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Hard Measures
- How Aggressive CIA Actions After 9-11 Saved American Lives
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
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Publisher's summary
From a top-level operative in the counterterrorism unit of the CIA comes an explosive memoir about the behind-the-scenes fight against Al Qaeda after September 11.
Since the death of Osama Bin Laden, interest in counterterrorism is at an all-time high. Most people don’t know that Bin Laden’s death was the culmination of years of covert operations and tactics largely overseen by Jose Rodriguez from 2001 to late 2007 and built on by his successors.
Like a real-life Jack Bauer from television’s 24, Rodriguez’s sometimes controversial tenure as Chief of the Agency’s Counterterrorism Center involved CIA officers capturing and detaining key senior Al Qaeda operatives and implementing Enhanced Interrogation Techniques, tools which were an integral part of the War on Terror but are no longer available to those fighting America's fiercest foes.
Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Columbia, Bolivia, and the Dominican Republic, Rodriguez shares his unlikely journey from law school student to CIA recruit and finally, at the end of a 31-year career, to being America’s top spy. Rodriguez sparked controversy and a three-year investigation by his decision to order the destruction of videotapes showing CIA officers conducting harsh, but what he describes as “legal, necessary, and effective interrogation[s]”.
Riveting and timely, Hard Measures also examines how the current political climate and resulting policies have negatively impacted the CIA’s efficiency - even taking away the mechanisms that made feats like the successful Bin Laden operation possible.
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Kiss the Boys Goodbye convincingly shows that a legacy of shame remains from America’s ill-fated involvement in Vietnam even though that conflict ended over 35 years ago. Until US government policy on POW/MIAs changes, it remains one of the most crucial issues for any American soldier who fights for home and country, particularly when we are engaged with an enemy who doesn't adhere to the international standards for the treatment of prisoners - or any American hostage...
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God Grant Them Peace
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500 Days
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- Narrated by: Holter Graham
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In 500 Days, master chronicler Kurt Eichenwald lays bare the harrowing decisions, deceptions, and delusions of the eighteen months that changed the world forever, as leaders raced to protect their citizens in the wake of 9/11. Eichenwald's gripping, immediate style and true-to-life dialogue puts readers at the heart of these historic events, from the Oval Office to Number 10 Downing Street, from Guantanamo Bay to the depths of CIA headquarters, from the al Qaeda training camps to the torture chambers of Egypt and Syria.
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Gory Details of Torture, Not An Unbiased History
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The Finish
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From Mark Bowden, internationally best-selling and acclaimed author of Black Hawk Down and the preeminent chronicler of the actions of our military and special forces writing today, comes an intensely gripping account of the hunt for and elimination of Osama bin Laden. With unprecedented access to key sources and his great gift for storytelling, Bowden takes us inside the rooms where decisions were made and on the ground where the action unfolded.
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Listen to No Easy Day...much better
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The Watchers
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Our surveillance state was born in the brain of Admiral John Poindexter in 1983. Poindexter, President Ronald Reagan's national security adviser, realized that the United States might have prevented the terrorist massacre of 241 Marines in Beirut if only intelligence agencies had been able to analyze in real time data they had on the attackers. Poindexter poured government know-how and funds into his dream---a system that would sift reams of data for signs of terrorist activity.
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Important context for privacy debate
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The Skripal Files is a remarkable and definitive account of Sergei Skripal’s story, which lays bare the new spy war between Russia and the West. Mark Urban, the diplomatic and defense editor for the BBC, met with Skripal in the months before his poisoning, learning about his career in Russian military intelligence, how he became a British agent, his imprisonment in Russia, and the events that led to his release. Skripal’s first-hand accounts and experiences reveal the high stakes of a new spy game that harks back to the chilliest days of the Cold War.
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Facinating story and very relevant
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Ever since 9/11 America has fought an endless war on terror, seeking enemies everywhere and never promising peace. In Pay Any Price, James Risen reveals an extraordinary litany of the hidden costs of that war: from squandered and stolen dollars, to outrageous abuses of power, to wars on normalcy, decency, and truth. In the name of fighting terrorism, our government has done things every bit as shameful as its historic wartime abuses - and until this audiobook, it has worked very hard to cover them up.
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If you care about our liberties, read this book.
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Destiny Betrayed, Second Edition
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Hubris
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From the author of the New York Times best-selling Holy War, Inc., this is the definitive account of the decade-long manhunt for the world’s most wanted man, Osama bin Laden. Al Qaeda expert and CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen paints a multidimensional picture of the hunt for bin Laden over the past decade, including the operation that killed him.
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DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!
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The Ghost
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In The Ghost, investigative reporter Jefferson Morley tells Angleton's dramatic story, from his friendship with the poet Ezra Pound through the underground gay milieu of mid-century Washington to the Kennedy assassination to the Watergate scandal. From the agency's MKULTRA mind-control experiments to the wars of the Mideast, Angleton wielded far more power than anyone knew.
