Recommended to me by a friend, this book added immeasurably to my foreign service experience in Afghanistan. I'm the same age as Charlie Wilson, and have been part of the Foreign Service during the years described in the book. The preposterous antics of Charlie and Gust came to life as they maneuvered their way through the war on the side of the Mujahadin. I have been to most of the places the book takes the reader - Charlie Wilson's War made it all come back to life for me. An extremely good read - I hope they make a movie of it.

Okay, a very entertaining read -- who doesn't love an outlaw, especially an altruistic one, and this book is filled with wannabe Robin Hoods robbing the federal government to support those Red-killing freedom fighters/holy warriors/Stone Age throwbacks in Afghanistan.

But when I finished it I couldn't help but wonder, why does it take the prospect of annihilating an enemy to mobilize this kind of passion and commitment and drive? What would our nation look like today if Charlie was outraged, not by the US being handed our lunch by the AK-47 in Vietnam, but by the abysmal state of US health care? Education? The economy? The environment? He annihilated his enemy, no question, Success R Us in this outreach program, but did he really leave us with a better world?

It also bothered me that Crile never addresses the irony of Charlie Wilson, that manifest lover of many women, almost single-handedly handing over power to the Taliban, inarguably the most women-hating, women-abusing bunch of guys who ever ran a country.

A long but quick and fun read (just like it's title), 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 is a great novel to read in your spare time. The book is brings light to history that most of the world never heard about--but still important all the same. Even in novelization, Charlie Wilson is a most charismatic man who will leave an impression on everyone that learns about him.

I ordered the book "Charlie Wilson's War" gently used. It was in great condition. I was trying to read the book in time for my book club so wish it had arrived a few days faster but it was within the 10 day shipping window.

I read the book after I had seen the movie (which was a lot of fun) to find out more about what really happened. Well, I did find out, but was quite disappointed.

The book was not nearly as enjoyable as the movie. This was not because it was too political-analytical (I can handle political-analytical), but because it was not very well written. The author could not decide if he wanted to write a political-factual account or a novelistic thriller. Or rather he tried a novelistic thriller, but was just not good at it. So the book is too long, with too many cliches, at times fluffy when it should be precise, at times repetitious, and the psychology of the characters, especially of the Muslim characters, is rather flat. What this book really needs is a good editor and two or three re-writes.

All this it too bad, because the facts behind the book are indeed astonishing and it covers a piece of recent history that is well worth knowing. Read it -- but do not expect too much pleasure.

Charlie Wilson's War should be considered part 1 of a CIA trilogy, to be followed by Steve Coll's Ghost Wars and George Tenet's At the Center of the Storm

Whether or not you completely buy Zia-ul-Haq's assertion that Charlie Wilson was almost single-handedly responsible for the Mujahideen victory over the Soviet Union in the Afghan War, George Crile's fascinating book makes it clear that he played a decisive role in the eventual victory, and by extension, the collapse of Communism, which followed shortly thereafter. From his seat on the Defense appropriations subcommittee, this little-known Texas Congressman with a taste for the good life managed to build a bizarre coalition of allies, including a Texas socialite, a street-wise CIA agent, and the Governments of Pakistan, Egypt, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. These seeming blood enemies were united by two things their love and respect for Charlie, and their desire to kill Russians. Crile chronicles the way in which Charlie was able to greatly increase the CIA's budget to fight the war, using any means at his disposal, constantly blurring the line between illegal activities. After winning the funding, he was surprised to find that his toughest battle was yet to come. He had to fight against the agency's bureaucracy to get them to spend the money on weapons (many supplied by his contacts in foreign governments) which he thought would tip the balance in favor of the Afghans, eventually including the Stinger missile which proved to be the war's decisive weapon.

Crile's writing reads like an Ian Fleming novel at times, and he does a great job of exploring the inner forces which drove Wilson to pursue his personal crusade against communism while simultaneously battling his own inner demons. The author refrains from making value judgments throughout the book, ultimately letting the readers decide for themselves who Charlie Wilson is. Is he Good-Time-Charlie, the egotistical, power-hungry substance-abusing ladies man who often behaved as if the laws that he helped make didn't apply to him? Or is he a hero who vanquished the evil empire, championed the underdog, and used his power to help the powerless, while spreading freedom throughout the world? The truth lies somewhere in between. At the very least Charlie Wilson's War is a cautionary tale of how powerful one congressperson can be.

Some people have criticized Crile, saying that he failed to emphasize the way in which the events that Charlie helped set in motion may have led to the events of September 11th, 2001. In response I would say that this is merely one man's story, a small segment of a much larger war. Those interested in a more comprehensive picture of the CIA's operations in Afghanistan should read Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 by Steve Coll.

My only criticism of the book was that the writing became repetitive whenever a character was re-introduced to the story after being absent from the narrative for a chapter or two. It seemed as if he repeated the same biographical details at least three times for some characters.

This is the first Kindle book I've read that used footnotes, and I'm pleased to report that they worked perfectly.

George Crile has written a great book about a huge national failing. While I applaud Wilson for his staunch anti-communist principles, I found it utterly repugnant that a loose cannon congressman could (and would) use every form of political trickery and heavy-handedness to pursue his personal vendetta against the Russians in Afghanistan in contravention to established constitutional principles. Amazingly, I found the brilliant blue-collar CIA operative Gust Avrakotos much more likeable and professional (believe it or not) than Wilson by comparison.

Crile makes a point of telling the story from as many vantage points as possible, and always attempts to provide not only accounts of the actions of all the principals involved, but tries to analyze their motivations as well. The book is exceedingly well documented for a work of this nature, and Crile has certainly written the most important book on US involvement in the Afghan war. I came away from reading this much enlightened, but ultimately disillusioned that a single blowhard congressman could not only secretly commit the country to a war not being directed from the executive branch, but could repeatedly be re-elected by a largely conservative base when he repeatedly and routinely committed gross ethical, moral, and legal offences: I was singularly unamused by his chronic self-absorption, self-aggrandizement, and self-destruction. Wilson hijacked the foreign policy of the United States and inserted the country into a proxy war in Afghanistan, a decision that has had huge implications since. Amazingly, even in a post-9/11 world, Wilson refuses to take any responsibility for his part in the extraordinarily adverse geopolitical fallout of providing huge caches of weapons and training to extremists in Afghanistan.

