Charlie Wilson's WarThe bestselling true story of a Texas congressman’s secret role in the Afghan defeat of Russian invaders is “a tour de force of reporting and writing” (Dan Rather). A New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times bestseller. Charlie Wilson’s penchant for cocktails and beauty-contest winners was well known, but in the early 1980s, the dilettante congressman quietly conducted one of the most successful covert operations in US history. Using his seat on the House Appropriations Committee, Wilson channeled hundreds of millions of dollars to support a ragged band of Afghan “freedom fighters” in their resistance against Soviet invaders. Weapons were secretly procured and distributed with the help of an outcast CIA operative named Gust Avrakotos, who stretched the agency’s rules to the breaking point. Moving from the back rooms of Washington to secret chambers at Langley, and from arms-dealers’ conventions to the Khyber Pass, Wilson and Avrakotos helped the mujahideen win an unlikely victory against the Russians. Adapted into a film starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War chronicles an overlooked chapter in the collapse of the Soviet Union—and the emergence of a brand-new foe in the form of radical Islam. “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.” —Publishers Weekly “An engaging, well-written, newsworthy study of practical politics and its sometimes unlikely players, and one with plenty of implications.” —Kirkus Reviews |
Contents
A Rogue Elephant in the Agency Woods | |
A Texas Bombshell | |
The Secret Life of Charlie Wilson | |
The Curse of Aliquippa | |
The Recruitment | |
No Wasps Need Apply | |
Man of Destiny | |
Mohammeds Arms Bazaar | |
The Senator and His Even Crazier RightWing Friends | |
Techno Holy Warriors | |
The Noblest Smuggling Operation in History | |
Dr Doom Declares Charlie Dead | |
How the Israelis Broke the Congressmans Heart and He Fell for the | |
The Station Chief | |
Cocaine Charlie | |
The Congressman Takes His Belly Dancer to the Jihad | |
The Rebirth of Gust Avrakotos | |
The United States v Charles Wilson | |
The Seduction of Doc Long | |
Gusts Secret | |
The Opening Salvo | |
Howard of Afghanistan | |
Cogans Last Stand 233 | |
The Birth of a Conspiracy | |
Charlies Irregulars | |
The Silver Bullet | |
The Other Silver Bullet | |
The Brown Bomber | |
Its My War Goddamn It | |
The Price of Glory | |
Heres to You You Motherfucker | |
EpilogueUnintended Consequences | |
Source Notes | |
Acknowledgments | |
Other editions - View all
Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man in ... George Crile No preview available - 2004 |
Common terms and phrases
Abu Ghazala Afghan program Afghan war Afghanistan Agency Agency’s Aliquippa Alper American ammunition Appropriations arms asked Avrakotos's Bearden began Bill Casey bomb called campaign Casey Charlie Wilson Charlie's CIA’s Clair George Committee Communist Congress congressman defense dinner director Doc Long Egyptian Eiva embassy enemy everything explained Fawcett fight force freedom fighters fucking funds going Gordon Humphrey guerrilla guns gunships Gust Avrakotos Gust's helicopters honor Howard Hart intelligence Islamabad Israel Israelis jihad Joanne Kabul kill knew Langley later look loved Massoud Mike Vickers military million Mohammed moved mujahideen Muslim never night Oerlikon operation Pakistan Pashtun Pentagon Peshawar plane president Reagan Red Army remembers role Russians Saudi says Schnabel secret Senate soldiers Soviet station chief Stinger story subcommittee Sweetums talk tell Texas things told took U.S. government United Vickers Vietnam wanted warriors Washington weapons White House Zia ul-Haq