The Devil We Know
Dealing with the New Iranian Superpower
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $18.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Ted Barker
-
By:
-
Robert Baer
About this listen
Over the past 30 years, while the United States has turned either a blind or dismissive eye, Iran has emerged as a nation every bit as capable of altering America's destiny as traditional superpowers Russia and China. Indeed, one of this audiobook's central arguments is that, in some ways, Iran's grip on America's future is even tighter.
As ex-CIA operative Robert Baer masterfully shows, Iran has maneuvered itself into the elite superpower ranks by exploiting America's false perceptions of what Iran is - by letting us believe it is a country run by scowling religious fanatics, too preoccupied with theocratic jostling and terrorist agendas to strengthen its political and economic foundations.
The reality is much more frightening - and yet contained in the potential catastrophe is an implicit political response that, if we're bold enough to adopt it, could avert disaster.
Baer's on-the-ground sleuthing and interviews with key Middle East players - everyone from an Iranian ayatollah to the king of Bahrain to the head of Israel's internal security - paint a picture of the centuries-old Shia nation that is starkly the opposite of the one normally drawn. For example, Iran's hate-spouting President Ahmadinejad is by no means the true spokesman for Iranian foreign policy, nor is Iran making it the highest priority to become a nuclear player.
Even so, Baer has discovered that Iran is currently engaged in a soft takeover of the Middle East, that the proxy method of war-making and co-option it perfected with Hezbollah in Lebanon is being exported throughout the region, that Iran now controls a significant portion of Iraq, that it is extending its influence over Jordan and Egypt, that the Arab Emirates and other Gulf States are being pulled into its sphere, and that it will shortly have a firm hold on the world's oil spigot.
By mixing anecdotes with information gleaned from clandestine sources, Baer superbly demonstrates that Iran, far from being a wild-eyed rogue state, is a rational actor - one skilled in the game of nations and so effective at thwarting perceived Western colonialism that even rival Sunnis relish fighting under its banner.
For US policy makers, the choices have narrowed: either cede the world’s most important energy corridors to a nation that can match us militarily with its asymmetric capabilities (which include the use of suicide bombers) - or deal with the devil we know. We might just find that in allying with Iran, we’ll have increased not just our own security, but that of all Middle East nations. The alternative - to continue goading Iran into establishing hegemony over the Muslim world - is too chilling to contemplate.
©2008 Robert Baer (P)2008 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
Blow the House Down
- By: Robert Baer
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Veteran CIA officer Max Waller has long been obsessed with the abduction and murder of his Agency mentor. Though years of digging yield the name of a suspect, an Iranian math genius turned terrorist, the trail seems too cold to justify further effort. Then Max turns up a photograph of the man standing alongside Osama bin Laden and a mysterious westerner whose face has been cut out, feeding Max's suspicion.
-
-
What if...
- By Edward on 06-22-07
By: Robert Baer
-
See No Evil
- The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism
- By: Robert Baer
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his explosive New York Times best seller, top CIA operative Robert Baer paints a chilling picture of how terrorism works on the inside and provides startling evidence of how Washington politics sabotaged the CIA's efforts to root out the world's deadliest terrorists, allowing for the rise of Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda and the continued entrenchment of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.
-
-
Interesting perspective
- By Ryan & Alexandra on 07-09-07
By: Robert Baer
-
The Fourth Man
- The Hunt for a KGB Spy at the Top of the CIA and the Rise of Putin's Russia
- By: Robert Baer
- Narrated by: Robert Baer, Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the aftermath of the Cold War, American intelligence caught three high-profile Russian spies: Aldrich Ames, Edward Lee Howard, and Robert Hanssen. However, rumors have long swirled of another mole, one perhaps more damaging than all the others combined. Perhaps the greatest traitor in American history, perhaps a Russian ruse to tear the CIA apart, or perhaps nothing more than a bogeyman, he is often referred to as the Fourth Man.
-
-
A Who Done it without The Who Did it
- By Amazon Customer on 05-25-22
By: Robert Baer
-
Sleeping with the Devil
- How Washington Sold Our Soul For Saudi Crude
- By: Robert Baer
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Baer goes behind the scenes to show how the U.S. willingly overlooked the corruption of the Saudi royal family, its financing of violent Islamic fundamentalist groups that spread hatred of the West throughout Saudi society, and its bribery of American officials. From a close-up with a corrupt Arab family to the inside scoop on how we helped fund the Taliban, Baer shows what's at stake in our pursuit of oil.
-
-
A poorly written unscholarly approach
- By Kenneth on 11-11-04
By: Robert Baer
-
The Perfect Kill
- 21 Laws for Assassins
- By: Robert B. Baer
- Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Assassination has been dramatized by literature and politicized by infamous murders throughout history, and for Robert Baer, one of the most accomplished agents to ever work for the CIA, it's a source of endless fascination, speculation, and intrigue. Over several decades, Baer served as an operative, from Iraq to New Delhi and beyond; notably, his career was the model for the acclaimed movie Syriana.
