The Company cover art

The Company

A Novel of the CIA

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The Company

By: Robert Littell
Narrated by: Scott Brick
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About this listen

Crisis constantly lurks around the corner, monitored by spies who are always with us. In his career-capping thirteenth novel, master of the espionage thriller Robert Littell has crafted a breathtaking story of the legendary CIA - "The Company" to insiders. At its heart lies a spectacular mole hunt involving the CIA, MI6, KGB and Mossad - a stunningly conceived trip down the rabbit hole to the labyrinthine Alice-in-Wonderland world of espionage, "a wood where things have no names."

Racing across a landscape spanning the legendary Berlin Base of the 1950s - the front line of the simmering Cold War - the Soviet invasion of Hungary, the Bay of Pigs, Afghanistan, and the Gorbachev putsch, The Company tells the thrilling story of agents imprisoned in double lives, fighting an enemy that is amoral, elusive, and formidable. It also lays bare the internecine warfare within the company itself, adding another dimension to the spy vs. spy game.

©2013 Robert Littell (P)2013 Phoenix Audio
Espionage Exciting Fiction Heartfelt Scary Military War Imperialism Hungary Cold War Warfare Holocaust
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Critic reviews

"If Robert Littell didn't invent the American spy novel, he should have." (Tom Clancy, author of Patriot Games)"If le Carre is the Joyce of spy novelists, Littell is the Dickens." ( Booklist, starred review)
"An epic tale...peopled by heroes and villains who seem almost mythological in retrospect...Keeps you riveted to the page." (Nelson DeMille, author of Up Country)
"Destined to become the definitive novel about the CIA." ( Amazon.com)
"This mammoth audiobook is a sprawling engrossing fictionalized history of the CIA and Cold War era." ( Library Journal)

What listeners say about The Company

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A great ride

What made the experience of listening to The Company the most enjoyable?

Very good story, far better than our own Le Carre

What other book might you compare The Company to, and why?

Any Le Carre or similar

What does Scott Brick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Great consistency over such a long narration

Any additional comments?

Good book, well worth the time to listen

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1 person found this helpful

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Superb Listen

What made the experience of listening to The Company the most enjoyable?

Well constructed story with interlocking characters working within sub plots

What did you like best about this story?

The background behind the history of events many of us lived through

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favourite?

Angleton, for his tenacity.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, the overall length precluded this.

Any additional comments?

An ideal listen for regular long trips in the car. made the M25 bearable

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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The absolute best

I’ve lived in my mind’s eye with the characters through the decades covered in this outstanding novel. I wept at the end when I had to say farewell. Thankyou to the author & the narrator .

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Outstanding narration, a compelling "true" story

Not having read the book, having only listened to the Audible version, I'm not sure how the Russian and other languages might slow the flow. However this audio version was truly excellent and kept me engaged through some of the most scary true events since my childhood in the 1950's up to Putin's imminent arrival.

Neat red threads hold it together as a single timeline but the discrete stories along the way work equally well.

It's a long one for sure, the physical book must be able to double as a door stop!

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A different genre

So I’m a big sci-fi and fantasy reader/listener but felt the need to broaden my horizons as everything was getting a bit samey. This was my first venture into a completely different genre and I loved it!

The story was excellent, the characters interesting and their development smooth and well transitioned from decade to decade.

The narration was good, with appropriate accents and differences between characters.

Overall, a really interesting and enjoyable listen.

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What a book! What a story!

Was intimidated by the sheer size of this but was gripped all the way through. Fun being reminded of various events from 1950’s to the mid 90’s. An excellent story and superbly read.

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Astonishingly good

Hadn’t read any Littel before. Now I’m going to read them all. Great plotting and dialogue.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Exceptional

Fantastic book and fantastic delivery from SB. 40 hours was not enough. I still wanted more when it was done.

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Gripping page turner

Took a while for the story to get going and to get used to the characters.
When I got into it I didn't want to put the book down.
Realistic, empathetic and myriad twists and turns.
Would heartily recommend it.

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The Company - Fantastic Read!

Don't be daunted by the length of this book as it breaks nicely into sections/time capsules. I'm usually a fan of crime thrillers but I'll try anything that grabs my attention and then manages to hold it. Littell's style and Scott Brick's performance proved to be a perfect match.

I was first attracted to Robert Littell after watching the TV series Legends on Netflix. My husband and I gulped it down in three evenings. I decided to see what was available by this author on Audible. Seeing the length of the book I was put off but thought what the heck if it doesn't measure up I can return it. I found myself riveted. At several points I went online to see how close the book followed recorded history, especially the Bay of Pigs and the Gorbachev/Yeltsin era. Except for the names of the fictional characters, the book closely followed actual events.

Give this book a try even if it's not you're usual genre. The Company has taken me off into a whole new genre. Can't wait to read more from this author!

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7 people found this helpful