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Flawed Superpatriot
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What listeners say about Hard Measures
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Matt
- 09-17-12
Great perspective, glad I listened…
I enjoyed this first hand perspective; especially describing the weeks and months immediately following 9/11. The sad truth is, this is one of many examples where both political parties are guilty of demagoguery purely for political gain and/or damage to their opponents; without the slightest bit of concern for what is in the best interest of the United States. There is no doubt in my mind that Mr. Rodriguez is a patriot and should be treated as such. That being said, there were certain parts of the book that came across to me as perhaps he was taking too much credit for himself, however after going through what he has been through, I can’t say that I blame him.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Michael D. Busch
- 06-11-12
Excellent, Gripping, Can't-Put-It-Down "Read"!
What made the experience of listening to Hard Measures the most enjoyable?
A unique inside story by the person at the sharp end of the CIA's covert intelligence spear.
What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?
The struggles between the agency operatives dedicated to their work and the bureaucrats who were more interested in covering their asses.
What does Sean Pratt bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
The narrator was quite good, but I with the author had read it himself. There was a bit of cognitive dissonance because the narrator didn't have the Hispanic accent of the author. Small point, though.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Absolutely!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Bobby Ackerman
- 02-22-17
A true national hero.
Mr. Rodriguez, by all accounts you are a true hero in the hearts and minds of those of us that follow history and understand the bigger picture. It is a shame that a small segment of the machinery seems to always work in a self interest and ego-driven manner. It is despicable that you and others (blue and green badges) had to endure such experiences upon acting with integrity, and by the book. Pa' alante mi hermano.
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- Jeff Wander
- 06-13-19
Mr. Rodriguez is truly an American hero.
The truth about enhanced interrogation is told by the man in charge. A great look at a terrible time in our history.
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-01-20
A MAN OF COURAGE
For over seventy years I’ve watched the politicians play with the lives of heroes such as Jose A. Rodriguez. As always, when politicians like Nancy Pelosi have a chance to undermine the heroic actions of those who risk their own lives, she and others like her have no shame. Nancy Pelosi and others like her are soulless cowards who stand on the necks of brave men like Officer Rodriguez for a few minutes on CNN.
I applaud Jose A. Rodriguez for his actions and highly recommend this book.
May God bless Jose A. Rodriguez and others like him who have the courage to lead, while the politicians sit in their heads in the sand of fools.
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- Elton
- 08-13-12
Truth beyond media and politics
What made the experience of listening to Hard Measures the most enjoyable?
The book was well written.
What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?
How the slanted news media twisted truth to further their discrediting of G. W. Bush.
What about Sean Pratt’s performance did you like?
He spoke very well making the book more enjoyable and presented the author in a personal light.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
No. It did make me frustrated at how politics and the news media work to paint a patriot in the most negative light by using lies. Truth is not what they are about. We really can't believe anything they say because it is filter through their politically slanted pen.
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3 people found this helpful
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- david
- 06-11-12
Intense & Powerful Peek Behind The Curtain
What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?
It was amazing story of how an ordinary little boy became the nation's top spy master and his journey to protecting the American people after 9-11. Mr Rodriguez bravely took the fight right to the terrorists front door and gives a peek behind the CIA's curtain. Its about an ordinary man who is tasked with an extraordinary responsibility -
Which character – as performed by Sean Pratt – was your favorite?
Mr. Pratt did an excellent job to bring depth and personality to all of the players
What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?
That it is possible to be a terrorist-hunting super-hero by day, and still host dinner parties and do the whole family thing on nights and weekends. - Amazing!
like all government agencies - its run by bureaucratic people who put covering their own butts ahead of whats best for the people of the United States - which Mr. Rodriguez had to navigate while still keeping the focus on getting the terrorists off the battle field. (its like walking a high-wire without a net- and being forced to juggle bureaucratic chain-saws)
Without Mr. Rodriguez the US would have had several more terrorists attacks on its soil.
Every person in the country would buy this guy a beer if they knew his story.
Any additional comments?
I have recommended this book to all of my family and friends.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Frank
- 05-28-12
Insiders view of harsh interrogations
What made the experience of listening to Hard Measures the most enjoyable?
Great insight on the debate and internal and external battles fought over the detention and interrogation of terrorists.
What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?
The author's unapologetic defense of the actions of the CIA and his disdain for those individuals who tried to hide from their decisions or tried to take advantage of the controversy to promote their own agenda.
What three words best describe Sean Pratt’s performance?
Even
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
No
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Frank
- 05-17-16
Great book
loved the Insight from someone that was there found it hard to put it down.
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- Jack Daniels
- 12-09-14
A must read for those who have questions
Rodriguez takes us through his career with the Central Intelligence Agency. A career that included that period of time surrounding September 11, 2001.
In this book you will learn exactly how many were water boarded, who was water boarded and what was gained from it. He also tells us in, no uncertain terms, why enhanced interrogation is needed in this day and age.
This book is a must listen for those who still think war and espionage must be played by the Marquess of Queensberry rules. You will come away with a harsh does of the reality the United States and the rest of the world face today.
This one will hold your interest and it makes the miles go by fast.
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