-
-
Kill the King, Don't Slap Him
- By Mike on 01-06-15
By: Robert B. Baer
-
The Billion Dollar Spy
- A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal
- By: David E. Hoffman
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
While getting into his car on the evening of February 16, 1978, the chief of the CIA's Moscow station was handed an envelope by an unknown Russian. Its contents stunned the Americans: details of top-secret Soviet research and development in military technology that was totally unknown to the United States.
-
-
Compelling as historical thriller, character study
- By Mr. Pointy on 08-25-15
By: David E. Hoffman
-
Blow the House Down
- By: Robert Baer
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Veteran CIA officer Max Waller has long been obsessed with the abduction and murder of his Agency mentor. Though years of digging yield the name of a suspect, an Iranian math genius turned terrorist, the trail seems too cold to justify further effort. Then Max turns up a photograph of the man standing alongside Osama bin Laden and a mysterious westerner whose face has been cut out, feeding Max's suspicion.
-
-
What if...
- By Edward on 06-22-07
By: Robert Baer
-
See No Evil
- The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism
- By: Robert Baer
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his explosive New York Times best seller, top CIA operative Robert Baer paints a chilling picture of how terrorism works on the inside and provides startling evidence of how Washington politics sabotaged the CIA's efforts to root out the world's deadliest terrorists, allowing for the rise of Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda and the continued entrenchment of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.
-
-
Interesting perspective
- By Ryan & Alexandra on 07-09-07
By: Robert Baer
-
The Fourth Man
- The Hunt for a KGB Spy at the Top of the CIA and the Rise of Putin's Russia
- By: Robert Baer
- Narrated by: Robert Baer, Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the aftermath of the Cold War, American intelligence caught three high-profile Russian spies: Aldrich Ames, Edward Lee Howard, and Robert Hanssen. However, rumors have long swirled of another mole, one perhaps more damaging than all the others combined. Perhaps the greatest traitor in American history, perhaps a Russian ruse to tear the CIA apart, or perhaps nothing more than a bogeyman, he is often referred to as the Fourth Man.
-
-
A Who Done it without The Who Did it
- By Amazon Customer on 05-25-22
By: Robert Baer
-
Sleeping with the Devil
- How Washington Sold Our Soul For Saudi Crude
- By: Robert Baer
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Baer goes behind the scenes to show how the U.S. willingly overlooked the corruption of the Saudi royal family, its financing of violent Islamic fundamentalist groups that spread hatred of the West throughout Saudi society, and its bribery of American officials. From a close-up with a corrupt Arab family to the inside scoop on how we helped fund the Taliban, Baer shows what's at stake in our pursuit of oil.
-
-
A poorly written unscholarly approach
- By Kenneth on 11-11-04
By: Robert Baer
-
The Perfect Kill
- 21 Laws for Assassins
- By: Robert B. Baer
- Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Assassination has been dramatized by literature and politicized by infamous murders throughout history, and for Robert Baer, one of the most accomplished agents to ever work for the CIA, it's a source of endless fascination, speculation, and intrigue. Over several decades, Baer served as an operative, from Iraq to New Delhi and beyond; notably, his career was the model for the acclaimed movie Syriana.
-
-
Kill the King, Don't Slap Him
- By Mike on 01-06-15
By: Robert B. Baer
-
The Billion Dollar Spy
- A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal
- By: David E. Hoffman
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
While getting into his car on the evening of February 16, 1978, the chief of the CIA's Moscow station was handed an envelope by an unknown Russian. Its contents stunned the Americans: details of top-secret Soviet research and development in military technology that was totally unknown to the United States.
-
-
Compelling as historical thriller, character study
- By Mr. Pointy on 08-25-15
By: David E. Hoffman
-
Agent Zigzag
- A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal
- By: Ben MacIntyre
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eddie Chapman was a charming criminal, a con man, and a philanderer. He was also one of the most remarkable double agents Britain has ever produced. Inside the traitor was a man of loyalty; inside the villain was a hero. The problem for Chapman, his spymasters, and his lovers was to know where one persona ended and the other began.
-
-
What a great character
- By Michael on 02-24-09
By: Ben MacIntyre
-
The Main Enemy
- The Inside Story of the CIA's Final Showdown with the KGB
- By: Milton Bearden, James Risen
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 19 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A landmark collaboration between a thirty-year veteran of the CIA and a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, The Main Enemy is the inside story of the CIA-KGB spy wars, told through the actions of the men who fought them. Based on hundreds of interviews with operatives from both sides, The Main Enemy puts us inside the heads of CIA officers as they dodge surveillance and walk into violent ambushes in Moscow. This is the story of the generation of spies who came of age in the shadow of the Cuban missile crisis and rose to run the CIA and KGB in the last days of the Cold War.