I kept wanting to find redeeming or lovable qualities about Wilson, as so many others apparently do, but at every turn I found a national embarrassment, allied with an extremely unsavory group of individuals, contravening the intentions of US law and policy. No congressman should be able to appropriate, wheedle, extort such power, or enact such consequential policies on their own whim, no matter how noble his intentions. Charlie Wilson is the embodiment of political seediness, and George Crile has captured it all in "Charlie Wilson's War".

I endorse this book wholeheartedly as a cautionary tale.

...and I say that as a middle-of-the-road Republican who has voted in every election since Nixon. This is a GREAT story, and a FANTASTIC read for anyone. The fact that it's "history" as well is just icing on the cake. Read the book, see the movie, LEARN something! ;)

Handing the Red Army - and Russia itself - a signal defeat (I use the term advisedly...the Red Army didn't "LOSE" it's war anymore than the US soldiers didn't "LOSE" their war in Viet Nam...politics and economics decided the outcome of both) at that point in time definitely made a significant contribution to the end of the Cold War. That's the "upside".

Having religious fanatics believe (because the logistics for arms and supplies were so carefully hidden/scrubbed) that they can 'prevail' against a major world power because 'their faith is strong' is the (continuing) downside.

Cap'n Bob

The events described in the book are so bizzare that, at first, I thought it was fiction. Then I was frightened. According to the book US foreign policy is ran by relatively low levels operatives, a congressman and a CIA agent who is not in good terms with his superiors. CIA comes through as rather inept without strong leadership. Indeed it was "Charlie Wilson's War" and nobody was minding the store, i.e. the true long term interests of the United States. By naive application of adage "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", these guys created a major threat for the country and nobody seems to be accountable.

My main criticism of the book is that it is far too detailed and, as result, too long. For example, we need not know all the specifics about the numerous girl friends of Mr. W. (but then, sex sells!) A book at a third of its size could convey the main issues equally well as the current detailed version.

George Crile's triumph is undiminished by the fact that he got really, really lucky. On one of the biggest stories of the late 20th century - the Soviet army's defeat at the hands of Afghan rebels backed by the CIA -- he found two crucial, colorful insiders who were willing to tell him everything and who were fascinating stories in themselves: Charlie Wilson, a boozehound, skirt-chasing congressman with an almost childlike devotion to backing the underdog and a zealot's hatred of Soviet communism; and his unlikely bureaucratic ally, Gust Avrakotos, a street-fighting CIA outsider who oversaw the agency's Afghan program during the crucial years in the 1980s. Crile deserves credit for nurturing these sources - and a background cast of hundreds - over more than a decade; for learning an astonishing number of government secrets; for managing to produce an coherent, fun-to-read manuscript from a bounty of fascinating stories that might have overwhelmed a lesser scribe; for managing to be fair and sympathetic to just about everyone involved; and for unveiling the whole thing just when it mattered again - after the 9/11 attacks forced America to rethink what had seemed to be our morally unambiguous support for the mujahedin in the `80s and `90s. This book is a treasure trove: details on the bureaucratic backbiting and caution that often make the CIA so ineffective; a peak into the lunatic world of fanatically anti-communist Texas millionaires; Wilson's hilarious antics, including his clandestine trips into the Muslim world in the company of a belly dancer and other beauties (one of whom decides it is appropriate to meet Afghan fundamentalist thug Gulbuddin Hekmatyar in a pink jumpsuit); a harrowing look at how political power works in the real world. (It is terrifying, for example, to learn that someone as small-minded and vain as U.S. Rep. Clarence "Doc'' Long had so much power over national security policy.)

A very detailed account of how and why this extraordinary event unfolded with great descriptions of the characters involved.

I found it annoying that in telling separate incidents, the author recounted much of the same background data that he had offered in a previous incident.

Overall, well worth reading.

Charlie Wilson's War was very insightful into the inner workings of the CIA, Congress, and the power sturcture within the U.S. House of Representatives and how much influence one Represenative can wield. If you want to know about how we helped to fight the old Soviet Union in Afghanistan read this book. Fascinating!!

Charlie Wilson's War provides the reader with a Washington insiders view of the complex power structure and activities of the various senate and house appropriations committees entrusted with the defense budget. The book also examines the CIA's technological transformation of the Afghan guerilla forces that would ultimately turn the tables in the mujahideen's favor against the Soviets. The most remarkable part of this book, however, regards the story of a secret alliance between a congressman and a CIA officer hatched in order to dodge bureaucratic interference using the most unconventional methods to escalate the Jihad in Afghanistan.

Crile does a fine job with character development throughout the book, providing an all-inclusive list of the players involved in Wilson's modern `great game.' To say the two main players in this book were uncharacteristic of a typical bureaucrat is a vast understatement. Charlie Wilson was a boozehound and a playboy who, in modern times, would have drawn the attention of the Starr Commission the day he stepped foot in Washington. By chance, Wilson would meet a key ally in Gust Avrakotos, a character equally as unique as Wilson. Avrakotos, a brutally honest man, has a very humorous habit of inserting sexual references and analogies into many of the statements in which he is quoted. Though they didn't possess the background and moral standards of the typical bureaucrat, they managed to make history by delivering Communism its final blow.

It is highly unlikely these 2 men could have accomplished this great feat in the modern political atmosphere. To overcome the assumption that checks and balances should have defeated Wilson, Crile provides a comprehensive presentation of the 1980s political setting. A landscape in which the powerful sway of lobbyists went unchecked, and congressmen considered it a right of passage to run up the taxpayers tab for personal expenses. Most importantly Crile provides an analysis of the fraternal structure of congressional power. As Crile makes clear, Charlie Wilson was able to gain immense power in appropriating funds to defense by earning memberships on the most important congressional "fraternities." Crile also adds to the political setting by factoring into the picture a CIA placed in the handcuffs of bureaucracy following the political fallout from the agency's controversial role in its support of the Contras, and later the Iran-Contra scandal. However, Crile argues convincingly that these ongoing scandals provided a "silver lining" because they distracted the press and other bureaucrats from criticizing a controversial, covert war.

