Charlie Wilson's War was a publishing sensation and a New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times bestseller. In the early 1980s, a Houston socialite turned the attention of maverick Texas congressman Charlie Wilson to the ragged band of Afghan "freedom fighters" who continued, despite overwhelming odds, to fight the Soviet invaders. Wilson, who sat on the all-powerful House Appropriations Committee, managed to procure hundreds of millions of dollars to support the mujahideen. The arms were secretly procured and distributed with the help of an out-of-favor CIA operative, Gust Avrokotos, whose working-class Greek-American background made him an anomaly among the Ivy League world of American spies. Avrakotos handpicked a staff of CIA outcasts to run his operation and, with their help, continually stretched the Agency's rules to the breaking point. Moving from the back rooms of the Capitol, to secret chambers at Langley, to arms-dealers' conventions, to the Khyber Pass, this book presents an astonishing chapter of our recent past, and the key to understanding what helped trigger the sudden collapse of the Soviet Union and ultimately led to the emergence of a brand-new foe in the form of radical Islam.
George Crile III Books
George Crile was an American journalist and television producer renowned for his bold investigations into controversial subjects. Throughout his three-decade career, primarily with CBS News, he specialized in uncovering complex and often dangerous truths. His work was characterized by a deep investigative approach and a drive to expose reality, even at the risk of criticism and dispute. Crile was unafraid to confront powerful institutions, and his documentaries frequently sparked heated debates on significant societal and political issues.
Soukromá válka pana Wilsona je pravdivým příběhem, v němž texaský kongresman a agent CIA společně naplánovali a uskutečnili největší a nejúspěšnější operaci CIA v historii studené války. Jednalo se o financování afghánských mudžahedínů v boji proti sovětské armádě, která vtrhla do jejich země. Tento strhující příběh poslední bitvy studené války je stále ještě neznámou stránkou naší nedávné minulosti. Nabízí rovněž klíč k porozumění dvěma nejdůležitějším událostem moderních dějin – náhlého zhroucení Sovětského svazu a sílící moci militantního islámu.