-
-
A masterpiece of espionage history
- By kucherv on 08-21-18
By: Milton Bearden, and others
-
Gray Work
- Confessions of an American Paramilitary Spy
- By: Jamie Smith
- Narrated by: Jeff Gurner
- Length: 15 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this unprecedented audiobook, a paramilitary contractor with more than two decades of experience gives us a firsthand look into the secret lives of America's private warriors and their highly covert work around the world. Author Jamie Smith has planned and executed hundreds of missions on behalf of government agencies and private industry in some of the world's most dangerous hot spots - and lived to tell the tale.
-
-
Don't believe a word of it.
- By Dustin Harry on 08-26-15
By: Jamie Smith
-
The Moscow Rules
- The Secret CIA Tactics That Helped America Win the Cold War
- By: Jonna Mendez, Antonio J. J. Mendez
- Narrated by: Wilson Bethel
- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Antonio Mendez and his future wife, Jonna, were CIA operatives working to spy on Moscow in the late 1970s, at one of the most dangerous moments in the Cold War. Soviets kept files on all foreigners, studied their patterns, tapped their phones, and even planted listening devices within the US embassy. In short, intelligence work was effectively impossible. The Soviet threat loomed larger than ever. The Moscow Rules tells the story of the intelligence breakthroughs that turned the odds in America's favor.
-
-
Interesting, clean, pro-CIA history
- By Alexander M Leasenby on 02-27-20
By: Jonna Mendez, and others
-
Double Cross
- The True Story of the D-Day Spies
- By: Ben Macintyre
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On June 6, 1944, 150,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy and suffered an astonishingly low rate of casualties. A stunning military achievement, it was also a masterpiece of trickery. Operation Fortitude, which protected and enabled the invasion, and the Double Cross system, which specialized in turning German spies into double agents, tricked the Nazis into believing that the Allied attacks would come in Calais and Norway rather than Normandy.
-
-
Are You Sure Ben Macintyre Wrote This?
- By Sheila Quaid on 08-01-12
By: Ben Macintyre
-
Black Ops
- The Life of a CIA Shadow Warrior
- By: Ric Prado
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Enrique Prado found himself in his first firefight at age seven. The son of a middle-class Cuban family caught in the midst of the Castro Revolution, his family fled their war-torn home for the hope of a better life in America. Fifty years later, the Cuban refugee retired from the Central Intelligence Agency as the CIA equivalent of a two-star general. Black Ops is the story of Ric’s legendary career that spanned two eras, the Cold War and the Age of Terrorism.
-
-
Impressive and Inspiring!
- By medardo on 03-12-22
By: Ric Prado
-
Black Flags
- The Rise of ISIS
- By: Joby Warrick
- Narrated by: Sunil Malhotra
- Length: 13 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a thrilling dramatic narrative, awarded the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction, Joby Warrick traces how the strain of militant Islam behind ISIS first arose in a remote Jordanian prison and spread with the unwitting aid of two American presidents.
-
-
So much learned
- By mike flavin on 02-11-16
By: Joby Warrick
-
Spies
- The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West
- By: Calder Walton
- Narrated by: Dugald Bruce-Lockhart
- Length: 20 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Spies is the history of the secret war that Russia and the West have been waging for a century. Espionage, sabotage, and subversion were the Kremlin’s means to equalize the imbalance of resources between the East and West before, during, and after the Cold War. There was nothing “unprecedented” about Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. It was simply business as usual, new means used for old ends.
-
-
A detailed history, inexcusably marred by politics
- By Thomas Randolph on 08-12-23
By: Calder Walton
-
The Art of Intelligence
- Lessons from a Life in the CIA's Clandestine Service
- By: Henry A. Crumpton
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A legendary CIA spy and counterterrorism expert here tells the spellbinding story of his high-risk, action-packed career while illustrating the growing importance of America's intelligence officers and their secret missions. The Art of Intelligence draws from the full arc of Henry Crumpton's espionage and covert action exploits to explain what America's spies do and why their service is more valuable than ever.
-
-
Looking for a place in History?
- By Anne on 05-20-12
-
Russians Among Us
- Sleeper Cells, Ghost Stories, and the Hunt for Putin’s Spies
- By: Gordon Corera
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With intrigue that rivals the best le Carre novels, Russians Among Us tells the urgent story of Russia’s espionage efforts against the United States and the West from the end of the Cold War to the present.
