King's Counsel
A Memoir of War, Espionage, and Diplomacy in the Middle East
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Narrated by:
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Eric Jason Martin
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By:
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Jack O'Connell
About this listen
A CIA station chief, later Jordan's lawyer in Washington, reveals the secret history of a lost peace.
Jack O'Connell possessed an uncanny ability to be at the center of things. On his arrival in Jordan in 1958, he unraveled a coup aimed at the young King Hussein, who would become America's most reliable Middle East ally. Over time, their bond of trust and friendship deepened.
His narrative contains secrets that will revise our understanding of the Middle East. In 1967, O'Connell tipped off Hussein that Israel would invade Egypt the next morning. Later, as Hussein's Washington counselor, O'Connell learned of Henry Kissinger's surprising role in the Yom Kippur War.
The book's leitmotif is betrayal. Hussein, the Middle East's only bona fide peacemaker, wanted simply the return of the West Bank, seized in the Six-Day War. Despite American promises, the clear directive of UN Resolution 242, and the years of secret negotiations with Israel, that never happened. Hussein's dying wish was that O'Connell tell the unknown story in this book.
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In his unmistakable voice and with an insider's eye on history, former Vice President Dick Cheney tells the story of his life and the nearly four decades he has spent at the center of American politics and power. In My Time is truly the last word about an incredible political era, by a man who lived it and helped define it - with courage and without compromise.
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Great Book
- By reader on 09-05-11
By: Dick Cheney, and others
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The Hawk and the Dove
- Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War
- By: Nicholas Thompson
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 15 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Only two Americans held positions of great influence throughout the Cold War; ironically, they were the chief advocates for the opposing strategies for winning---and surviving---that harrowing conflict. Both men came to power during World War II, reached their professional peaks during the Cold War's most frightening moments, and fought epic political battles that spanned decades.
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Two outstanding people in the US Government
- By Nina Donnard on 11-05-09
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JFK and the Unspeakable
- Why He Died and Why It Matters
- By: James W. Douglass
- Narrated by: Pete Larkin
- Length: 22 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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At the height of the Cold War, JFK risked committing the greatest crime in human history: starting a nuclear war. Horrified by the specter of nuclear annihilation, Kennedy gradually turned away from his long-held Cold Warrior beliefs and toward a policy of lasting peace. But to the military and intelligence agencies in the United States, who were committed to winning the Cold War at any cost, Kennedy's change of heart was a direct threat to their power and influence.
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One Book EVERY AMERICAN Needs to Read
- By Peter on 06-09-12
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The Good Spy
- The Life and Death of Robert Ames
- By: Kai Bird
- Narrated by: René Ruiz
- Length: 14 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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The Good Spy is Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Kai Bird’s compelling portrait of the remarkable life and death of one of the most important operatives in CIA history - a man who, had he lived, might have helped heal the rift between Arabs and the West. On April 18, 1983, a bomb exploded outside the American Embassy in Beirut, killing 63 people. The attack was a geopolitical turning point. It marked the beginning of Hezbollah as a political force, but even more important, it eliminated America’s most influential and effective intelligence officer in the Middle East - CIA operative Robert Ames.
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Biased but interesting
- By Peggy on 05-09-18
By: Kai Bird
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Days of Fire
- Bush and Cheney in the White House
- By: Peter Baker
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 29 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Theirs was the most captivating American political partnership since Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger: a bold and untested president and his seasoned, relentless vice president. Confronted by one crisis after another, they struggled to protect the country, remake the world, and define their own relationship along the way. In Days of Fire, Peter Baker chronicles the history of the most consequential presidency in modern times through the prism of its two most compelling characters, capturing the elusive and shifting alliance of George Walker Bush and Richard Bruce Cheney as no historian has done before.
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A balanced account of the W and Cheney White House
- By Scott on 11-15-13
By: Peter Baker
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The War Within
- A Secret White House History 2006-2008
- By: Bob Woodward
- Narrated by: Boyd Gaines
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Abridged
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As violence in Iraq reaches unnerving levels in 2006, a second front in the war rages at the highest levels of the Bush administration. With unparalleled intimacy and detail, Bob Woodward takes listeners deep inside the tensions, secret debates, unofficial back channels, distrust, and determination within the White House, Pentagon, State Department, intelligence agencies, and U.S. military headquarters in Iraq.
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Too short the story...
- By Mr. Miint on 10-21-08
By: Bob Woodward
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Death of a Dissident
- The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGB
- By: Alex Goldfarb, Marina Litvinenko
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins
- Abridged
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The November 2006 assassination of former Russian intelligence officer Alexander "Sasha" Litvinenko, who was poisoned by the rare radioactive element polonium, caused an international sensation. Within a few short weeks, the fit 43-year-old lay gaunt, bald, and dying in a hospital, the victim of a "tiny nuclear bomb". Suspicions swirled around Russia's FSB, the successor to the KGB, and the Putin regime.
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Very interesting and scary...
- By A. M. on 03-21-15
By: Alex Goldfarb, and others
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The Wise Men
- Six Friends and the World They Made
- By: Evan Thomas, Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Jonathan Reese
- Length: 33 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Six close friends shaped the role their country would play in the dangerous years following World War II. They were the original best and brightest, whose towering intellects, outsize personalities, and dramatic actions would bring order to the postwar chaos, and whose strong response to Soviet expansionism would leave a legacy that dominates American policy to this day. In April 1945, they converged to advise an untutored new president, Harry Truman.
