert war that was just beginning to take shape.

The best part of the book was the description of the architects themselves. The standout of this fascinating group was CIA officer Gust Avrakotos, a fascinating man who sounds like he should have a biography written solely about himself. We get to know Gust very well throughout the book, and his story is truly epic. Slowly but surely, Gust begins to recognize the opportunities the Afghan war provides. The Russians are stuck in a guerilla war, against a growing number of rebels who are fueled by fanatic hatred of them. With the right weapons, the vengeance for Vietnam could be delivered. Cleverly seizing the responsibility for coordination of the covert aid, Gust began to recruit a group of outcasts and cranks, who together would create a raging headache for the Soviet leadership. The standout of the "dirty dozen", as they called themselves, was Mike Vickers, a relatively low ranked ex-Green Beret who concocted an absolutely brilliant weapons and supply strategy for the growing insurgency. This collection of misfits was given almost total free reign and tons of funding, care of Charlie, of course.

Crile takes us on a whirlwind tour of the CIA sponsored war in Afghanistan. We follow Charlie himself as he visits various mujahideen leaders and fighters on the frontline, who beg for anti-aircraft weaponry to knock out the Soviet Mi-24 helicopter gunships. CIA agents such as Gust and Vickers travel all over the world, buying massive quantities of weaponry from corrupt Egyptian generals, Polish traitors, not to mention Chinese, Swiss, African, and British gun runners. An entire system of transport had to be set up, relying on donkeys. Strange bedfellows are made, as congressional liberals were forced to make nice with President Zia of Pakistan, a constant violator of civil rights who also sought to build nuclear weapons. The war itself, although blissfully free of too much congressional scrutiny, came under withering attacks from all quarters. Anti-communist fanatics, including one mentally deranged senator from New Hampshire, threatened to fire the CIA leadership over "criminal mismanagement" of the war. Strange and spooky fellows such as Oliver North attempted to use the Afghan war as cover for their own murky deals involving the contras and Iran, much to the heroic criticism of Gust. Still, with skill and remarkable savvy, Charlie and Co. managed to construct an well greased machine that eventually helped defeat the Soviet Union.

Frankly, if this was a novel, I would have criticized it for being too unrealistic. Over and over again, I said to myself, "you can't make this stuff up!" Crile's writing style is fundamentally absorbing, written in a kind of educated techno thriller fashion. You are swept away by the waves of political and international intrigue that the wide range of characters offers. At the same time, you get a real view of a very critical time in our nations history, as the cold war drew to a close. Crile understands the fundamentals of non-fiction, which should educate the reader while giving them something that they can wrap their minds around. He does not shy from the tough questions, especially concerning the failure of the US government to deal with Afghanistan following the Soviet withdrawal. His research is obviously impeccable and exceedingly thorough. It is one of the best non-fiction works I have ever read and should be read by any one with interest in the world as it stands today.

Rating:
Summary: What Nonfiction should Aspire to
Review: Prior to reading this book I had no idea who Charlie Wilson was. After reading it, I am both amazed and dismayed. On one hand I was happy to learn that members of our government could exercise the kind of flexibility, tenacity, and skill to run a massive operation against the Soviet Union below the radar of public opinion and Congressional oversight. On the other hand, I was also horrified to learn that a congressman from a Texas backwater with no national mandate could manipulate the system to such a degree.

It's just that kind of book - one that will make you question your assumptions, while enjoying a rollicking spy yarn that Ian Fleming could not have dreamed up. It also offered support to those who believe that individuals create history, rather than events being shaped by "historical" forces.

Finally, one cannot read the book without constantly wondering about the "blow-back" of the CIA's actions in Afghanistan. While no one can legitimately question the fact that it was a good thing to defeat the Soviet invasion, the post-war situation is one we're dealing with today. How many of the Afghanis we trained and armed joined the Taliban? How many have taken the training they learned from Pakistani surrogates in bomb-making, assassination, and other arts of terrorism and are applying it against the US in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere?

This disquieting book doesn't have the answers, but it's a great start.

Rating:
Summary: Hard to Put Down
Review: Charlie Wilson's War is a non-fiction book that drew me into its story just like good novels do. I found this implausible, yet true, story so captivating that I had a hard time putting the book down. Not only is Charlie Wilson's War a compelling story that flows like a novel, the foibles of the main characters and the improbability of them forming a secret alliance, and then teaming with the Mujahideen to fight and defeat the Soviets seems to be right out of a Tom Clancy book. But it's not. It's a chronicle of actual history and a partial biography. Actually, it contains enough information about the two main characters, Charles Wilson and Gust Avrakotos that it is partially two biographies.

