The Tightening Dark
An American Hostage in Yemen
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
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
The Tightening Dark
Buy for $19.49
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Fajer Al-Kaisi
About this listen
This riveting memoir follows a Lebanese Muslim American and 30-year US Marine veteran who suffered a six-month ordeal at the hands of a brutal regime in Yemen - and remained loyal to his country through it all.
As air strikes carpeted Yemen's capital, Sam Farran was one of only a few Americans in the war-ravaged country. He was there to conduct security assessments for a variety of international firms. Days after his arrival, he was brutally seized and taken hostage by Houthi rebels. Sam would spend the next six months suffering a horrific ordeal that would test his endurance, his loyalty, and his very soul.
Every day his captors asked him - as a fellow Muslim - to betray America and his Marine heritage in exchange for his freedom. Would he give in to the Houthis and return to his Middle Eastern roots? In the end - and despite daily threats to his life - Sam found the strength to resist and came out of his ordeal with an increased sense of being, foremost, a US Marine.
The Tightening Dark is an intimate, riveting, and inspiring memoir of heroic strength, courage, survival, and commitment to country. And a reminder that the best parts of the American dream are the dreamers - those who pledge to being American, regardless of where they are born.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2021 Sam Farran and Benjamin Buchholz (P)2021 Hachette BooksListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Pledge to America
- One Man's Journey from Political Prisoner to U.S. Navy SEAL
- By: Drago Dzieran
- Narrated by: Joel Richards
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 81
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 77
Retired Navy SEAL Drago Dzieran takes listeners behind the scenes of his incredible life, from an impoverished childhood in Communist-controlled Poland to his time as a political prisoner, to his twenty years as a member of the United States military's most elite fighting force.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An American Patriot
- By Harry C. on 02-14-24
By: Drago Dzieran
-
Transformed
- A Navy SEAL’s Unlikely Journey from the Throne of Africa, to the Streets of the Bronx, to Defying All Odds
- By: Remi Adeleke
- Narrated by: Remi Adeleke
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,867
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,698
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,689
Author Remi Adeleke takes listeners back to stories from his childhood as Nigerian royalty to losing his father early in life and being financially stripped of everything by the Nigerian government. He delves into being raised by a single mother in the Bronx and doesn’t shy away from the illegal activities that threatened to derail his future. Having gone through times of intense struggle, pressure, and failure, Adeleke shares his inspiring story of overcoming the odds, even when it didn’t make sense; and ultimately experiencing true personal transformation.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
COME ON SOMEBODY!
- By Aaron D. Davis (Author - @TattooPreacher) on 08-24-19
By: Remi Adeleke
-
Never
- A Novel
- By: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: January LaVoy
- Length: 23 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 4,274
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,830
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 3,813
Never is an extraordinary novel, full of heroines and villains, false prophets and elite warriors, jaded politicians and opportunistic revolutionaries. It brims with cautionary wisdom for our times, and delivers a visceral, heart-pounding story that transports listeners to the brink of the unimaginable.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
I'll NEVER get through this one
- By Georgia on 11-11-21
By: Ken Follett
-
Preemptive Love
- Pursuing Peace One Heart at a Time
- By: Jeremy Courtney
- Narrated by: Jeremy Courtney
- Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 49
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 41
In the middle of the Iraq War, Jeremy and Jessica Courtney found themselves with their two children caught up in the turmoil, just hoping to make a difference. After an encounter with a father whose little girl was dying from a heart defect, they began to investigate options for helping and learned that untold thousands of children across Iraq were in similar need, waiting in line for heart surgery in a country without a qualified heart surgeon.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Recommended Highly!
- By Zak on 06-13-18
By: Jeremy Courtney
-
Life Undercover
- Coming of Age in the CIA
- By: Amaryllis Fox
- Narrated by: Amaryllis Fox
- Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,728
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,524
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,521
Amaryllis Fox's riveting memoir tells the story of her 10 years in the most elite clandestine ops unit of the CIA, hunting the world's most dangerous terrorists in 16 countries while marrying and giving birth to a daughter. Life Undercover is exhilarating, intimate, fiercely intelligent - an impossible-to-pause record of an extraordinary life, and of Amaryllis Fox's astonishing courage and passion.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Book of the year...
