Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in HistoryCharlie Wilson's War was a publishing sensation and a New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times bestseller. In the early 1980s, a Houston socialite turned the attention of maverick Texas congressman Charlie Wilson to the ragged band of Afghan freedom fighters who continued, despite overwhelming odds, to fight the Soviet invaders. Wilson, who sat on the all-powerful House Appropriations Committee, managed to procure hundreds of millions of dollars to support the mujahideen. The arms were secretly procured and distributed with the help of an out-of-favor CIA operative, Gust Avrokotos, whose working-class Greek-American background made him an anomaly among the Ivy League world of American spies. Avrakotos handpicked a staff of CIA outcasts to run his operation and, with their help, continually stretched the Agency's rules to the breaking point. Moving from the back rooms of the Capitol, to secret chambers at Langley, to arms-dealers' conventions, to the Khyber Pass, this book presents an astonishing chapter of our recent past, and the key to understanding what helped trigger the sudden collapse of the Soviet Union and ultimately led to the emergence of a brand-new foe in the form of radical Islam. |
Contents
A Strange Award at Langley | 1 |
A Hot Tub in Las Vegas | 8 |
Defender of Trinity | 21 |
A Rogue Elephant in the Agency Woods | 40 |
A Texas Bombshell | 64 |
The Secret Life of Charlie Wilson | 76 |
The Curse of Aliquippa | 89 |
How the Israelis Broke the Congressmans Heart and He Fell for the Muj | 97 |
No Wasps Need Apply | 272 |
Man of Destiny | 285 |
Mohammeds Arms Bazaar | 307 |
The Senator and His Even Crazier RightWing Friends | 324 |
Techno Holy Warriors | 339 |
The Noblest Smuggling Operation in History | 357 |
Dr Doom Declares Charlie Dead | 374 |
Charlies Irregulars | 387 |
The Station Chief | 115 |
Cocaine Charlie | 130 |
The Congressman Takes His Belly Dancer to the Jihad | 139 |
The Rebirth of Gust Avrakotos | 154 |
The United States v Charles Wilson | 170 |
The Seduction of Doc Long | 183 |
Gusts Secret | 194 |
The Opening Salvo | 204 |
Howard of Afghanistan | 216 |
Cogans Last Stand | 233 |
The Birth of a Conspiracy | 247 |
The Recruitment | 261 |
Other editions - View all
Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of how the Wildest Man in ... George Crile Limited preview - 2003 |
Common terms and phrases
Abu Ghazala Afghan program Afghan war Afghanistan Agency Agency's Akhtar Aliquippa Alper American ammunition arms asked Avrakotos's Bearden began Bill Casey bomb called campaign Casey Charlie Wilson Charlie Wilson's War Charlie's CIA's Clair George Cogan Committee Communist Congress congressman defense dinner director Doc Long Egyptian Eiva embassy enemy explained Fawcett fight force freedom fighters fucking funds going guerrilla guns gunships Gust Avrakotos Gust's helicopter Hind honor Howard Hart intelligence Islamabad Israel Israelis jihad Joanne Kabul kill knew Langley later look Massoud Mike Vickers military million Mohammed moved mujahideen Muslim never night Oerlikon operation Pakistan Pashtun Pentagon Peshawar plane president Reagan Red Army role Russians Saudi says Schnabel secret Senate Soviet station chief Stinger story subcommittee Sweetums talk tell Texas thing told trying U.S. government United Vickers wanted warriors Washington weapons White House Yousaf Zia ul-Haq Zia's