-
-
Should be required reading for every citizen
- By Amazon Customer on 02-27-20
By: Gordon Corera
-
A Spy in Plain Sight
- The Inside Story of the FBI and Robert Hanssen—America’s Most Damaging Russian Spy
- By: Lis Wiehl
- Narrated by: Lis Wiehl
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A legal analyst for NPR, NBC, and CNN, delves into the facts surrounding what has been called the “worst intelligence disaster in US history”: the case of Robert Hanssen—a Russian spy who was embedded in the FBI for two decades.
-
-
You almost had me
- By Anonymous User on 07-19-22
By: Lis Wiehl
-
The End of the World Is Just the Beginning
- Mapping the Collapse of Globalization
- By: Peter Zeihan
- Narrated by: Peter Zeihan
- Length: 16 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For generations, everything has been getting faster, better, and cheaper. Finally, we reached the point that almost anything you could ever want could be sent to your home within days - even hours - of when you decided you wanted it. America made that happen, but now America has lost interest in keeping it going.
-
-
Everyone dies except Americans
- By preetam on 06-22-22
By: Peter Zeihan
Critic reviews
"An important text studded with keen insights into a nation about which America remains dangerously misinformed." ( Kirkus Reviews)
Related to this topic
-
The Assassins' Gate
- America in Iraq
- By: George Packer
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 19 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Assassins' Gate, so dubbed by American soldiers, is the entrance to the American zone in the city of Baghdad. In 2003, the United States blazed into Iraq to depose dictator Saddam Hussein. But after three years and unknown thousands killed, that country faces an escalating civil war and an uncertain fate. How did it get to this point?
-
-
Highly Recommended
- By Drapeau on 02-01-07
By: George Packer
-
A Thousand Hills
- Rwanda's Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed It
- By: Stephen Kinzer
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Paul Kagame grew up as a wretched refugee. He and a group of comrades, determined to force their way back home after a generation of exile, designed one of the most audacious covert operations in the history of clandestine war. Then, after taking power, they amazed the world by stabilizing and reviving their devastated country.
-
-
Best Most Comprehensive Work on Rwanda
- By Greg on 07-30-10
By: Stephen Kinzer
-
A World of Trouble
- The White House and the Middle East
- By: Patrick Tyler
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 27 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Middle East is the beginning and the end of U.S. foreign policy: events there influence our alliances, make or break presidencies, govern the price of oil, and draw us into war. But it was not always so - and as Patrick Tyler shows in this thrilling chronicle of American misadventures in the region, the story of American presidents' dealings there is one of mixed motives, skulduggery, deceit, and outright foolishness, as well as of policymaking and diplomacy.
-
-
Does't deliver
- By Matthew on 02-10-09
By: Patrick Tyler
-
Muqtada
- Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia Revival, and the Struggle for Iraq
- By: Patrick Cockburn
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whatever else the United States intended when it invaded Iraq in the spring of 2003, it was not to hand the country over to a 32-year-old militant cleric who fought against the U.S. presence from the start and was described by former Iraqi administrator L. Paul Bremer III as a "Bolshevik Islamist".
-
-
truth in an era of lies
- By NF ironman on 11-29-17
By: Patrick Cockburn
-
ISIS
- Inside the Army of Terror
- By: Michael Weiss, Hassan Hassan
- Narrated by: Qarie Marshall
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Initially dismissed by US President Barack Obama, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has shocked the world by conquering massive territories in both countries and promising to create a vast new Muslim caliphate that observes the strict dictates of Sharia law. In ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror, American journalist Michael Weiss and Syrian analyst Hassan Hassan explain how these violent extremists evolved from a nearly defeated Iraqi insurgent group into a jihadi army of international volunteers who have conquered territory equal to the size of Great Britain.
-
-
Dunce Hat, Please...
- By Mel on 02-16-16
By: Michael Weiss, and others
-
Anatomy of Terror
- From the Death of bin Laden to the Rise of the Islamic State
- By: Ali Soufan
- Narrated by: Aaron Abano
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Anatomy of Terror, former FBI special agent and New York Times best-selling author Ali Soufan dissects bin Laden's brand of jihadi terrorism and its major offshoots, revealing how these organizations were formed, how they operate, their strengths, and - crucially - their weaknesses.
-
-
What every human on the planet needs to know!
- By drkraver on 05-24-17
By: Ali Soufan
-
The Assassins' Gate
- America in Iraq
- By: George Packer
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 19 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Assassins' Gate, so dubbed by American soldiers, is the entrance to the American zone in the city of Baghdad. In 2003, the United States blazed into Iraq to depose dictator Saddam Hussein. But after three years and unknown thousands killed, that country faces an escalating civil war and an uncertain fate. How did it get to this point?