- By Mr Dangerous on 10-16-19
By: Amaryllis Fox
-
The Right Kind of Crazy
- Navy SEAL, Covert Operative, and Boy Scout from Hell
- By: Clint Emerson
- Narrated by: Clint Emerson
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,116
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,879
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,876
Clint Emerson is the only SEAL ever inducted into the International Spy Museum. Operating from the shadows, with an instinct for running towards trouble, his unique skill set made him the perfect hybrid of elite and modern day counterintelligence agent. Emerson spent his career on the bleeding edge of intelligence and operations, often specializing in solo missions that took advantage of subterfuge, improvisation, the best in recon and surveillance tech, and even elements of Hollywood disguise to combat the changing global battlefield.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Ignore the haters...
- By Witness 22 on 04-08-20
By: Clint Emerson
-
The Pledge to America
- One Man's Journey from Political Prisoner to U.S. Navy SEAL
- By: Drago Dzieran
- Narrated by: Joel Richards
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 81
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 77
Retired Navy SEAL Drago Dzieran takes listeners behind the scenes of his incredible life, from an impoverished childhood in Communist-controlled Poland to his time as a political prisoner, to his twenty years as a member of the United States military's most elite fighting force.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An American Patriot
- By Harry C. on 02-14-24
By: Drago Dzieran
-
Transformed
- A Navy SEAL’s Unlikely Journey from the Throne of Africa, to the Streets of the Bronx, to Defying All Odds
- By: Remi Adeleke
- Narrated by: Remi Adeleke
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,867
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,698
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,689
Author Remi Adeleke takes listeners back to stories from his childhood as Nigerian royalty to losing his father early in life and being financially stripped of everything by the Nigerian government. He delves into being raised by a single mother in the Bronx and doesn’t shy away from the illegal activities that threatened to derail his future. Having gone through times of intense struggle, pressure, and failure, Adeleke shares his inspiring story of overcoming the odds, even when it didn’t make sense; and ultimately experiencing true personal transformation.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
COME ON SOMEBODY!
- By Aaron D. Davis (Author - @TattooPreacher) on 08-24-19
By: Remi Adeleke
-
Never
- A Novel
- By: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: January LaVoy
- Length: 23 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 4,274
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,830
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 3,813
Never is an extraordinary novel, full of heroines and villains, false prophets and elite warriors, jaded politicians and opportunistic revolutionaries. It brims with cautionary wisdom for our times, and delivers a visceral, heart-pounding story that transports listeners to the brink of the unimaginable.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
I'll NEVER get through this one
- By Georgia on 11-11-21
By: Ken Follett
-
Preemptive Love
- Pursuing Peace One Heart at a Time
- By: Jeremy Courtney
- Narrated by: Jeremy Courtney
- Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 49
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 41
In the middle of the Iraq War, Jeremy and Jessica Courtney found themselves with their two children caught up in the turmoil, just hoping to make a difference. After an encounter with a father whose little girl was dying from a heart defect, they began to investigate options for helping and learned that untold thousands of children across Iraq were in similar need, waiting in line for heart surgery in a country without a qualified heart surgeon.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Recommended Highly!
- By Zak on 06-13-18
By: Jeremy Courtney
-
Life Undercover
- Coming of Age in the CIA
- By: Amaryllis Fox
- Narrated by: Amaryllis Fox
- Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,728
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,524
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,521
Amaryllis Fox's riveting memoir tells the story of her 10 years in the most elite clandestine ops unit of the CIA, hunting the world's most dangerous terrorists in 16 countries while marrying and giving birth to a daughter. Life Undercover is exhilarating, intimate, fiercely intelligent - an impossible-to-pause record of an extraordinary life, and of Amaryllis Fox's astonishing courage and passion.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Book of the year...