The highlight of Charlie Wilson's War is Crile's Clancyesque portrayal of the overall strategy adopted by the CIA to transform mujahideen fighters into "technoguerillas." For this purpose, Crile introduces a Jack Ryan in Mike Vickers, a young CIA strategist who single-handedly changed the guerilla war by introducing a mix of weapons, and methodically overcame the challenges of coordinating supply lines, and logistics in a covert war.

The book concludes with a marvelous epilogue that correlates the United States troubled relationship with the Muslim world in the post 9/11 era, to Wilson's covert war. This book should be read just for this particular reason. Everyone who reads Charlie Wilson's War will discover a significant piece of the puzzle while having a hell of a good time along the journey.

Charlie Wilson's War provides the reader with a Washington insiders view of the complex power structure and activities of the various senate and house appropriations committees entrusted with the defense budget. The book also examines the CIA's technological transformation of the Afghan guerilla forces that would ultimately turn the tables in the mujahideen's favor. The most remarkable part of this book, however, regards the story of a secret alliance between a congressman and a CIA officer that was hatched in order to dodge bureaucratic interference using the most unconventional methods in order to escalate the Jihad in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union

Crile does a fine job with character development throughout the book, providing an all-inclusive list of the players involved in Wilson's modern `great game.' To say the two main players in this book were uncharacteristic of a typical bureaucrat is a vast understatement. Charlie Wilson was a boozehound and a playboy who, in modern times, would have drawn the attention of the Starr Commission the day he stepped foot in Washington. By chance, Wilson would meet a key ally in Gust Avrakotos, a character equally as unique as Wilson. Avrakotos brutal honesty nearly ruined his CIA career, and he has a very humorous habit of inserting sexual references and analogies into many of the statements in which he is quoted. Though they didn't possess the background and moral standards of the typical bureaucrat, they managed to make history by delivering Communism its final blow.

It is highly unlikely these 2 men could have accomplished this great feat in the modern political atmosphere. To overcome the assumption that checks and balances should have defeated Wilson, Crile provides a comprehensive presentation of the 1980s political setting. A landscape in which the powerful sway of lobbyists went unchecked, and congressmen considered it a right of passage to run up the taxpayers tab for personal expenses. Most importantly Crile provides an analysis of the fraternal structure of congressional power. As Crile makes clear, Charlie Wilson was able to gain immense power in appropriating funds to defense by earning memberships on the most important congressional "fraternities." Crile also adds to the political setting by factoring into the picture a CIA placed in the handcuffs of bureaucracy following the political fallout from the agency's controversial role in its support of the Contras, and later the Iran-Contra scandal. However, Crile argues convincingly that these ongoing scandals provided a "silver lining" because they distracted the press and other bureaucrats from criticizing a controversial, covert war.

The highlight of Charlie Wilson's War is Crile's Clancyesque portrayal of the overall strategy adopted by the CIA to transform mujahideen fighters into "technoguerillas." For this purpose, Crile introduces a Jack Ryan in Mike Vickers, a young CIA strategist who single-handedly changed the guerilla war by introducing a mix of weapons, and methodically overcame the challenges of coordinating supply lines, and logistics in a covert war.

The book concludes with a marvelous epilogue that correlates the United States troubled relationship with the Muslim world in the post 9/11 era, to Wilson's covert war. This book should be read just for this particular reason. Everyone who reads Charlie Wilson's War will discover a significant piece of the puzzle while having a hell of a good time along the journey.

I have to admit that I am still reading this book. I also have to admit that I am not a big fan of non-fiction or spy novels. My reading lists tend to be more along the fantasy and fiction genres. Having said that, I absolutely have to give this book monster kudos.

Although the writing is a bit on the dry side (mostly because the writer is actually a journalist) the material he covers and the inside information he got from both Charlie and Gust makes this one of the best views inside the secret workings of the CIA and government durring the late 80s and early 90s.

A few people I know have already read this book (one of the reasons I picked it up) and all they have is praise for it. One person says it's hard for him to keep in mind that this is a true story. IT's hard for him to realize that one man could and did all that.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history, how we got where we are today with the Islamic fundementalists, or any of the back room goings on in politics.

In his fascinating account of Congressman Charlie Wilson, George Crile evokes the images of a Stan Kubrick character: Slim Pickens as Major T. J. "King" Kong riding the bomb (and not only because of the Stetson he is wearing). You think that's far fetched? OK, Charlie is a most loveable character with his energy, dedication, propensity to fun and pleasure, and his weaknesses. Not like the unpleasant Dr. Strangelove. Yet the parallel is striking: a man on a mission to fight the evil empire, whatever the consequences.

The book is a most fascinating read with many insights in to how politics seem to work on the "Hill". It is giving more than one chilling cause for the rest of the world to seriously worry about how the "only remaining superpower" makes decisions that result in loss of lives and limbs and that interfere with sovereign nations.

Yet, the book has some serious flaws. It is a very one-sided account of people and events. The characters of the four main protagonists, Wilson, Avrakotos, Herring, Vickers are very well developed. But the book lacks depth (and misses an opportunity, I find) when it comes to describing their "counterparts" (arms traders, Pakistani leaders, Arab and Israeli officials). They are very stereotypical and often described in a manner that would behoove a second rate Hollywood star magazine.

Also disappointing is the portrayal of the Mujahideen. They are described as the "beaux sauvages" just as Wilson seems to have perceived them. Other than a simplistic "such are radical Muslims" it provides no explanation how these freedom fighters could become such fierce enemies of the US and the West in the last chapter of the book that attempts to analyze the unintended consequences of Wilson's war.

The story completely lacks any perspective of the other side. The Soviet soldiers are just there to be killed, by treading like morons into traps of the freedom fighters or appearing before the guns provided through the CIA and Wilson's appropriations. Implausible that Soviet intelligence would not have had some knowledge of CIA activities, implausible that they would not have had developed strategies and alternatives, other than scorching villages in a My Lai manner, implausible that they would not have pursued "behind-the-scene" diplomatic activities. This lack of a multi-dimensional perspective actually reduces the credibility of the main characters and their accomplishments.