-
-
Highly Recommended
- By Drapeau on 02-01-07
By: George Packer
-
A Thousand Hills
- Rwanda's Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed It
- By: Stephen Kinzer
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Paul Kagame grew up as a wretched refugee. He and a group of comrades, determined to force their way back home after a generation of exile, designed one of the most audacious covert operations in the history of clandestine war. Then, after taking power, they amazed the world by stabilizing and reviving their devastated country.
-
-
Best Most Comprehensive Work on Rwanda
- By Greg on 07-30-10
By: Stephen Kinzer
-
A World of Trouble
- The White House and the Middle East
- By: Patrick Tyler
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 27 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Middle East is the beginning and the end of U.S. foreign policy: events there influence our alliances, make or break presidencies, govern the price of oil, and draw us into war. But it was not always so - and as Patrick Tyler shows in this thrilling chronicle of American misadventures in the region, the story of American presidents' dealings there is one of mixed motives, skulduggery, deceit, and outright foolishness, as well as of policymaking and diplomacy.
-
-
Does't deliver
- By Matthew on 02-10-09
By: Patrick Tyler
-
Muqtada
- Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia Revival, and the Struggle for Iraq
- By: Patrick Cockburn
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whatever else the United States intended when it invaded Iraq in the spring of 2003, it was not to hand the country over to a 32-year-old militant cleric who fought against the U.S. presence from the start and was described by former Iraqi administrator L. Paul Bremer III as a "Bolshevik Islamist".
-
-
truth in an era of lies
- By NF ironman on 11-29-17
By: Patrick Cockburn
-
ISIS
- Inside the Army of Terror
- By: Michael Weiss, Hassan Hassan
- Narrated by: Qarie Marshall
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Initially dismissed by US President Barack Obama, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has shocked the world by conquering massive territories in both countries and promising to create a vast new Muslim caliphate that observes the strict dictates of Sharia law. In ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror, American journalist Michael Weiss and Syrian analyst Hassan Hassan explain how these violent extremists evolved from a nearly defeated Iraqi insurgent group into a jihadi army of international volunteers who have conquered territory equal to the size of Great Britain.
-
-
Dunce Hat, Please...
- By Mel on 02-16-16
By: Michael Weiss, and others
-
Anatomy of Terror
- From the Death of bin Laden to the Rise of the Islamic State
- By: Ali Soufan
- Narrated by: Aaron Abano
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Anatomy of Terror, former FBI special agent and New York Times best-selling author Ali Soufan dissects bin Laden's brand of jihadi terrorism and its major offshoots, revealing how these organizations were formed, how they operate, their strengths, and - crucially - their weaknesses.
-
-
What every human on the planet needs to know!
- By drkraver on 05-24-17
By: Ali Soufan
-
The New Rules of War
- Victory in the Age of Durable Disorder
- By: Sean McFate
- Narrated by: Joe Knezevich
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What is the future of war? How can we survive? If Americans are drawn into major armed conflict, can we win? McFate calls upon the legends of military study Carl von Clausewitz, Sun Tzu, and others, as well as his own experience, and carefully constructs the new rules for the future of military engagement, the ways we can fight and win in an age of entropy: one where corporations, mercenaries, and rogue states have more power and ‘nation states’ have less.
-
-
Refutes Himself Repeatedly...And Never Notices
- By Brian on 01-06-21
By: Sean McFate
-
Inside ISIS
- The Brutal Rise of a Terrorist Army
- By: Benjamin Hall
- Narrated by: Chris Kayser
- Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Despite numerous warnings from intelligence services, ISIS' rise to power has left countries around the world floundering for solutions. Today we face a threat that is more violent, more powerful, and financially stronger than ever before. In this audiobook journalist Benjamin Hall will provide insights by answering the basic questions we still don't have the answers to: Who are they? Where did they come from? How are they so successful so quickly? How can they be stopped?
-
-
Exciting yet profoundly sad
- By jeanne sumstine on 12-13-15
By: Benjamin Hall
-
Black Flags
- The Rise of ISIS
- By: Joby Warrick
- Narrated by: Sunil Malhotra
- Length: 13 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a thrilling dramatic narrative, awarded the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction, Joby Warrick traces how the strain of militant Islam behind ISIS first arose in a remote Jordanian prison and spread with the unwitting aid of two American presidents.
-
-
So much learned
- By mike flavin on 02-11-16
By: Joby Warrick
-
The Road to Fatima Gate
- The Beirut Spring, the Rise of Hezbollah, and the Iranian War against Israel
- By: Michael J. Totten
- Narrated by: Steven Roy Grimsley
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Road to Fatima Gate is a first-person narrative account of revolution, terrorism, and war during history's violent return to Lebanon after 15 years of quiet. Michael J. Totten's version of events in one of the most volatile countries in the world's most volatile region is one part war correspondence, one part memoir, and one part road movie.