- By Mr Dangerous on 10-16-19
By: Amaryllis Fox
-
The Right Kind of Crazy
- Navy SEAL, Covert Operative, and Boy Scout from Hell
- By: Clint Emerson
- Narrated by: Clint Emerson
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,116
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,879
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,876
Clint Emerson is the only SEAL ever inducted into the International Spy Museum. Operating from the shadows, with an instinct for running towards trouble, his unique skill set made him the perfect hybrid of elite and modern day counterintelligence agent. Emerson spent his career on the bleeding edge of intelligence and operations, often specializing in solo missions that took advantage of subterfuge, improvisation, the best in recon and surveillance tech, and even elements of Hollywood disguise to combat the changing global battlefield.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Ignore the haters...
- By Witness 22 on 04-08-20
By: Clint Emerson
-
Interview with a Terrorist
- By: James Rosone, Miranda Watson
- Narrated by: Duane DeSalvo
- Length: 5 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 107
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 107
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 107
In 2006, when the Iraq War was all but lost, a new strategy was implemented - with combat troops across Iraq, the US would systematically hunt down every terrorist and insurgent group operating in the country. However, that strategy relied upon the success of a small interrogation unit within Task Force 134 to find, locate, and eliminate threats to peace and stability within Iraq. Interview with a Terrorist follows James Rosone’s true-life story as he joined the interrogation team to try and make a difference in the conflict in Iraq.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Best ever
- By Riggs on 10-21-19
By: James Rosone, and others
-
Every Day Is a Gift
- A Memoir
- By: Tammy Duckworth
- Narrated by: Tammy Duckworth
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 638
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 579
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 578
Tammy Duckworth takes listeners through the amazing - and amazingly true - stories from her incomparable life. In November of 2004, an Iraqi RPG blew through the cockpit of Tammy Duckworth's US Army Black Hawk helicopter. The explosion, which destroyed her legs and mangled her right arm, was a turning point in her life. But as Duckworth shows in Every Day Is a Gift, that moment was just one in a lifetime of extraordinary turns.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding, gripping and inspiring
- By Mary on 04-07-21
By: Tammy Duckworth
-
Son of Hamas
- A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices
- By: Mosab Hassan Yousef, Ron Brackin - contributor
- Narrated by: Mosab Hassan Yousef
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 2,084
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,918
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,912
Since he was a small boy, Mosab Hassan Yousef has had an inside view of the deadly terrorist group Hamas. The oldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founding member of Hamas and its most popular leader, young Mosab assisted his father for years in his political activities while being groomed to assume his legacy, politics, status...and power. But everything changed when Mosab turned away from terror and violence and embraced instead the teachings of another famous Middle East leader.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Very insightful look at the underbelly of Hamas.
- By C,L, Richey on 05-05-14
By: Mosab Hassan Yousef, and others
-
The Road from Raqqa
- A Story of Brotherhood, Borders, and Belonging
- By: Jordan Ritter Conn
- Narrated by: Graham Halstead
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 40
The Alkasem brothers, Riyad and Bashar, spend their childhood in Raqqa, the city that would later became the capital of ISIS. As a teenager in the 1980s, Riyad witnesses the devastating aftermath of the Hama massacre—an atrocity by the Assad regime. Wanting to expand his notion of government and justice, Riyad moves to the US to study law, but his plans are derailed and he eventually falls in love with a Southern belle. Bashar, meanwhile, stayed in Syria and embarked on a brilliant legal career under the same corrupt Assad government that Riyad despised.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gripping & Meaningful
- By Amazon Customer on 09-04-20
-
The Great Escape
- A True Story of Forced Labor and Immigrant Dreams in America
- By: Saket Soni
- Narrated by: Saket Soni
- Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 36
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 36
In late 2006, Saket Soni, a 28-year-old, Indian-born community organizer received an anonymous phone call from an Indian migrant worker inside a Mississippi labor camp. He and 500 other men were living in squalor in Gulf Coast “man camps,” surrounded by barbed wire, watched by armed guards, crammed into cold trailers with putrid portable toilets, forced to eat moldy bread and frozen rice. Worse, lured by the promise of good work and green cards, the men had desperately scraped together up to $20,000 each to apply for this “opportunity”.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Riveting!
