A stunning narrative account of the mysterious Jordanian who penetrated both the inner circle of al-Qaeda and the highest reaches of the CIA, with a devastating impact on the war on terror.
In December 2009, a group of the CIA's top terrorist hunters gathered at a secret base in Khost, Afghanistan, to greet a rising superspy: Humam Khalil al-Balawi, a Jordanian double-agent who infiltrated the upper ranks of al-Qaeda. For months, he had sent shocking revelations from inside the terrorist network and now promised to help the CIA assassinate Osama bin Laden's top deputy. Instead, as he stepped from his car, he detonated a thirty-pound bomb strapped to his chest, instantly killing seven CIA operatives, the agency's worst loss of life in decades.
In "The Triple Agent," Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Joby Warrick takes us deep inside the CIA's secret war against al-Qaeda, a war that pits robotic planes and laser-guided missiles against a cunning enemy intent on unleashing carnage in American cities. Flitting precariously between the two sides was Balawi, a young man with extraordinary gifts who managed to win the confidence of hardened terrorists as well as veteran spymasters. With his breathtaking accounts from inside al-Qaeda's lair, Balawi appeared poised to become America's greatest double-agent in half a century--but he was not at all what he seemed. Combining the powerful momentum of "Black Hawk Down" with the institutional insight of Jane Mayer's "The Dark Side," Warrick takes the readers on a harrowing journey from the slums of Amman to the inner chambers of the White House in an untold true story of miscalculation, deception, and revenge.

Reviews

Praise for "The Triple Agent"
"Absolutely first-rate, breakthrough reporting."
--Bob Woodward, author of "Obama's Wars
"
""The Triple Agent" is a superlative piece of reporting and writing. Joby Warrick manages to take the reader inside the CIA, Jordanian intelligence, and al-Qaeda. His intimate portraits of intelligence officers and the terrorists they stalk are unforgettable. "The Triple Agent" is one of the best true-life spy stories I have ever read."
--David Ignatius, columnist for the" Washington Post" and author of "Bloodmoney
"
"A startling and memorable account of daring, treachery, and catastrophe in the CIA's war against al-Qaeda. The deadly buzz of unmanned drones, the fanatical drive of a suicide bomber, and the desperate hopes of the intelligence agents at outpost Khost are drawn together in a powerful and fast-paced story of our time."
--David E. Hoffman, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Dead Hand
"
""The Triple Agent" is by turns h

In December 2009, members of al-Qaeda infiltrated the CIA's Forward Operating Base Chapman in Afghanistan and succeeded in killing seven agency operatives. Warrick explores the events surrounding this infamous suicide bombing and analyzes American intelligence failures leading up to the attack. With clear, smooth narration that is never histrionic, Sunil Malhotra complements both the author's approach and his style. Malhotra's pronunciation of Middle Eastern names-as well as his transition between English and regional languages-is consistently flawless. He creates an impressive range of distinct voices and regional accents for the book's characters. And his energetic narration not only captures the tension of suspenseful scenes but maintains listener attention during moments of exposition and analysis. A Doubleday hardcover. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.