-
-
Excellent
- By Coach Mark on 03-13-15
-
The Burning Shores
- Inside the Battle for the New Libya
- By: Frederic Wehrey
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The death of Colonel Muammar Qadhafi freed Libya from 42 years of despotic rule, raising hopes for a new era. But in the aftermath, the country descended into bitter rivalries and civil war, paving the way for the Islamic State and a catastrophic migrant crisis. In a fast-paced narrative that blends frontline reporting, analysis, and history, Frederic Wehrey tells the story of what went wrong.
-
-
amazing yet painful book
- By Ghassan Tranesh on 09-20-18
By: Frederic Wehrey
-
Fractured Lands
- How the Arab World Came Apart
- By: Scott Anderson
- Narrated by: Scott Anderson
- Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2011 a series of antigovernment uprisings shook the Middle East and North Africa in what would become known as the Arab Spring. Few could predict that these convulsions, initially hailed in the West as a triumph of democracy, would give way to brutal civil war, the terrors of the Islamic State, and a global refugee crisis. But, as New York Times best-selling author Scott Anderson shows, the seeds of catastrophe had been sown long before. In this gripping account, Anderson examines the myriad complex causes of the region's profound unraveling.
-
-
Timely and a must to listen to!
- By becky robbins on 05-05-17
By: Scott Anderson
-
Confront and Conceal
- Obama's Secret Wars and Surprising Use of American Power
- By: David E. Sanger
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Three and a half years ago, David Sanger’s book The Inheritance: The World Obama Confronts and the Challenges to American Power described how a new American president came to office with the world on fire. Now, just as the 2012 presidential election battle begins, Sanger follows up with an eye-opening, news-packed account of how Obama has dealt with those challenges, relying on innovative weapons and reconfigured tools of American power to try to manage a series of new threats.
-
-
Sobering reminder on what the presidency requires
- By Marilyn on 09-03-12
By: David E. Sanger
-
Our Last Best Chance
- The Pursuit of Peace in a Time of Peril
- By: King Abdullah II of Jordan
- Narrated by: Nadim Sawalha
- Length: 14 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A news-breaking memoir revealing the secret, high level negotiations that could soon transform the map of the Middle East. Why would a sitting head of state choose to write about the most explosive issues he faces? King Abdullah does so now because he believes we face a moment of truth: a last chance for peace in the Middle East. The prize is enormous; the cost of failure far greater than we dare imagine.
-
-
Meet the fourth King of Jordan ,
- By katie on 06-29-16
-
Sleeping with the Devil
- How Washington Sold Our Soul for Saudi Crude
- By: Robert Baer
- Narrated by: Robert O'Keefe
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Former CIA operative Robert Baer examines the dangers behind America's collaboration with Saudi Arabia. Nominally based on a "harmony of interests" - the Saudis sold their oil to the American government very inexpensively - what we offered in exchange has damaged our position in the Middle East and left our country vulnerable to economic and terrorist threats. Baer goes behind the scenes to show how the US willingly overlooked the corruption of the Saudi royal family, its financing of violent Islamic fundamentalist groups, and its bribery of American officials.
-
-
Ouch. The truth hurts.
- By Kevin Christy on 07-28-03
By: Robert Baer
-
Reset
- Iran, Turkey, and America's Future
- By: Stephen Kinzer
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What can the United States do to help realize its dream of a peaceful, democratic Middle East? Stephen Kinzer offers a surprising answer in this paradigm-shifting book. Two countries in the region, he argues, are America's logical partners in the 21st century: Turkey and Iran.
-
-
challenges stereotypes
- By R.S. on 06-14-10
By: Stephen Kinzer
-
The American War in Afghanistan
- A History 1st Edition
- By: Carter Malkasian
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 27 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The American war in Afghanistan, which began in 2001, is now the longest armed conflict in the nation's history. It is currently winding down, and American troops are likely to leave soon - but only after a stay of nearly two decades.
-
-
A superb summary of the Afghan war
- By Charles Olmsted on 06-18-22
By: Carter Malkasian
-
Syria Burning
- ISIS and the Death of the Arab Spring
- By: Charles Glass
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 2 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Glass has reported extensively from the Middle East and travelled frequently in Syria over several decades. Here he melds together reportage, analysis, and history to provide an accessible overview of the origins and permutations defining the conflict, situating it clearly in the overall crisis of the region. His voice, elegant and concise, humane and richly informed, is a vital antidote to the sloganizing that shapes so much commentary and policy concerning the civil war.
-
-
The authors bias is insufferable.
