Amazon readers gave The Triple Agent 4.6 stars
Goodreads readers gave The Triple Agent 3.97 stars
The Triple Agent, written by Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter Joby Warrick is a well researched and compelling book about the 2009 suicide attack in Afghanistan that killed 7 CIA agents.
Sad new reality, CIA’s darkest hour, tragic but true and Taliban bearing gifts are just a few of the phrases used to describe this book. A quick read with a lot to say!
This past Sunday, I went with my wife to The Friday Morning Bookclub’s annual couple’s pot luck dinner meeting and discussion. A good time was had by the 18 attendees. We reviewed The Triple Agent by Joby Warrick. It was a lively discussion with fervor and intensity as it was just days after the terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon and capture of the second perpetrator.
The book chronicles the events leading to the New Years eve 2009 suicide attack that killed nine CIA and FBI agents and two Afghani employees at Khost Military base in Afghanistan. The suicide bomber was a religious Jordanian physician/ zealot and Al-Qaida supporter recruited by Jordanian Intelligence and the CIA . The book is an easy read and very enlightening about our war against Al-Qaida.
Among the many comments there were the following conclusion that most agreed upon:
A religious zealot will never be converted
Mistakes were both made by CIA/FBI hierarchy and the inexperienced leadership at Camp Khost. Each group was so anxious to get what they felt was outstanding intelligence that normal safety protocols were abandoned.
Guarding against terrorist attacks has and will remain a way of life in our world.
Americans serving in the CIA, FBI and Military against the war on terrorism are extremely dedicated to their dangerous mission. They make numerous and tremendous sacrifices to protect our country and it’s citizens. We owe them a debt of gratitude.
I recommend the book and rate it a 4+
In the Garden of the Beasts
The book club members at April’s “couples” dinner meeting seemed to fall into distinct camps. There were a few history buffs that actually enjoyed reading, Erik Larson’s The Garden of the Beasts. There was the opposite crowd – the majority, I hear — who struggled to get through the book. And, then there was the camp I fell in, “not great, not horrible.” Many in this “just ok” camp who spoke up at the meeting had read Larson’s Devil in the White City, and was disappointed that this latest book was not as riveting as White City, which was also a true story and meticulously documented.
About the Book
The Garden of the Beasts story centered on William Dodd, who was a professor at the University of Chicago, a product of a southern upbringing smitten with Southern history, and an unlikely choice for the ambassador to Germany in the late 1930’s as Hitler was coming to power. He was mild-mannered and a self-described “Jeffersonian Democrat.” Somewhat of a social climber, Dodd exemplified his Jefferson ideals in his attitude that citizens (and therefore himself) have a civic duty to help their country and fight corruption, and apparently he did fight aristocratic elitism as the ambassador (most notably by shipping his Chevy across the Atlantic).
Unfortunately, almost 100 years after Jefferson, Dodd’s ideals were not an attitude of equality and respect for all. What was really shocking, and why I am glad to have read the book, was how utterly rampant negative views of Jews were by Americans, and by even the so-called good guys. This is not breaking news, but this book hit a chord in me.
About Book club
My husband and I never read the same book at the same time (well, except for book club). So, to cut to the chase, the book sparked a conversation that was really meaningful and enlightening to me. The April couple’s meeting is unique in that there is the opportunity to probe into some unexplored territory with your spouse, as well as our book club members. And, that’s why I will read just about any book “assigned” by book club and why I love book club. I am just sorry more people did not have that experience this year.
So yes, we need to find the common ground amongst male and female book tastes, history and mystery buffs, avid readers and not, so more book club members and their hubbies participate. For me, it is more about the shared experience, than what book. We cannot give up!
Amazon readers gave In the Garden of the Beasts 4 stars
Goodreads readers gave In the Garden of the Beasts 3 3/4 stars
In the Garden of the Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin revolves around America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s regime, William E. Dodd and his daughter Martha.
“A hugely engrossing chronicle of events public and private. Exceedingly well-documented, exhaustive without being excessive, and utterly fascinating.”
—Chicago Tribune
This past weekend we held our annual “couples” meeting, an evening we all look forward to. A lot of thought goes into choosing the book for this special meeting. No Chick Lit allowed! We search for that perfect book. A book that the men and the women will enjoy. Apparently this is no easy feat as we have gotten it wrong the last two years! Perhaps wrong is too strong a word, however we definitely have not gotten it right!
Last year we read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. It seemed to be THE book to read. Everyone was talking about the amazing story of Louie Zamperini. Yes, it really was an amazing story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption, however The Friday Morning Bookclub did not seem to be as impressed with the book as the rest of the world! Surviving 47th days at sea on a raft, fending off sharks and eating raw fish is quite impressive, but even that gets old after umpteen pages. Although some of our members enjoyed the book, others struggled to finish it. On a scale of 1-5, we gave Unbroken 3 omelets.
This year we went with In The Garden Of The Beasts by Eric Larson, yet another highly acclaimed book, and yes another WWII non fiction book. Reading about William E. Dodd, America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s regime and his wild daughter Martha sounded fascinating. Unfortunately some of us were disappointed. Different book, same results. This certainly was an interesting topic yet several of our members didn’t even bother finishing the book.