The most puzzling question I have after finishing the book is not even raised: How is it possible that Wilson who the Afghan tribes' men praised as the savior of their cause, could not play a role in "cashing in the chits" and ask them to help finding Osama bin Laden etc., how is it possible that these former friends cannot be co-opted in the fight against a terrorism that Afghans had never pursued outside their country?

Lastly, in his chapter on "Source Notes", George Crile reveals - honestly - that some accounts are based on personal memories of the people he is writing about, there seems not to have been much fact checking on some parts of the story. Obviously, it is not a historical account, just a journalistic one. It should be read as that.

The movie is an intelligent screen adaptation of the book, but I wonder how Kubrick would have done it.

This is really one of the best books written about America's involvement in the war in AFGAHNISTAN against the Russians supplying them arms against the Russians and ultimately those same arms being turned against us.

Fascinating.
This book contains all kinds of information that I did not know - about the Vietnam War, the ongoing Afghan offensive, Congress, the CIA - rabid lovers and haters of all kinds.
I'm not a very political person, and generally avoid this kind of book (the nightly news is plenty!) but, this is a really human story about real people and their passion for a place and a people.
Charlie Wilson is an amazing person, whose center of gravity was changed forever by his trip to the refugee camps in Pakistan. This scene of so much human suffering made him want to punish the Russians...and he simply went back to Washington to devote his congressional life to finding ways to defeat the Soviet army.
What a guy!
And what characters - the book is full of simply amazing weird, strange, wonderful, stupid and ridiculous characters in the government, the CIA, the armies and enemies. It's rich. Really rich.
Overall a fun, enlightening book for anyone, whether you're interested in foreign affairs, warfare or not. Reads like a novel - only more unbelievable.

The movie prompted me to read the book. It's more entertaining than the movie, and 10 times as frightening. I like the book's Charlie Wilson. He comes off as the guy you'd most like to party with. Someone who you want on your side in a pinch. Similar to LBJ in that he knew how to twist arms and use the power he acquired in Washington. He acquired that power using personal contacts, charm, and an intelligence hidden behind an alcoholic facade. People who failed to take him seriously later regretted their misjudgement. What's frightening is the story of how things work in Washington, how the CIA operates and how things...serious things...really get accomplished in the highest levels of government, beyond public scrutiny or official oversight. Mr. Crile's portrayal of Charlie Wilson leaves no doubt that Mr. Wilson is a true patriot. Someone who dearly and passionately loves his country. The story of how money and power are both acquired and used, however, even by the likable patriotic and passionate Wilson is what is truly frightening. It brings into question the checks and balances in our democratic system. Yes, the outcome was mostly positive for the country in Charlie Wilson's War. But....

This is a great book. It almost reads like a James Bond novel. Even though the pacifist in me doesn't want to glorify war or war mongers, the story is one that needs to be told. It also serves as a great example of how America seems to create monsters that we have to fight later. Many of the same "freedom fighters" of Charlie's War are the Taliban and Al Queda that we are fighting today. That fact makes this book a must read for anyone who thinks they want to work in foreign policy in the future. Perhaps it should be required reading in high schools across the country.

If you enjoyed the movie - you will like the book. The book provides much more character development and in-depth insight to the political aspects both at home and globally. It's a very eye opening & frightening look at how one man with an agenda can manipulate our govenment.

This book should have been a week long miniseries on cable not a 90 minute movie. A great book for anyone interested in the real workings of Congress the CIA or the Washington establishment.

The book grabbed me at page one and I find it hard to close from my bedtime reading. One must sleep however, and there is always the advantage of looking forward to my next read.

I am not a literary critic as many here seem to be but I am hard to please. I have, on occassion, found myself 2/3rd of the way through some highly rated book only to decide I just don't want to pick it up again. I do not care what you have to say about anything if you haven't the ability to make it interesting. And my life exeperiences are such that I am no simpleton with regard to this criteria.

Mr. Crile has made this story interesting. 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 even that advantage. Good job Mr. Crile and thank you for writing this story.

This book is a real page turner. It is well written and seductive. I couldn't put it down until I finished the entire book. What a story!

Charlie Wilson's War had all the hall marks of truth, yet it's so extraordinary I can't stop wondering just how much is really true. I'll keep scanning the reviews for confirmation.

The movie was just a teaser. If you liked the movie, you have to read the book. Much more detail and exploration of the character of both Charlie Wilson and his CIA sidekick. An unbelievable story; really!

I saw the movie and decided I wanted to read more about Willison. The book was very good. It is amazing how much power one man can have in our government and nobody in the USA really knew what was going on. I didn't really like the way the author would start a subject then jump to somthing that was supposed to be related to the subject.

I would recommend the book for anyone who is interested in covert activities of government agencies It reveals the history of what was actually going on during that era.

Charlie Wilsons War is a well written story about the war in Afghanistan that few people really appreciate. Even someone like me, who had worked in Afghanistan during the early 1970s and followed its politics since, did not appreciate the role of Charlie Wilson in the Afghan conflict and the breakup of the Soviet Union. The book does an excellent job of detailing the ins and outs of the financing of the war effort in Afghanistan through third party means including USAID's cross border program and Pakistani assistance. Colorful writing but backed up with detail in a wonderful story of how committed people can make a difference. The positive and important role of Pakistan in this effort, especially President Zia, is important in understanding the outcome. This is a must read for people interested in the Afghanistan of today because it provides a context to understand its challenges.

This book is excellent. It is a real page turner. The book is better than the movie. The book has more to it than what comes out in the movie. A reader will learn quite a bit about the CIA in general through this story. It also shows the relationship between Congress and the special agencies. I found the book exciting. Secrets previously unknown are told in this book. You learn how the CIA was funneling money to the Afghans. You also learn how they moved arms to them. The book also talks about the CIA did special things to train the rebels to make them even more dangerous to the Russians. Also the book has facts that shapes the story in exciting detail. For example the Russians were losing hundreds of aircraft to stingers.

The events detailed in the book have special significance for us today. A reader can see how the CIA did things that lead to Al Quada.Those events directly lead to the current trouble with Islamic fundamentalism.

