The Afghan

Excellent. As always F. Forsyth does it again. Intriguing. You just can't stop reading this great novel. And as usual you end learning something about a forging country. It's a must.

Frederick Forsyth has crafted a compelling novel that is as real as today's headlines and painstakingly accurate in it's depiction of the War on Terror, both past and present. It should be required reading for anyone who doubts that we are really at war or that our way of life is truly threatened by Muslim extremists. The story line has been detailed by others and need not be repeated here. Suffice it to say that I found it to be one of the most important books I have read in some time and I cannot recommend it strongly enough.

If we are not fearful enough, than Fredrick Forsyth reminds us that the terrorists have the money, the skills and, most importantly, the patience needed to meticulously plan horrific acts designed to destroy our open societies. Although more of a history lesson than the traditional thriller, The Afghan shines in its plausible plot, in details and suspense. When the British and the American intelligent services learn of a plot known only as Al-Isra (the enlightenment of Mohammad), they conceive of a daring plan to infiltrate Al-Qaeda. They recruit the recently retired Col Mike Martin (of the superb Fist of God) to impersonate Izmat Khan, an Afghan Taliban commander. From Afghanistan of the 1980s to the Saudi-financed maddarasses in Pakistan where young men are brainwashed into hatred, Forsyth trails the rise of the Islamic terror groups. Still the master of the spy genre, Forsyth has the exceptional ability to transform dry data into an engaging story. Chilling.

The story of The Afghan, which is about how a retired SAS officer infiltrates Al Qaeda, is a heart stopping thriller by the master of thrillers, worthy of the man who gave us Day of the Jackal and Dogs of War. The book is well researched and the information it contains about the historical roots of the current war and the inner workings of Al Qaeda is worth the price of admission.

Riveting from beginning to end even if the incident with the F-15's engine stretches your sense of credulity, it really was the only way - short of an earthquake or volcanic eruption - to provide the novel's name sake a way to escape. Forsyth has the timing, technology, territory and character traits down. These are the real 4Ts of his thrillers. Every incident has to be believable while continuing to move time forward - even the obligatory UCU (Google or Wikipedia James Jesus Angleton). The technology from the sniper rifle - much improved since "The Day of the Jackal" - to the LPG tanker is spot on. From the Cascade Mountains of Washington State to the Celebes, from the Hampshire countryside to Tora Bora, Forsyth really puts you into the territory. People, people, people - the characters have fully developed and studied traits. They have a dimensionality about them beyond the typical thriller cardboard cut outs. From sea captains to special forces captains, from Islamic extremists to government toadies, they are all believable within the context of the book. [...].