- By Susan M. Lewis on 10-18-23
By: Saket Soni
-
Tower of Secrets
- A Real Life Spy Thriller
- By: Victor Sheymov
- Narrated by: Daniel Van Thomas
- Length: 18 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 46
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 42
Tower of Secrets is a thriller, filled with spycraft and intelligence techniques never before revealed, a true story that is more spellbinding than any work of fiction could ever be. Head of security for cipher communications worldwide, Sheymov has rare knowledge of the entire system. Enter the riveting world of real intelligence where every life-or-death move on the chessboard affects the fate of nations. This is a tale more thrilling than fiction, told by a consummate master of the game.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
the dialog is terrible
- By Nicholas Nachefski on 11-01-21
By: Victor Sheymov
-
The Giant Killer
- American Hero, Mercenary, Spy... The Incredible True Story of the Smallest Man to Serve in the U.S. Military - Green Beret Captain Richard J. Flaherty
- By: David A. Yuzuk
- Narrated by: Steven Wenger
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 601
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 549
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 548
At 4' 9" 97 lbs, Richard J. Flaherty is believed to be the smallest man to ever serve in the US military. Needing a congressional waiver just to join the army, he achieved the impossible by becoming a Green Beret Captain and a Vietnam vet war hero, earning the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts - 101st Airborne and 3rd Special Forces Group.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
l had to make a choice.
- By Ed on 03-02-21
By: David A. Yuzuk
-
Six Years a Hostage
- The Extraordinary Story of the Longest-Held Al Qaeda Captive in the World
- By: Stephen McGown
- Narrated by: Byron Mondahl
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 25
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 25
Stephen McGown was en route from London to South Africa, on a once-in-a-lifetime trip by motorbike, returning home to Johannesburg. He had reached Timbuktu, in Mali, when he was captured, along with a Dutch and a Swedish national, by Al Qaeda Islamist militants. Steve was taken because he held a British passport. He was subsequently held hostage at various camps in the Sahara Desert in the north-west of Africa for nearly six years before eventually being released.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Stephen’s perspective on his experience is so brave and so unexpected.
- By Beverley Clark on 09-05-24
By: Stephen McGown
-
Here We Are
- American Dreams, American Nightmares (A Memoir)
- By: Aarti Namdev Shahani
- Narrated by: Aarti Namdev Shahani
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 95
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 84
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 85
The Shahanis came to Queens - from India, by way of Casablanca - in the 1980s. They were undocumented for a few unsteady years, and then, with the arrival of their green cards, they thought they'd made it. This is the story of how they did, and didn't; the unforeseen obstacles that propelled them into years of disillusionment and heartbreak; and the strength of a family determined to stay together.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Here We Are Review
- By Yolonda Simon on 10-04-19
-
Manhunters
- How We Took Down Pablo Escobar
- By: Javier F. Peña, Steve Murphy
- Narrated by: Ramon de Ocampo, Rob Shapiro
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 229
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 209
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 208
Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar’s brutal Medellín Cartel was responsible for trafficking tons of cocaine to North America and Europe in the 1980s and ’90s. The nation became a warzone as his sicarios mercilessly murdered thousands of people - competitors, police, and civilians - to ensure he remained Colombia’s reigning kingpin. With billions in personal income, Pablo Escobar bought off politicians and lawmen, and became a hero to poorer communities by building houses and sports centers.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Good book , but not so much about the manhunt itself.