This was a book about the workings of our government that read like a spy novel. The characters were natives of my state that I either knew or had heard of so that added to the interest. I also saw the movie which is true to the book. Both are enjoyable.

One way to look at "Charlie Wilson's War" is that it reads like a confusing spy novel. The story spans two decades and has a cast of so many under-developed people moving in and out of the plot that the reading becomes tedious and boring. And yet, the story of Wilson's maniacal commitment to Afghanistan is true, which makes you step back, focus on the big picture and realize that international diplomacy conducted through numerous international channels, spy networks, and appropriations' committees in Washington is messy work at best, and dangerously illegal at worst.

You have to applaud the tenacity of someone as flawed and tenacious as Wilson. But the story also makes you wonder how taxpayer money is being spent in the country's interests. While CWW highlights the significance of the result, it also clearly portrays the flaws in the legislative/diplomatic/appropriations process. It's not a great lesson in civics.

The worst part of this fascinating story, however, is how little governments seem to learn from history. Philosopher Georges Santayana once wrote for all eternity that, "Those who do not understand history are doomed to repeat its failures." Amen. For example, the Russians, having supported North Vietnam in bringing America to its knees, repeat the USA's arrogance in attempting to overpower Afghanistan, only to suffer similar casualties (and the downfall of the Soviet Republic) when the Americans pour billions into the Afghanistan resistance to avenge Vietnam. And yet, the USA, barely 20 years later, finds itself in Iraq again facing a faceless enemy armed and supported by Russia and others. Don't we already know how this is going to turn out?

Worse, while the short term result in Afghanistan was great, the unintended consequences of the long trm result have been calamitous. The US received little credit from the religious sect in Afghanistan for its financial support and enablement of the freedom fighters to defeat their Russian occupiers. Instead, "Allah" is credited with scourging the Red Army out, and the US is seen as the new evil empire - equally deposable as the Russians. So, what did we get? Thanks to all our foreign aid, we successfully converted Afghanistan from a sticks and stones society to a sophisticated techno-guerilla threat, and breeding ground of Itrained slam extremists like Osama bin Laden.

Even as the Soviet Army rolled out of Afghanistan, the Afghan tribes used their CIA donated weapons and munitions to resume their centuries old practice of attacking one another in their eternal quest to protect and control their territory (however uninhabitable), and to exact revenge on one another. Sounds familiar. Santayana would not be proud.

"Charlie Wilson's War" is a fascinating read, but a frustrating story. It is as information packed as "The World Is Flat" and just as frightful.

I haven't seen the movie and I just finished the book, and you know it's really scary! To realize that the people making policy are so out of control that they don't know who's doing what (and actually don't care as long as it's not getting in the way of their own plots.) I can't help but wonder just who Charley Wilson was actually working for? You can't convince me that this lunatic was running around doing all these things on his own. One good thing to find out is that Charley Wilson makes Bill Clinton look like an amateur. Apparently he was running around with all kinds of women, drinking, cavorting, swearing, and doing about every other unethical thing, and nobody knew anything about it? Come on now. I hope somebody writes a book about who was really behind Charley Wilson. Another example of a man from Texas. Anyway I'd certainly recommend that this book be read just to show people how out of control the whole thing was and is. And we can probably thank Charley Wilson for our circumstances in Afghanistan at the present time. Everybody he "befriended" has now turned against us. Where's Charley now?

Scary! The fact that one strategically placed individual could move billions of taxpayer money and arbitrarily dictate US foreign policy is nothing less than frightening! The book is unputdownable, but the message is "We're in trouble, fellas and girls, and the only way we're going to get out of it is to start paying attention to what our faithful servants in elected positions are really up to."

The CIA and FBI?? They were more a part of the problem than a part of the solution, in this instance. Charley held both of those august organizations hostage while he did what he felt needed to be done. Think you saw it all in the movie? Think again. For all the wonderful little details, read the book!

How many times do we have to catch CBS news producers fictionalizing stories before people take a harder look at what they cook up? Charlie Wilson's War is a product of George Crile who was a lead television producer for CBS and covered the Afghan war against the Soviets in the 1980's. His colleagues at CBS, Kurt Lohbeck and Mike Hoover both landed in hot water for fictionalizing or making up stories about Afghanistan that would have been convenient if true but were, in fact, fabricated. More recently, Dan Rather was caught creating a hit piece aimed at George Bush that was based on dubious or phony documents. (See more about the war at jezail.org.)

Charlie Wilson's War continues that tradition. Congressman Charlie Wilson (D-Tex.) who, by all accounts, was a drunk, is supposed to have won the war with his theatrical antics. In fact, there were far more serious people involved who are slandered or overlooked in the book and the Afghans themselves become background noise for the camera loving congressman and his CIA handler, Gust Avrakotos aka "Dr. Dirty". What the careening congressman actually did was to ride on the backs of a lot of dedicated and couragous people and get his face in front of a camera at every opportunity. Of all of the selfless people who risked and often lost their lives to push the Soviets out of Afghanistan, Mr. Crile has created a Lowell Thomas heroic myth about one of the least heroic characters involved.

The book was only accurate in some details and in that it documents the congressman's excesses. The movie, with Tom Hanks as the profligate congressman, is miscast. Think John Belushi. The movie and the book both miss the significance of the policy debate and conversations that have clear relevance to this day. George Crile never had the intellectual horsepower to understand the damage done by a buffoon in the congress and his CIA manipulator. Important aspects of the Afghan policy were seriously flawed and that fact never saw the light of day because of the congressman and his CIA friends.

As a result, America's ability to project power in any region is limited to expensive, dumb leviathans as policy options. An American president can only choose to press a button that sets loose bloated budgets, armies and aircraft carriers - or not. The result: Rwanda, Darfur, Somalia and, perhaps, Kenya among others. This leaves policy makers with nothing more than hammers for surgery. The only way to deal with this or that Islamic meltdown or 5 way civil war is to put all of American prestige on the line or stay out. Charlie Wilson's main contribution to history was to single handedly kill the notion of unconventional warfare, as John F. Kennedy had intended, for the Special Forces to carry out. Instead, American power projection was distorted into an international arms shopping expedition conducted by a semi rogue CIA agent and a drunken, careening jerk.