Somehow, despite the fact that I despised the boozing, womanizing, schmoozing, and politics of "Good Time Charlie," I found myself rooting for him throughout the story. I had a similar feeling about Gust Avrakotos, the Greek immigrant CIA case officer who teamed-up with the Congressman from Texas to wage a revenge-inspired war through the Afghan Mujahideen against the Soviets. Despite Gust's crudity and roughness of character, I rooted for him too. I think it would be hard not to root for these rogues. They and their associates form a cast of outrageous characters that I found myself amazed at and at other times laughing out loud at their antics.

Unfortunately, there isn't a cozy and happy ending to this well-written story. The broad outlines of what happened most of us know: The Soviet Army retreated from Afganhistan in defeat - an event that many historians believe may have been a catalyst or accelerator for the events that culminated in the collapse of the Soviet Union itself. The US-backed Mujahideen were successful in reclaiming their country, and then they established a fundamental Islamic government (the Taliban) that brutally repressed the Afghan people. And lastly, the Taliban's enmity was redirected from the Soviet invaders to the US, which culminated in the events of September 11, 2001. What isn't well known is the story of how the US helped bring the Taliban to power in Afghanistan. Charlie Wilson's War gives its readers a glimpse of that part of the story. It's a very enjoyable experience learning what happened. However, thinking about the consequences is serious stuff.

I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Book!
Review: This book gives you the inside track of the United Staes role of the war in Afghanistan against the Russians.Charlie Wilson a
skirt chasing hard drinking Cngressman from Texas first learned of the plight of the Afghan warriors from a Houston socialite
JoAnne Herring.Wilson turned out to be the factor thar made the
difference in the war.He used his influence on the Appropriations
Committee to provide crucial financing fro the Afghan warriors.
He teamed up with CIA agent Gust Avrakotos to find methods to get
needed weapons to the Afghan troops.The author also reveals to the reader some of the scandals that happened to Wilson during this time.You are also shown somw of the people from Pakistan who played a role in aiding the Afghan effort.The author also is
able to show how some of the Afghan warriors developed into the
Taliban and Al-Queida thar came to dominate Afghanistan.As a result of reading this book I developed a new respect for Charlie
Wilson who served as my Congressman for over 20 years.This is an
outstanding book that you should take time to read.

Rating:
Summary: Keep Your Eyes Open
Review: I enjoyed this book tremendously, but there are some concerns I have that I strongly believe need to be mentioned.

First and foremost is the fundamentally American perspective; this is heavily American biased, as another Amazon reviewer here -- "russianwriter" -- so very well articulates. Crile neglects to complicate his story with the reality of the complexities of war, and really seems to believe the "good vs. bad," "cowboys vs. indians" motif that Congressman Wilson, in fact, DID believe.

I am not a fan of Texas and the good ol' boy networks of this country within a country, particularly given the current President, so I cannot applaud the tales that Crile tells with relish about the booze, womanizing, and "good clean fun" of Congressman Wilson. Again, Crile takes this to such an extreme that it appears he really believes it.

The character of Gust Avrakotos, the CIA operative, is colorful and, apparantly, true-to-life. Crile makes much out of the fact that he is a Greek-American. Fair enough. However, in one of his many disappointing and puzzling generalizations, he writes (page 283), "...what pulled Avrakotos to Wilson was the thing that all Greeks are looking for: Wilson was a man with good luck. Greeks are gamblers at heart -- they look for signs; they bet with winners." How absurd. Would Crile have written, "All Jews are gamblers at heart," "All WASP's are gamblers at heart"? How would Senator Sarbanes or Olympia Snow or the late Paul Tsongas (who Crile writes about but neglects to mention his Greek heritage) react to this bigotry?

One suspects that Crile may be too inured with the WASP establishment he writes so extensively about

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Amazing
Review: Imus was right--this book is mindboggling. It is extremely well written and easy to follow. It reveals treachery and deceit at the highest level of government and shows how one man pushed an entire war through Congress. The cast of characters is like something out of Jack Higgins, but its all real. Mr. Crile writes an excellent book that exposes the truth about the Soviet Union's Vietnam.

Rating:
Summary: Great adventure!
Review: This is an engrossing yarn throughout. Besides being a great adventure story, it illustrates that who controls the federal dollars controls everything that goes on in Washington. The author has the knack of bringing all his characters to life by recounting what brings each of them to the place where their lives intersect. I've lived in Texas about 45 years and was aware of Charlie Wilson and his various peccadillos but had little idea what he was really up to till reading this book. I assume that Mr. Crile has his facts straight, although I did note that he places a Dallas hotel (The Mansion on Turtle Creek) in Fort Worth (p. 135).