- By UH-60Lima on 11-20-19
By: Javier F. Peña, and others
-
The Spymaster of Baghdad
- A True Story of Bravery, Family, and Patriotism in the Battle Against ISIS
- By: Margaret Coker
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 70
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 65
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 65
The Spymaster of Baghdad tells the dramatic yet intimate account of how a covert Iraqi intelligence unit called “the Falcons” came together against all odds to defeat ISIS. The Falcons, comprised of ordinary men with little conventional espionage background, infiltrated the world’s most powerful terrorist organization, ultimately turning the tide of war against the terrorist group and bringing safety to millions of Iraqis and the broader world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Worth every penny
- By Michelle on 04-20-21
By: Margaret Coker
-
On All Fronts
- The Education of a Journalist
- By: Clarissa Ward
- Narrated by: Clarissa Ward
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 442
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 384
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 380
Clarissa Ward is a world-renowned conflict reporter. In this strange age of crisis where there really is no front line, she has moved from one hot zone to the next. With multiple assignments in Syria, Egypt, and Afghanistan, Ward, who speaks seven languages, has been based in Baghdad, Beirut, Beijing, and Moscow. She has seen and documented the violent remaking of the world at close range. With her deep empathy, Ward finds a way to tell the hardest stories. On All Fronts is the riveting account of Ward’s singular career and of journalism in this age of extremism.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Insights gained!
- By J. Harry on 11-10-20
By: Clarissa Ward
Related to this topic
-
The Targeter
- My Life in the CIA, Hunting Terrorists and Challenging the White House
- By: Nada Bakos, Davin Coburn
- Narrated by: Christine Lakin
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 279
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 244
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 244
In 1999, 30-year-old Nada Bakos moved from her lifelong home in Montana to Washington, DC, to join the CIA. Quickly realizing her affinity for intelligence work, Nada was determined to rise through the ranks of the agency first as an analyst and then as a Targeting Officer, eventually finding herself on the frontline of America's War against Islamic extremists. In this role, Nada was charged with determining if Iraq had a relationship with 9/11 and Al-Qaida, and finding the mastermind behind this terrorist activity: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Terrible book. Feminazi Propaganda
- By Dan Wells on 08-24-19
By: Nada Bakos, and others
-
The Spymaster of Baghdad
- A True Story of Bravery, Family, and Patriotism in the Battle Against ISIS
- By: Margaret Coker
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 70
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 65
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 65
The Spymaster of Baghdad tells the dramatic yet intimate account of how a covert Iraqi intelligence unit called “the Falcons” came together against all odds to defeat ISIS. The Falcons, comprised of ordinary men with little conventional espionage background, infiltrated the world’s most powerful terrorist organization, ultimately turning the tide of war against the terrorist group and bringing safety to millions of Iraqis and the broader world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Worth every penny
- By Michelle on 04-20-21
By: Margaret Coker
-
The Art of Resistance
- My Four Years in the French Underground: A Memoir
- By: Justus Rosenberg
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 131
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 119
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 118
In 1937, as the Nazis gained control and anti-Semitism spread in the Free City of Danzig, a majority German city on the Baltic Sea, 16-year-old Justus Rosenberg was sent to Paris to finish his education in safety. Three years later, France fell to the Germans. Alone and in danger, penniless and cut off from contact with his family in Poland, Justus fled south.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Rosenberg, Please focus
- By Jess on 03-20-22
By: Justus Rosenberg
-
American Spy
- Wry Reflections on My Life in the CIA
- By: H. K. Roy
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 193
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 176
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 176
This candid and darkly witty memoir recounts an exhilarating life - and a few close brushes with death. With remarkable sangfroid and a humorist's eye for absurdity, H. K. Roy describes his many strange and risky exploits in his long career with the CIA. Whether he was pursuing Soviet and Cuban spies, running "denied area" operations in Eastern Europe, hunting Bosnian War criminals, or providing actionable intelligence to US government and coalition forces in Iraq, Roy usually found himself at the right place at the right time.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
To political
- By Amazon Customer on 11-29-19
By: H. K. Roy
-
The Reluctant Spy
- My Secret Life in the CIA's War on Terror
- By: John Kiriakou, Michael Ruby
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 200
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 131
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 131
Long before the waterboarding controversy exploded in the media, one CIA agent had already gone public. In a groundbreaking 2007 interview with ABC News, John Kiriakou called waterboarding torture - but admitted that it probably worked. This book, at once a confessional, an adventure story, and a chronicle of Kiriakou's life in the CIA, stands as an important, eloquent piece of testimony from a committed American patriot.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating Read about the CIA
- By Nancy on 05-13-10
By: John Kiriakou, and others
-
Saving Aziz
- How the Mission to Help One Became a Calling to Rescue Thousands from the Taliban
