The Afghan by Frederick Forsyth Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Afghan
Book Review: Another Masterpiece from Mr. Forsyth
Summary: 5 Stars
In yet another wonderful book, Mr. Forsyth covers international terrorism at its best. In this book, British and American intelligence agencies receive a terrible message: an Al-Qaeda strike is imminent. But they have no clue when, where and who will cause the strike. There is no clear clue. Security authorities do not have sources of information inside Osama bin Laden's organization. It is impossible to infiltrate someone from the western hemisphere, unless...
Izmat Khan is an afghan and he is a high official from the Taliban. He has been held at Guantanamo prison for five years. Colonel Mike Martin is a veteran with 25 year experience at the most dangerous war places in the world. He is a British official, born and raised in Iraq. In a try to avoid the attack, the intelligence services will try what nobody ever thought about doing: they will try to make Mike Martin impersonate Izmat Khan.
If ou are picky, you will find minor flaws on how Mike is examined by the Taliban guys to find out if he really is Izmat or if he is lying... but generally speaking, this is another masterpiece from the master of suspense. If you like to read in the edge of your seat, this is the book you cannot miss in your permanent library. It took me around 13 hours to read this book. I give it a 5 stars.
Book Review: Awful
Summary: 1 Stars
I have always been a big fan of Frederick Forsyth and have enjoyed his previous books immensely. He must have lost his writing ability or his mind because this book is unreadable. It does appear to reflect some amount of research but reads more like a report than a novel. It has no plot that you can get involved in and the character development is minimal. It reads like the first book written by a recent college graduate who failed all of his writing classes. It is downright awful. Don't waste your time or money on this waste of paper.Book Review: Back-up book gets the job done
Summary: 4 Stars
A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I embarked on an out-of-state vacation, on the first morning of which I left my take-along paperback on AMTRAK's Southwest Chief. As I tearfully waved goodbye to my literary security blanket as it pulled out of Albuquerque's rail station on its way to Chicago, I had to implement my fallback position. Thus, at first chance I purchased THE AFGHAN.
The Afghan is Izmat Khan, who cut his eye teeth fighting the Soviets. Then, during the Afghan civil war following the USSR's withdrawal, Khan became a Taliban commander battling against the Anglo-American supported Northern Alliance. After being captured and participating in the Qala-i-Jangi prison rebellion, Izmat was spirited off to the American detention center at Guantanamo Bay to be imprisoned there for four years.
Meanwhile, the CIA and MI6 catch whiff of a new Al Qaeda plot code named "al-Isra", which, in Islamic tradition, was the Prophet Muhammad's journey to heaven to be personally instructed on prayer rituals by Almighty God Himself. Obviously, to the experts, the new terrorist attack is to be no small bang. But what, exactly? It's decided to send in a deep cover operative to find out. Ex-Colonel Mike Martin of the Parachute Regiment and the SAS. Mike, raised in Iraq and with skin coloring and fluency in Arabic, is, with additional coaching on the Koranic verses, the perfect choice.
After a sham trial at Gitmo in which a recalcitrant Khan is judged innocent enough to be released back to Afghani government custody, the Afghan is whisked off to solitary confinement in an isolated CIA safehouse in the Washington State Cascade Range. Mike is substituted in his place and transported to Afghanistan, where his escape is staged and he bluffs his way into the Al Qaeda network. The covert mission is up and running.
I haven't read a Forsyth offering in decades, not since The Day of the Jackal and The Odessa File. I was so impressed by the film version of the former (The Day of the Jackal) that I must have seen it 5 or 6 times. THE AFGHAN is hard to put down, though it isn't without deficiencies.
One of this novel's best features is its summary history of the relationship of the Afghani Taliban and the Saudi-founded Al Qaeda, as well as portrayal of radical Islam's activities in the island nations north of Australia. It's a sobering picture. And the broad outline of the storyline is gripping enough as the terrorist plan plays out.
THE AFGHAN has two glaring flaws, in my opinion. The greatest is the manner in which the Izmat Khan character is disposed of; it made my eyes roll in disbelief. Finally, though Mike Martin is unquestionably the most interesting character in the book, the reader pretty much loses sight of him, at least at ground level, once he inserts himself into al-Isra. Once that happens, the script, while still maintaining a high level of entertaining tension, is one seen by the reader as if from a distance.
As for my original vacation read, The Assassins Gallery, I trust it found a good home in the Windy City. I've ordered another copy.
Book Review: Balance of historical novel and thriller
Summary: 3 Stars
The description on the back of the book said it is about a British officer taking the place of a high ranking Al Qaeda operative. That was what motivated me to buy the book because of the risks of pretending to be someone else, especially with the huge cultural differences. I am very interested in the cultural practices and mindsets between the West and the Afghanis. It turns out that the book has a lot of history about the Soviets in Afghanistan, Gulf War I (Desert Storm) and a bit about Gulf War II and their impact on the people; etc. etc. which was pretty interesting, but seemed to be a thread that was separate from the thriller.
The plot for the thriller aspects of the book had several big gaping holes, some pivotal incidences and the ending were too 'facile.' I did not get what I was hoping for, a thrilling story about how someone knew enough about another culture to be accepted as a native. The thriller part was sort of an excuse to expound on the historical parts.
This book was an entertaining read, but not thrilling.
Book Review: Buy my book instead
Summary: 1 Stars
I have been a Fredrick Forsyth fan for a long time. This novel was his worst by far. I released a novel around the same time this one was released called Detained Differences by J. Robert Rowe and it is so much better. Not to brag or anything, but if you want a great Afghan/terrorism/detainee novel buy my novel instead.