The Triple Agent

The al-Qaeda Mole who Infiltrated the CIA

By: Joby Warrick

Narrated by: Sunil Malhotra

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.

Absolutely engrossing!

The story doesn't lag at all and moves very quickly without missing any important details. I learned a lot about how the CIA operates in the middle East. I wouldn't want to be a spy, you never know who you can trust.

Captivating Story

Would you consider the audio edition of The Triple Agent to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version, but the narriater of ths book brought the story to life. He captured my attention completely.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Humam Khalil al-Balawi, the main character was extremely crafty and difficult for his handlers to understand.

What about Sunil Malhotra’s performance did you like?

Sunil Malhotra has an excellent reading voice and adds emotion to his reading of the story.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I think that books of this nature cannot be captured in film successfully

Any additional comments?

After listening to the first few chapters, I found that the story was so complex that I returned to the beginning to hear it again. I was very happy that I did as I subsiquently was able to follow the entire tale.

fantastically written and narrated.

I've read and researched every book written on intelligence in the middle east and this one of the best on the topic. This is a story which everyone needs to read, to understand the sacrifices and tough decisions that our intelligence agents make everyday.

Accurate, well-written and informative.

Accurate, well-written and informative account of Camp Chapman attack, minus the ignorant, partisan opinions that too often accompany this sort of book. Well done.

Excellent book

Great insight into modern history. Narrator also did an excellent job. If you want keen insight into major events in the war on terror and to better understand the real sacrifice some are making, then this book is a must read.