- By: Chad Robichaux, David L. Thomas - contributor, Glenn Beck
- Narrated by: Chad Robichaux, Glenn Beck
- Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 282
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 258
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 256
In Saving Aziz, Chad will give you a behind-the-scenes view of the evacuation efforts that saved thousands from the Taliban during the historic humanitarian crisis following the United States’ hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Blessed
- By Teri Herron on 02-01-23
By: Chad Robichaux, and others
-
The Targeter
- My Life in the CIA, Hunting Terrorists and Challenging the White House
- By: Nada Bakos, Davin Coburn
- Narrated by: Christine Lakin
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 279
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 244
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 244
In 1999, 30-year-old Nada Bakos moved from her lifelong home in Montana to Washington, DC, to join the CIA. Quickly realizing her affinity for intelligence work, Nada was determined to rise through the ranks of the agency first as an analyst and then as a Targeting Officer, eventually finding herself on the frontline of America's War against Islamic extremists. In this role, Nada was charged with determining if Iraq had a relationship with 9/11 and Al-Qaida, and finding the mastermind behind this terrorist activity: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Terrible book. Feminazi Propaganda
- By Dan Wells on 08-24-19
By: Nada Bakos, and others
-
The Spymaster of Baghdad
- A True Story of Bravery, Family, and Patriotism in the Battle Against ISIS
- By: Margaret Coker
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 70
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 65
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 65
The Spymaster of Baghdad tells the dramatic yet intimate account of how a covert Iraqi intelligence unit called “the Falcons” came together against all odds to defeat ISIS. The Falcons, comprised of ordinary men with little conventional espionage background, infiltrated the world’s most powerful terrorist organization, ultimately turning the tide of war against the terrorist group and bringing safety to millions of Iraqis and the broader world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Worth every penny
- By Michelle on 04-20-21
By: Margaret Coker
-
The Art of Resistance
- My Four Years in the French Underground: A Memoir
- By: Justus Rosenberg
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 131
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 119
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 118
In 1937, as the Nazis gained control and anti-Semitism spread in the Free City of Danzig, a majority German city on the Baltic Sea, 16-year-old Justus Rosenberg was sent to Paris to finish his education in safety. Three years later, France fell to the Germans. Alone and in danger, penniless and cut off from contact with his family in Poland, Justus fled south.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Rosenberg, Please focus
- By Jess on 03-20-22
By: Justus Rosenberg
-
American Spy
- Wry Reflections on My Life in the CIA
- By: H. K. Roy
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 193
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 176
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 176
This candid and darkly witty memoir recounts an exhilarating life - and a few close brushes with death. With remarkable sangfroid and a humorist's eye for absurdity, H. K. Roy describes his many strange and risky exploits in his long career with the CIA. Whether he was pursuing Soviet and Cuban spies, running "denied area" operations in Eastern Europe, hunting Bosnian War criminals, or providing actionable intelligence to US government and coalition forces in Iraq, Roy usually found himself at the right place at the right time.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
To political
- By Amazon Customer on 11-29-19
By: H. K. Roy
-
The Reluctant Spy
- My Secret Life in the CIA's War on Terror
- By: John Kiriakou, Michael Ruby
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 200
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 131
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 131
Long before the waterboarding controversy exploded in the media, one CIA agent had already gone public. In a groundbreaking 2007 interview with ABC News, John Kiriakou called waterboarding torture - but admitted that it probably worked. This book, at once a confessional, an adventure story, and a chronicle of Kiriakou's life in the CIA, stands as an important, eloquent piece of testimony from a committed American patriot.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating Read about the CIA
- By Nancy on 05-13-10
By: John Kiriakou, and others
-
Saving Aziz
- How the Mission to Help One Became a Calling to Rescue Thousands from the Taliban
- By: Chad Robichaux, David L. Thomas - contributor, Glenn Beck
- Narrated by: Chad Robichaux, Glenn Beck
- Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 282
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 258
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 256
In Saving Aziz, Chad will give you a behind-the-scenes view of the evacuation efforts that saved thousands from the Taliban during the historic humanitarian crisis following the United States’ hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Blessed
- By Teri Herron on 02-01-23
By: Chad Robichaux, and others
-
Six Minutes to Freedom
- How a Band of Heroes Defied a Dictator and Helped Free a Nation
- By: Kurt Muse, John Gilstrap
- Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 69
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 58
Six Minutes to Freedom is the remarkable tale of Kurt Muse's arrest and harrowing months of imprisonment; his eyewitness accounts of torture; and the plight of his family as they fled for their lives. It is also the heart-pounding account of the only American civilian ever rescued by the elite Delta Force. Timelier than ever, this is a thrilling and highly personal narrative about one man's courage and dedication to his beliefs.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
excellent book!
- By Andrew Tomlet on 07-05-21
By: Kurt Muse, and others
-
Checkpoint Charlie
- The Cold War, the Berlin Wall, and the Most Dangerous Place on Earth
- By: Iain MacGregor
- Narrated by: Dugald Bruce Lockhart
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 75
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 61
A powerful, fascinating, and groundbreaking history of Checkpoint Charlie, the famous military gate on the border of East and West Berlin where the US confronted the USSR during the Cold War.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Hard to follow
- By J.Brock on 03-07-21
By: Iain MacGregor
-
On All Fronts
- The Education of a Journalist
- By: Clarissa Ward
- Narrated by: Clarissa Ward
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 442
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 384
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 380
Clarissa Ward is a world-renowned conflict reporter. In this strange age of crisis where there really is no front line, she has moved from one hot zone to the next. With multiple assignments in Syria, Egypt, and Afghanistan, Ward, who speaks seven languages, has been based in Baghdad, Beirut, Beijing, and Moscow. She has seen and documented the violent remaking of the world at close range. With her deep empathy, Ward finds a way to tell the hardest stories. On All Fronts is the riveting account of Ward’s singular career and of journalism in this age of extremism.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Insights gained!
- By J. Harry on 11-10-20
By: Clarissa Ward
-
The Right Kind of Crazy
- Navy SEAL, Covert Operative, and Boy Scout from Hell
- By: Clint Emerson
- Narrated by: Clint Emerson
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,116
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,879
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,876
Clint Emerson is the only SEAL ever inducted into the International Spy Museum. Operating from the shadows, with an instinct for running towards trouble, his unique skill set made him the perfect hybrid of elite and modern day counterintelligence agent. Emerson spent his career on the bleeding edge of intelligence and operations, often specializing in solo missions that took advantage of subterfuge, improvisation, the best in recon and surveillance tech, and even elements of Hollywood disguise to combat the changing global battlefield.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Ignore the haters...
- By Witness 22 on 04-08-20
By: Clint Emerson
-
The Love Stories of the Bible Speak
- Biblical Lessons on Romance, Friendship, and Faith
- By: Shannon Bream
- Narrated by: Shannon Bream
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 50
The Bible reveals not just butterflies and broken hearts. In Scripture, we see God’s beautiful design for the partnership of marriage. We witness friendships that cross all boundaries. We watch as families navigate the many seasons of life. Our guiding example for them all is the deepest, most abiding, foundational love ever known: God’s unconditional love for His people. In The Love Stories of the Bible Speak, Shannon Bream draws lessons from the good, the bad, and the ugly of Biblical romances, friendships, and families.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Uplifting and motivational book
- By Joseph Sullivan on 03-31-23
By: Shannon Bream
-
The Rebel and the Kingdom
- The True Story of the Secret Mission to Overthrow the North Korean Regime
- By: Bradley Hope
- Narrated by: Lee Osorio
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 36
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 36
In the early 2000s, Adrian Hong was a soft-spoken Yale undergraduate looking for his place in the world. After reading a harrowing account of life inside North Korea, he realized he had found a cause so pressing that he was ready to devote his life to it. Hong journeyed to China, outwitting Chinese security services as he helped ferry asylum-seeking North Korean escapees to safety. The Rebel and the Kingdom is an exhilarating account of a man who turns his back on the status quo—to instead live boldly by his principles.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Phenomenal true story
- By NYCdogmomma on 11-13-22
By: Bradley Hope
-
Agents Unknown
- True Stories of Life as a Special Agent in the Diplomatic Security Service
- By: Cody Perron
- Narrated by: Cody J. Perron
- Length: 5 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 136
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 117
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 116
Special Agents of the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) have been on the front lines of securing diplomacy for over a century. From the Fall of Saigon to the U.S. embassy bombings in east Africa, and the Iranian Hostage Crisis to the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, special agents of the DSS have relentlessly put their lives on the line to protect their fellow diplomats around the globe. Agents Unknown reveals the story of Cody Perron, a former Special Agent of the DSS, and his journey through the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great book. A must read!