The book steers clear of these important facts because Crile and Avrakotos had a symbiotic relationship from the start. It was Avrakotos who pulled the levers in Pakistan to get Crile's boss, Dan Rather, into Afghanistan for Rather's, now famous, cameo in Afghanistan. The two had been colleagues until Avrakotos' untimely death of a stroke in 2005. Basically, Crile has come up with another uncritical puff piece for Avrakotos and the CIA. (He's not the only one in the news business to have done so.) Charlie Wilson's War is merely a continuation of, what has become, a tradition at CBS and elsewhere in the news biz. However, making "flawed heroes" out of a besotted sex freak and his CIA manipulator should classify this book as fiction rather than history. The inconveient facts that are left out are, by far, more important.

However, it is a good entertaining read. A partial truth, it gets some facts right in that it captures the noise and bluster of that period. One wonders if that is really necessary.

There is a lot to write about in regard to Charlie Wilson's War--most notably the excellent acting, the Religious implications, and how rockin Julia Roberts' body was. But I want to focus on another topic in this post--one which won't get too much airtime in most blogs or mass media outlets: the insinuation that a womanizing Texas drunk single handedly brought down the Soviet Empire. From the very beginning, credit is given to the Congressman Wilson for altering history--without Charlie, history would be sadly different, a speaker says. Perhaps, but to give him lone credit for ending the cold war and to avoid Reagan's arm race like a cheap rattlesnake leprosy is to portray a outright lie.

Yes, it's likely that the Congressman made a push to arm the Afghani Mujahideen after he saw the news anchor guy in a turban (though it's also likely that he did so to avoid being discovered as a huge tub of lard wasting hundreds of thousands of tax-payer dollars on sluts and coke). Regardless of his motives, his actions probably contributed to positive world events, but Crile's book and Sorkin's screenplay ignore the most important factor in the downfall of the Soviet Union: the fact that their economy was a piece of sham that was spiraling downward faster than lead Zeppelin in a fart storm.

I don't appreciate Reagan's budget deficits, but he pushed the arms race (including the nuclear one) to heights that the Commies couldn't handle. The Soviets were dumping everything into their military and overextending themselves and we Americans just flicked a switch and produced the most advanced military ever.

The makers of CWW want us to believe that the Majahideen, supported by Charlie's machismo defeated the Soviet empire, but that's a crock and it dampers an otherwise great flick.

By Finley harrison, author of the book that single-handedly brought down the Berlin Wall! Why Baby Boomers Suck!: (No Offense Mom)

This review refers to the movie, but since the movie is still not released I placed my review here. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I loved the eccentric characters and their ability to change history and help the poor Afghan freedom fighters to beat the Soviet Empire. I was stricken by the portrayal of the Soviet atrocities in Afghanistan and surprised that I have not heard anything about it before. I decided to see what else I can find about that. I found some information that contradicts some of the central premises of the movie.

1. Soviets had a long time involvement in Afghanistan and spend millions if not billions in support of its civil infrastructure and state. It is true that the support was contingent on maintaining pro-Soviet government, but still... The secular-minded government has angered islamic fundamentalists in Afghanistan and sparked a rebellion. The government with consulting support from the Soviets was able to efficiently suppress the Islamists. President Carter started to support the rebels to draw the Soviets into a war (give them their Vietnam, as they put it). Carter succeeded in his goal. However, the war has only become an out-of-control blood bath after Charlie Wilson's and company's involvement, when it became a true war of insurgency where everyone, even a child could be your enemy. The type of war we are fighting now in Iraq. My point is, Soviet atrocities did happen, we don't know even a half of them, it was truly horrible, but it happened AFTER Wilson and CIA incited and enabled the insurgency.

2. The portrait of the Pakistan's leader and involvement of Pakistan in Afghanistan is deeply misleading. The movie portrays Zia as a decent guy concerned with the fate of Afghan refugees. However, as was pointed out by other reviewers, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, was a brutal dictator, who usurped the power and executed the democratically elected leader Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Moreover, Pakistan's involvement in Afghanistan was disastrous for Afghanistan.
As Wikipedia poins out "once the Soviets withdrew, American interests in Afghanistan also halted. The US decided not to help with reconstruction of the country and instead the US handed over the interests of the country to its allies: Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Pakistan quickly took advantage of their new charitable opportunity and forged relations with warlords and later the Taliban to secure trade interests and routes. From wiping out the countries trees through logging practices, which has destroyed all but 2% of forest cover country-wide, to substantial uprooting of wild pistachio trees for the exportation of their roots for therapeutic uses, to opium agriculture, the past ten years have formed permanent ecological and agrarian destruction that Afghanistan may never recover from because Pakistan's gluttonous and selfish interests."

In summary, I don't see any heros in this story. The lives of millions of people were lost or destroyed in a political game between two Empires. Both of those empires should be ashamed of themselves.

I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I loved the eccentric characters and their ability to change history and help the poor Afghan freedom fighters to beat the Soviet Empire. I was stricken by the portrayal of the Soviet atrocities in Afghanistan and surprised that I have not heard anything about it before. I decided to see what else I can find about that. I found some information that contradicts some of the central premises of this book.

1. Soviets had a long time involvement in Afghanistan and spend millions if not billions in support of its civil infrastructure and state. It is true that the support was contingent on maintaining pro-Soviet government, but still... The secular-minded government has angered islamic fundamentalists in Afghanistan and sparked a rebellion. The government with consulting support from the Soviets was able to efficiently suppress the Islamists. President Carter started to support the rebels to draw the Soviets into a war (give them their Vietnam, as they put it). Carter succeeded in his goal. However, the war has only become an out-of-control blood bath after Charlie Wilson's and co' involvement, when it became a true war of insurgency where everyone, even a child could be your enemy. The type of war we are fighting now in Iraq. My point is, Soviet atrocities did happen, we don't know even a half of them, it was truly horrible, but it happened AFTER Wilson and CIA incited and enabled the insurgency.