- By Dan on 01-02-16
By: Charles Glass
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Sleeping with the Devil
- How Washington Sold Our Soul For Saudi Crude
- By: Robert Baer
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Baer goes behind the scenes to show how the U.S. willingly overlooked the corruption of the Saudi royal family, its financing of violent Islamic fundamentalist groups that spread hatred of the West throughout Saudi society, and its bribery of American officials. From a close-up with a corrupt Arab family to the inside scoop on how we helped fund the Taliban, Baer shows what's at stake in our pursuit of oil.
-
-
A poorly written unscholarly approach
- By Kenneth on 11-11-04
By: Robert Baer
-
See No Evil
- The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism
- By: Robert Baer
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his explosive New York Times best seller, top CIA operative Robert Baer paints a chilling picture of how terrorism works on the inside and provides startling evidence of how Washington politics sabotaged the CIA's efforts to root out the world's deadliest terrorists, allowing for the rise of Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda and the continued entrenchment of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.
-
-
Interesting perspective
- By Ryan & Alexandra on 07-09-07
By: Robert Baer
-
The Perfect Kill
- 21 Laws for Assassins
- By: Robert B. Baer
- Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Assassination has been dramatized by literature and politicized by infamous murders throughout history, and for Robert Baer, one of the most accomplished agents to ever work for the CIA, it's a source of endless fascination, speculation, and intrigue. Over several decades, Baer served as an operative, from Iraq to New Delhi and beyond; notably, his career was the model for the acclaimed movie Syriana.
-
-
Kill the King, Don't Slap Him
- By Mike on 01-06-15
By: Robert B. Baer
-
The Fourth Man
- The Hunt for a KGB Spy at the Top of the CIA and the Rise of Putin's Russia
- By: Robert Baer
- Narrated by: Robert Baer, Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the aftermath of the Cold War, American intelligence caught three high-profile Russian spies: Aldrich Ames, Edward Lee Howard, and Robert Hanssen. However, rumors have long swirled of another mole, one perhaps more damaging than all the others combined. Perhaps the greatest traitor in American history, perhaps a Russian ruse to tear the CIA apart, or perhaps nothing more than a bogeyman, he is often referred to as the Fourth Man.
-
-
A Who Done it without The Who Did it
- By Amazon Customer on 05-25-22
By: Robert Baer
-
Blow the House Down
- By: Robert Baer
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Veteran CIA officer Max Waller has long been obsessed with the abduction and murder of his Agency mentor. Though years of digging yield the name of a suspect, an Iranian math genius turned terrorist, the trail seems too cold to justify further effort. Then Max turns up a photograph of the man standing alongside Osama bin Laden and a mysterious westerner whose face has been cut out, feeding Max's suspicion.
-
-
What if...
- By Edward on 06-22-07
By: Robert Baer
-
Ghost Wars
- The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001
- By: Steve Coll
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 26 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The explosive first-hand account of America's secret history in Afghanistan. With the publication of Ghost Wars, Steve Coll became not only a Pulitzer Prize winner, but also the expert on the rise of the Taliban, the emergence of Bin Laden, and the secret efforts by CIA officers and their agents to capture or kill Bin Laden in Afghanistan after 1998.
-
-
An Exceptional Accomplishment
- By Joe on 11-08-13
By: Steve Coll
-
Sleeping with the Devil
- How Washington Sold Our Soul For Saudi Crude
- By: Robert Baer
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Baer goes behind the scenes to show how the U.S. willingly overlooked the corruption of the Saudi royal family, its financing of violent Islamic fundamentalist groups that spread hatred of the West throughout Saudi society, and its bribery of American officials. From a close-up with a corrupt Arab family to the inside scoop on how we helped fund the Taliban, Baer shows what's at stake in our pursuit of oil.
-
-
A poorly written unscholarly approach
- By Kenneth on 11-11-04
By: Robert Baer
-
See No Evil
- The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism
- By: Robert Baer
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his explosive New York Times best seller, top CIA operative Robert Baer paints a chilling picture of how terrorism works on the inside and provides startling evidence of how Washington politics sabotaged the CIA's efforts to root out the world's deadliest terrorists, allowing for the rise of Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda and the continued entrenchment of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.
-
-
Interesting perspective
- By Ryan & Alexandra on 07-09-07
By: Robert Baer
-
The Perfect Kill
- 21 Laws for Assassins
- By: Robert B. Baer
- Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Assassination has been dramatized by literature and politicized by infamous murders throughout history, and for Robert Baer, one of the most accomplished agents to ever work for the CIA, it's a source of endless fascination, speculation, and intrigue. Over several decades, Baer served as an operative, from Iraq to New Delhi and beyond; notably, his career was the model for the acclaimed movie Syriana.