So what is wrong with The Friday Morning Bookclub? Are we more critical than most? Are we that hard to please? It looks like in our quest to find a book that the men will enjoy, we end up with a book that no one actually loves. Maybe next year we should try something totally different. Enough with the heavy-duty non fiction! Enough World War II! What about a good mystery or even a little fantasy. We have a whole year to work on it and try to get it right.
And here they are. The men in our lives.
Complete review of In The Garden of the Beasts coming soon!
Recently, the Friday Morning Bookclub met on a Sunday night. Why was this meeting different from all the other meetings held throughout the year? It is the one meeting for which the spouses also read the book and join in the discussion. (You thought I was going to mention something about dipping our herbs twice – but that is a different story.) Despite the fact that several readers expressed mixed feelings about “Unbroken” by Linda Hillenbrand, I thought it was interesting that this book inspired one of the more spirited discussions we have had at the FMBc plus spouses meetings I have attended. Perhaps readers of this Blog would be interested in some of the opinions expressed at the meeting.
Most of us remarked on how much history we learned from the book about the war in the Pacific, Japanese treatment of prisoners of war, and the vagaries of war. One participant pointed out that the wartime experiences Louie endured all began because one guy flipped the wrong button in a moment of inattention in an airplane. It is often the most seemingly inconsequential things that change everything.
Several commented that the style of the book was more like a long piece of journalism rather than an artfully told story. Others felt that sections of the book were unnecessarily repetitive, particularly the detailed description of Louie’s time in successive Japanese POW camps. Given these comments, some of the group thought it was remarkable that this book is and has been on top of the best-seller list.
One or two readers were almost hostile in their suggestions that the level of detail about the POW camp experiences made them question its authenticity, given the conditions in those camps and Louie’s post-war alcoholism. Perhaps this questioning is the result of so many recent revelations that authors have “faked” or embellished supposedly true stories.
Many of us thought Louie’s religious awakening was difficult to understand and believe. It seemed so out of character and sudden.
One reader pointed out that despite the incredible physical hardships and repeated near starvation that Louie experienced, he lived longer than most of his comrades and substantially longer than an average life expectancy. This suggests that genetics rather than environment may play a larger role in determining longevity.
Finally, there was an interesting discussion about whether each of us would have had the spirit and wherewithal to survive what those soldiers survived. Very few, if any, of those in attendance were confident that they would have lived through it. Perhaps even Louie would not have survived if he had known at the beginning of his ordeal, what fate had in store for him.
Any time a book (or a play or a movie) can generate as much discussion as this one did, it is usually worth experiencing. In the case of Unbroken, my own view is that while you may not “enjoy” every minute of reading it, the experience is worth having on many levels.
Another masterpiece by Ed!
Despite what Ed says, I will be sure not to miss this meeting! Please join us in reading Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand! Sounds good…. doesn’t it!
Hi:
Although logged in as Ann, this is Hal blogging (I have never blogged before). I have started reading Unbroken which, as you know, is the 2011 Couples Book about a WWII airman who crashes in the Pacific. On Friday morning (2/11/11) I saw an article in the Baltimore Sun that tied the subject of the book to current events. Since I assume that many of you did not see the article (given that the Sun has a current readership of about three) I thought I would share it.
The article, titled “World War II airman finally comes home” describes how a local Highlandtown man, Tech. Sgt. Charles A. Bode and a crew of 10 other men, took off from New Guinea in the Pacific on November 20, 1943. They were flying in a B-24 bomber (the same type of aircraft that is described in Unbroken) on a sea search mission (the same type of mission that the protagonist in Unbroken was on when his plane went down). After a routine radio check, the 11 crewmen were never seen or heard from again.
Decades later, the tail of the plane was discovered by villagers in eastern New Guinea sticking up from the rocks in a steep ravine. Further investigation by the U.S. military then found remains which were later identified using DNA techniques. So 67 years after Sgt. Bode was lost, yesterday he was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.
Bode had been 23 years old when he died. He was not married and left no direct descendants. His parents died in 1967 and 1971. His one brother died in 2000. Attending the funeral were nieces and nephews and their children and grandchildren, none of whom had ever known Sgt. Bode because they had all been born after his death. They said they came to the funeral out of respect for their father and because Sgt. Bode was part of their family’s legacy.
As I read Unbroken and this newspaper article, I am struck by how cheap life had become, owing to the exigencies of war. Airman in the Pacific had about a 50% chance of not surviving the war.
Attached is a link to the Sun article as well as a video published today describing the burial ceremony at Arlington yesterday. I look forward to seeing all of you in April.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-bode-burial-20110210,0,2033937.story
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-bode-arlington-burial-20110211,0,7759792.story
Hal
It is that time again! In April we invite our husbands to read along with us. Although it is still month’s away, we like to give the men a head start and chose the book far in advance. We are looking for a book that both men and women will like, not too long, after all we can’t ask too much of the men and that will be a good discussion book. Some of the books we have read in the past are The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Shadow of the Wind, The White Tiger and The Reluctant Fundamentalist. And please…. no vampire cheerleaders! Do you have any suggestions?
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