2. The portrait of the Pakistan's leader and involvement of Pakistan in afghanistan is deeply misleading. As was pointed out by other reviewers, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, was a brutal dictator, who usurped the power and executed the democratically elected leader Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Moreover, Pakistan's involvement in Afghanistan was disastrous for Afghanistan.
As Wikipedia poins out "once the Soviets withdrew, American interests in Afghanistan also halted. The US decided not to help with reconstruction of the country and instead the US handed over the interests of the country to its allies: Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Pakistan quickly took advantage of their new charitable opportunity and forged relations with warlords and later the Taliban to secure trade interests and routes. From wiping out the countries trees through logging practices, which has destroyed all but 2% of forest cover country-wide, to substantial uprooting of wild pistachio trees for the exportation of their roots for therapeutic uses, to opium agriculture, the past ten years have formed permanent ecological and agrarian destruction that Afghanistan may never recover from because Pakistan's gluttonous and selfish interests."

In summary, I don't see any heros in this story. The lives of millions of people were lost or destroyed in a political game between two Empires. Both of those empires should be ashamed of themselves.

1 Was Charlie Wilson a CIA stalking horse?

2 Was Charlie's War a CIA operation?

3 Did the CIA see Charlie as a useful tool after he got annual funding increased from five million to ten million for the Mujahedin?

4 Was Joanne Herring a CIA agent assigned to channel Charlie's sympathy for the Mujahedin to the CIA's ends?

5 Was Gust Avarakotos, instead of a rogue agent, actually a company man?

6 Were Joanne Herring and Gust Avarakotos assigned to guide this alcoholic, good time congressman to accomplish CIA goals, while affording the Administration, CIA and State Department deniability if relations with the Soviets blew up.

The above would explain the unbelievable blind spot the Government had while tremendous sums of money were diverted to the Afgan Resistance

1 Was Charlie Wilson the CIA's "straw man"?

2 Was Charlie's War a CIA operation?

3 Did the CIA see Charlie as a useful tool after he got funding increased from five million to ten million for the Mujahedin?

4 Was Joanne Herring a CIA agent assigned to channel Charlie's sympathy for the Mujahedin the CIA's ends?

5 Was Gust Avarakotos, instead of a rogue agent, actually a company man?

6 Were Joanne Herring and Gust Avarakotos assigned to guide this alcoholic, good time congressman to accomplish CIA goals, while affording the Adminastration, CIA and State Department deniability if relations with the Soviets blew up.

The above would explain the unbelievable blind spot the Government had while tremendous funds were directed to the Afgan Resistance

If you are interested in this book in hopes it will give you a history of the United States' support of the Afghan resistance to the Soviet occupation, this book is not what you are looking for. This book is too selective of the information that it presents, or does not present to you. This is because the book's overriding goal seems to be to portray a Texas Congressman named Charlie Wilson, and a CIA agent named Gust Avrakotos who partnered with Wilson, as heroes.

The book certainly tells an interesting story. But the problem is that the book leaves an attentive reader not knowing which parts of this story are true, and which parts distort or omit facts that stray from the "Hero Wilson" theme.

Here's a typical example: on pp. 352-353 (hardcover edition), the book describes how a member of Pakistani intelligence, Brigadier General Mohammad Yousaf, supposedly demanded that U.S. funds be used to purchase a certain type of weapon that the CIA considered useless. To work around this, Gust Avrakotos follows the advice of another member of Pakistani intelligence, which is to buy some ".303 ammunition" from a certain Pakistani arms manufacturer at an above-market-value price - in other words, the book is saying that General Yousaf's interest is to corruptly steer business to a friendly manufacturer.

However, "Charlie Wilson's War" never tells you that General Yousaf, in his book "The Bear Trap", cites this purchase of .303 ammunition as an example of the corruption of the CIA's arms supply effort. In Yousaf's book, which was published about a decade before "Charlie Wilson's War", Yousaf said a 30 million-round purchase of .303 ammunition came from discarded Pakistani arms stock, was purchssed at an inflated price, and was useless.

On p. 335, the author indicates he has read Yousaf's memoirs, meaning that the author conceals this information from the reader! A trustworthy journalist would, at minimum, give you some indication that these memoirs entirely contradict the version of this story that "Charlie Wilson's War" presents. In other words, as a reader, I'd expect to know the different versions; and of course I'd expect the author to delve into the details and give me as much information as is available to determine the truth..

Another example stems from the treatment of one of the book's central figures, the Pakistani dictator Mohammad Zia ul-Haq (a.k.a. "Zia"). Zia seized power in a 1977 coup, in which he overthrew Prime Minister Bhutto, Zia then executed. The book describes how Charlie Wilson and his co-conspirators periodically have to "rehabilitate" the dictator to ensure that Zia receives military aid as a reward for his support of the Afghanistan enterprise. For example, one of Wilson's co-conspirators, Joan Herring, spins to a group of prospective American supporters that they should not view Zia as a murderer because Bhutto had a trial and was then executed as part of the legal process. The problem is that the author then never gives you any information as to whether this was a real trial or a kangaroo court. This information is crucial because this Joanne Herring is a central character in the tale; if she's spinning, then this is a huge moral black mark that conflicts with the heroic view the author is portraying.

And then you need to know more about Zia to form any intelligent judgment on Wilson, at least insofar as to whether his impact on overall foreign policy was positive or negative. Wilson is quoted as considering Zia 'like a father', and Wilson compares him to Lincoln, etc.

These are just 2 examples out of many; the book is pervaded with similar distortions, omissions, etc. It's too bad that the book has so many holes. I'm sure that much of this tale is true; however, I can't trust the author enough to know when truth is being told and when it is not.


Note: in case you're not aware of it, Bhutto was the father of Benazir Bhutto, who was murdered today after returning to Pakistan as an opponent to the current U.S.-supported dictator, General Musharraf.

If you are interested in this book in hopes it will give you a history of the United States' support of the Afghan resistance to the Soviet occupation, this book is not what you are looking for. This book is too selective of the information that it presents, or does not present to you. This is because the book's overriding goal seems to be to portray a Texas Congressman named Charlie Wilson as a hero.

The book certainly tells an interesting story. But the problem is that an attentive reader is left not knowing which parts of this book are true, and which parts distort or omit facts that stray from the "Hero Wilson" theme.

Here's a typical example: a central figure of the book is the Pakistani dictator Mohammad Zia ul-Haq (a.k.a. "Zia"). Zia seized power in a 1977 coup, in which he overthrew Prime Minister Bhutto, Zia then executed. The book describes how Charlie Wilson and his co-conspirators periodically have to "rehabilitate" the dictator to ensure that Zia receives military aid as a reward for his support of the Afghanistan enterprise. For example, one of Wilson's co-conspirators, Joan Herring, spins to a group of prospective American supporters that they should not view Zia as a murderer because Bhutto had a trial and was then executed as part of the legal process. The problem is that the author then never gives you any information as to whether this was a real trial or a kangaroo court. This information is crucial because this Joanne Herring is a central character in the tale; if she's spinning, then this is a huge moral black mark that conflicts with the heroic view the author is portraying.

And then you need to know more about Zia to form any intelligent judgment on Wilson, at least insofar as to whether his impact on overall foreign policy was positive or negative. Wilson is quoted as considering Zia 'like a father', and Wilson compares him to Lincoln, etc.

This is just one example; the book is filled with distortions, omissions, etc. It's too bad that the book has so many holes. I'm sure that much of this tale is true; however, I can't trust the author enough to know when truth is being told and when it is not.


Note: Bhutto was the father of Benazir Bhutto, who was murdered today after returning to Pakistan as an opponent to the current U.S.-supported dictator, General Musharraf.

Any story loses something, I think, when taken from print to movie. And while I haven't yet seen the new "Charlie Wilson's War" film, I would think even Peter Jackson would have a rough time translating the level of detail, characterization, and sheer storytelling power captured in George Crile's fascinating book.

I was given a copy of this book some time ago, and it's been on my substantial to-read pile since. It was word of the forthcoming movie that made me move it to the top of the pile, and I wish I had done so sooner. Neither a dry journalistic tome of insider baseball in the Federal City or an overwrought piece of techno-fiction, "Charlie Wilson's War" reads like the best of fiction with the added dynamic of being true. The author did a good job capturing the personalities involved and balancing the political infighting with action "in the field" and a solid sense of what was at stake.

While the star wattage generated by the actors in the film guarantee it attention and, probably, some award nominations, for a real sense of what was going on and how remarkable the story really is, the book is still, I think, going to be pretty hard to beat. I hope the film inspires more people to give this volume the attention it deserves.

...or rather, a bunch of poor young things too bored in their home-towns and/or easily swayed by propaganda are fighting it; all we're doing here is selling our freedom for illusory security...dulce et decorum est.

Arming religious fanatics and allowing their backer's acquisition of nuclear weapons is a damned stupid thing for a nation founded on Enlightenment principals to do.

As bad as Russian "Communism" was, it was a flash in the pan that couldn't live up to its own promises. Religious despotism is a tried-and-true social technology that can work for _centuries_ at a time, perhaps because its promises are crude and easily-provided: satisfaction in this life (any fool can chant and die and never have an original thought) and the untestable existence of rewards in the fictional next life.

I hated Russian State Capitalism, but thought arming the mujahadin was a bad idea at the time, about as stupid as backing Saddam Hussein or propping up the the Sandanistas by sending psychotics against them. Sounds peri-senile to me.

But Charlie Wilson is a good ol' boy, an American hero, type of guy you'd like to have a beer with, and so on, so since he was a Good Guy what he did was good. All hail Reagan-Bush-Team_B Thought!

Charlie a hero? Let see. CIA helps Taliban gain military power... Taliban expels Russia... Taliban host Binladen... 9/11... US invades Taliban...
Who is the hero?

George Crile does a magnificent job at presenting the little known story of how the United States military grew bands of men into units able to defeat the larges military in the world. When compounded with The Bear Went Over the Mountain, readers are offered a full 360 degree understanding of one of the "smartest" wars the United states ever participated in.

This book has it all: Fun, Sex, High Stakes Gambles, a hero who could be your next door neighbor...and the best part: It's All True. One of the best reads I've ever had and couldn't put it down start to finish. Charlie Wilson should get a medal for setting in motion the fall of the Soviet Empire.

At first I thought this was a book about the 2002 invasion of Afghanistan by the US forces. I've wanted to read a book about the US-Taliban war. I have a habit of never reading book reviews before actually reading the book, or even to read the back cover of a book at a bookstore, so as not to give me expectations of the book or ruin the storyline. I usually pick out books based on their titles, recommendations, or reviews I might have skimped through while reading magazines. And I confess I sometimes pick books based on their cover (my ultimate sin)!

So I was surprised to find this book to be about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan that took place in 1979 and ended in 1989. The Soviet Union had as a grand plan to control the oil in the region, and probably had plans to continue its conquest towards Pakistan and the Middle East. However, not only did its grand scheme fail, but in the process, the whole Soviet empire collapsed, ending the cold war. Hitler did the same mistake during World War II. Germany was a superpower then, what the US is today. However, their empire collapsed due to their plans to conquer and control the world. The Soviets thought they could control the world by controlling countries rich in oil. They failed. Will the same fate befall the US? Many think Bush's wars are to control oil rich countries, and there are already signs of total failure towards this aim. Iraq is a disaster, and in the long term, might prove a detriment to US politics and its economy. In Afghanistan, the Taliban are regrouping and offering resistance to US forces. Many countries, once friendly to the US, do not see the US in the same light anymore. Worldwide the respect for the US has diminished.

After reading this book, the only question I had was, is the US making the same mistake the Soviets did back in 1979?

This book reads like a spy novel. I really enjoyed it and was captivated at `almost' every page. True, at times it is slow and repetitious, but overall, a great fast-paced read filled with political intrigue, and...well, a hot tub in Las Vegas with beautiful showgirls. For some reason, the author was obsessed with the hot tub story, and this did give it a James Bond kind of twist.

This book is the real life story of Charlie Wilson, born June 1, 1933. He was a United States naval officer and a Democratic United States Congressman from the district in Texas. He has become known for leading Congress into suppor