-
-
Kill the King, Don't Slap Him
- By Mike on 01-06-15
By: Robert B. Baer
-
The Fourth Man
- The Hunt for a KGB Spy at the Top of the CIA and the Rise of Putin's Russia
- By: Robert Baer
- Narrated by: Robert Baer, Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the aftermath of the Cold War, American intelligence caught three high-profile Russian spies: Aldrich Ames, Edward Lee Howard, and Robert Hanssen. However, rumors have long swirled of another mole, one perhaps more damaging than all the others combined. Perhaps the greatest traitor in American history, perhaps a Russian ruse to tear the CIA apart, or perhaps nothing more than a bogeyman, he is often referred to as the Fourth Man.
-
-
A Who Done it without The Who Did it
- By Amazon Customer on 05-25-22
By: Robert Baer
-
Blow the House Down
- By: Robert Baer
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Veteran CIA officer Max Waller has long been obsessed with the abduction and murder of his Agency mentor. Though years of digging yield the name of a suspect, an Iranian math genius turned terrorist, the trail seems too cold to justify further effort. Then Max turns up a photograph of the man standing alongside Osama bin Laden and a mysterious westerner whose face has been cut out, feeding Max's suspicion.
-
-
What if...
- By Edward on 06-22-07
By: Robert Baer
-
Ghost Wars
- The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001
- By: Steve Coll
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 26 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The explosive first-hand account of America's secret history in Afghanistan. With the publication of Ghost Wars, Steve Coll became not only a Pulitzer Prize winner, but also the expert on the rise of the Taliban, the emergence of Bin Laden, and the secret efforts by CIA officers and their agents to capture or kill Bin Laden in Afghanistan after 1998.
-
-
An Exceptional Accomplishment
- By Joe on 11-08-13
By: Steve Coll
What listeners say about The Devil We Know
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
- Jean Le Lupi
- 11-16-09
Baer at his best
Unprecedented insight in the middle east power politics from the man who knows it the best. I wish the guys at the State Department had half the brains of Baer, we'd be in much better shape in Iraq by now.
Must read for anyone with an interest in World affairs.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- NC/UK/TH Buyer
- 12-14-18
Blueprint for Middle East solutions
Baer illuminates with steely reality the dead end we are at now, and a road map to restoring some sanity to the Middle East by putting rational actors at the forefront.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- ABDULHAKK
- 11-07-16
shocking
the book is an eye-opener on what's happening in the Middle East in the past 30 years .
yet a former CIA is a man that has blood on his hand and he talks about it even.
it'll give you an idea about how does the US looks at other countries. and how the u.s. is only interested in what is good for the u.s. not what is good for the world as they claim.
the Arthur looks at the Arabs and Sunni Muslims as trash . and that the u.s. should collaborate with Iran for the best of the u.s.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Luis Lara
- 03-06-18
Insightful by someone who's been there...
The author provides first-hand experience from living, working and absorbing the intricacies of Iran and the region. Of particular interest, the author provides nine recommendations on how to best engage Iran and influence the region.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- mary shaya
- 08-20-18
Conclusions
Great objective assessment of the overall situation of Iran in the Middle East. Disagree with the conclusion and approach to solving the Iran predicament. A better approach would be to take away Iran’s banner aka fighting for the Muslim oppression by resolving the Palestinian crisis for example with the help of the Saudis. Open up the Arabic world to Israel. The Saudi’s would rather do that then let the Persians take over the Arabic world. I don’t think dealing with Iran as another super power is beneficial for America. They will continue to fight America by proxy wars just exactly as China is using North Korea. We’re only going to get more rogue nations out there.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dave
- 05-14-21
Great read
Filled with lots of great information to help the reader see the vast complexities of the Middle East. Author seems to be very pro Iran with a lot of experience in the region.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Miles
- 04-04-10
Another outstanding effort by Baer.
Robert Baer, an author that speaks with an authority on the subject of Iran that few possess, presents a completely new point of view of this nation. Highly enlightening.
The book is also well narrated.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- DS
- 02-03-13
RETHINKING IRAN
Do our politicians read? They should read this book. We really do have to rebalance our Middle East policy. Read this. What do you think?
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
- JerryL
- 02-15-09
Great book but...
Robert Baer does a great job discussing the history of the region...but he (Baer) proposes some 'unique' and uncomfortable solutions to a very dangerous situation. Much as I enjoyed the history lesson, I'm not completely 'sold' on his recommendations to end the bloody stalemate in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I do recommend this as a 'must read' for anyone interested in a very real view of Middle East events.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Fred B
- 12-13-19
Smashing
The depth and breadth of Mr. Baer’s knowledge of Iran in general and Persians in particular is almost frightening. If Mr. Baer were a “marjah-eh taghleed”, I would gladly follow him. I wonder if he is working on a follow-up book focusing on the Trump administration’s behavior towards Iran and the behind-the-scene dynamics driving that policy or the lack-there-of.
بسیار کتاب عالیست.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful