IBH

The author should stick to writing

Revisado: 03-16-25

The written version of the book is packed with fascinating well-researched information about the history of allied intelligence. Some of the information is well reported elsewhere, but a lot of it was new to me. It’s a bit dry but worth the effort. But the audio version is almost un-listenable. It needs a professional reader. The author’s voice is monotone and flat he constantly pauses in weird spots. Sometimes his words string together so badly I had to listen 3 or 4 times to figure out what he said. Also it’s awkward when line after line is quotes and he says quote…unquote after dozens of lines on the same page.

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A step up from a romance novel

Revisado: 12-12-23

Interesting idea, but very unsubtle. Author hits you over the head with her views. I found the dialogue wooden, although I loved the dog. The story had potential, but I found the writing subpar and never really felt anything for the characters.

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Not a good narration.

Revisado: 07-22-20

This is a fascinating and dense book. I tried listening to it, but the narration makes it hard to follow the complexities. I was constantly rewinding to understand key issues. Finally I gave up and read the kindle version. Much. Much. Much. Better

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Haunting

Revisado: 07-14-19

I didn’t know much about Holbrooke, I’m too young to have known of him in Vietnam, and while I recall hearing about him frequently on the news about Bosnia and Pakistan after that, I never really understood who he was. That’s kind of the story the book and of Holbrooke, a man who wanted greatness, but fell short. After listening to this book, I feel that those blanks in my education have been corrected.

Packer is harsh in some ways, making it difficult to understand how Holbrooke did as well as he did, and yet it’s a sympathetic portrait too.

In the end it left me unsettled; many of us fail to achieve all our goals, but few have goals as lofty as Holbrooke. I’m not sure if that says more about him, or the rest of us.

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Enlightening

Revisado: 04-24-18

Would you consider the audio edition of A Higher Loyalty to be better than the print version?

Yes. Hearing the story in Comey’s voice added to the enjoyment and understanding.

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

No. While it was fascinating, it was so full of interesting stories that I wanted to think about each chapter.

Any additional comments?

I was ambivalent about Comey before I read this and still think that he should have issued a written report to Lynch for her to disclose. But, I now understand why he did what he did. I actually found the first 3/4 of the book, which covers the preTrump era, most interesting and compelling. It tells the story of a man to whom doing the right thing is paramount. The story shows that sometimes the right thing leads to unforeseen consequences. But, I’d rather have a man who tries to be honorable and tries to do the right thing over what we have in government now. It’s nice to know that honor still matters to many.

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