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Dull with poor narration
- By KD6161 on 03-31-17
By: Evan Thomas, and others
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Nixon and Mao
- The Week That Changed the World
- By: Margaret MacMillan
- Narrated by: Barbara Caruso
- Length: 15 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Margaret MacMillan brings her extraordinary gifts to two of the most important countries today, the United States and China, and one of the most significant moments in modern history: Richard Nixon's week in China in February 1972, which opened relations between America and China (closed since the communists came to power in 1949).
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Incisive
- By Roy on 08-23-10
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88 Days to Kandahar
- A CIA Diary
- By: Robert L. Grenier
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 15 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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In his gripping narrative, we meet General Tommy Franks, who bridles at CIA control of "his" war; General "Jafar Amin", a gruff Pakistani intelligence officer who saves Grenier from committing career suicide; Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan's brilliant ambassador to the US, who tries to warn her government of the al-Qaeda threat; "Mark", the CIA operator who guides GulAgha Shirzai to bloody victory over the Taliban.
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Honest conclusion based on practical realities.
- By rehman on 03-30-15
What listeners say about King's Counsel
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- muna
- 08-11-20
An interesting perspective
I find the perspective of the author interesting. While he is a CIA agent, he still takes king Hussein side all the time even when it contradicts with that of his check payer. How possible it is for a person whose main job is to recruit spies to be this close and dear to the head of that state. As a Jordanian I could count a couple of errors in this narrative, one example is that Nathir Rashid is not actually the King’s uncle! I enjoyed the read.
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- Fadi Bandak
- 02-15-18
Really exciting book
I’m planning to listen it more than once , it’s really interesting to know all these anecdotal evidence of the logic behind the stories of the Middle East .
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- AB
- 05-01-15
Fantastic Memoir - Decent ME Analysis
What made the experience of listening to King's Counsel the most enjoyable?
Most likely the narrator, as well as the history explored in the first half.
What did you like best about this story?
The first several chapters telling the story of O'Connell's years in Jordan was the highlight for me. After a while, he moves to Washington and the chapters begin telling the more recent stories of the larger middle east which we know, but with a couple events viewed through his own lens.
What does Eric Martin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
It wouldn't be the same without him. This was my first time hearing him, and I don't know if I could hear another book without thinking it was being read by Jack O'Connell himself.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
O'Connell convincing the king not to turn to the Soviets.
Any additional comments?
I wish there were a book like this for every region in the ME to get this kind of insight on the history of other states. I just wish it were more of his personal memoir the whole way through, instead of turning into more of a history lesson later on.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Neil R Stewart
- 11-15-24
An insider’s perspective
Informative account of historical events played out in a factual manner. Gives some insight as to why peace in the Middle East is illusive. King Hussein the tenacious seeker of peace, in a web of factions. I thoroughly enjoyed the content and style of this book. And a great narrator.
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- A. M.
- 10-06-14
Brilliant and intriguing insight
Any additional comments?
I love the behind the scenes stories told by principals who had a part in that history...this is such a story. I came away with a new appreciation for the CIA and King Hussein, both acted admirably. Jack's account of the king and his role in the geopolitical landscape was revealing and enlightening. A book that certainly sheds a new light on complex issues and personalities. Well written and told.
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- Anonymous User
- 09-12-18
Great Read (listening)
It's so great to learn facts fro the inner circle of the late King Hussain. He was a wonderful and well respected leader especially by his foes. I am glad that this book shows how sincere he was and the enormous pressure he was under. Rest in peace your Majesty.
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- Reader
- 02-12-18
Fascinating CIA Station Chief Account
Would you consider the audio edition of King's Counsel to be better than the print version?
Did not read the print version.
What was one of the most memorable moments of King's Counsel?
The author disrupts a coup attemp against King Hussein and gets the coup plotters to sign confessions.
Have you listened to any of Eric Martin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No
Any additional comments?
Excellent insider account of the author's time as CIA station chief in Amman and thereafter his account of behind the scenes negotations involving the United States, Israel and Jordan. Very insightful and gripping.
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- J. Z.
- 05-28-16
Informative & Enjoyable
A fascinating look at Jordans King Hussein from the eyes of Jack O'Connell. The narration was perfect and the book was captivating.
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- Anonymous User
- 05-04-21
Outstanding! A must read for anyone trying to understand the Levant.
Outstanding! A must read for anyone trying to understand the Levant, its geopolitical dynamics, and its effects wider the Middle East
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- Sam
- 03-05-17
Unbalanced
The author states early on that he is trying to express King Hussein's view of the Middle East and it is pretty clear that Jack is fully co-opted into an Arab world view.
When he said Israel started the six day war without giving a single word of the causes
my guard went up.
The entire book is without balance, demonizing Israel at every opportunity and playing the US as Israel's ignorant patsy.
Worth reading? Certainly. There are some interesting insights into the CIA, parochial tunnel vision, and King Hussein as a person.
However I find it hard to believe that if we had followed Jack's sage and repeatedly offered advice we would have peace and harmony in all the Middle East today.
Jack even could have even prevented 911....
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