- By Mat on 09-21-20
By: Cody Perron
-
The Kremlin Conspiracy
- A Marcus Ryker Novel, Book 1
- By: Joel C. Rosenberg
- Narrated by: Adam Grupper
- Length: 14 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,856
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,373
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,345
Everything he learned to protect the president, he must use to take out theirs. With an American president distracted by growing tensions in North Korea and Iran, an ominous new threat is emerging in Moscow. A czar is rising in the Kremlin, a Russian president feverishly consolidating power, silencing his opposition, and plotting a brazen and lightning-fast military strike that could rupture the NATO alliance and bring Washington and Moscow to the brink of nuclear war. But in his blind spot is the former U.S. Secret Service agent, Marcus Ryker.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding thriller
- By DIANE M TINKLE on 03-12-18
-
Midnight in Mexico
- A Reporter's Journey through a Country's Descent into Darkness
- By: Alfredo Corchado
- Narrated by: Timothy Andres Pabon
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 431
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 382
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 378
Noted Mexican American journalist Alfredo Corchado refuses to shrink from reporting on government corruption, murders in Juarez, or the ruthless drug cartels of Mexico. One night, Corchado received a tip that he could be the next target of the Zetas, a violent paramilitary group - and that he had 24 hours to find out if the threat was true. Midnight in Mexico is the story of one man's quest to report the truth of his country - as he races to save his own life.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating & suspenseful historical non-fiction!
- By Ruth Barrie on 06-30-19
By: Alfredo Corchado
-
Prisoner
- My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison—Solitary Confinement, a Sham Trial, High-Stakes Diplomacy, and the Extraordinary Efforts It Took to Get Me Out
- By: Jason Rezaian
- Narrated by: Jason Rezaian
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 318
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 277
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 277
The dramatic memoir of the journalist who was held hostage in a high-security prison in Tehran for 18 months and whose release - which almost didn’t happen - became a part of the Iran nuclear deal.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Should have been much better given subject matter
- By Sample Sloth on 04-17-19
By: Jason Rezaian
-
Code Name: Johnny Walker
- The Extraordinary Story of the Iraqi Who Risked Everything to Fight with the U.S. Navy SEALs
- By: Johnny Walker, Jim DeFelice
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 557
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 517
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 516
>In this illuminating and informative memoir, an Iraqi translator who risked his life working with American Sniper author Chris Kyle and the Navy SEALs tells his remarkable and inspiring story, offering a refreshing new perspective on the Iraq War. As the insurgency in Iraq intensified following the American invasion, U.S. Navy SEALs were called upon to root terrorists from their lairs. Unsure of the local neighborhoods and unable to speak the local languages, they came to rely on one man to guide them and watch their backs. He was a "terp" - an interpreter - with a job so dangerous they couldn't even use his real name.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding and real
- By Noel C. Stanhope on 06-05-14
By: Johnny Walker, and others
-
Black Ops
- The Life of a CIA Shadow Warrior
- By: Ric Prado
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,145
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,031
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,029
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Impressive and Inspiring!
- By medardo on 03-12-22
By: Ric Prado