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  • American Assassin

  • Written by: Vince Flynn
  • Narrated by: George Guidall
  • Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (104 ratings)

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American Assassin

Written by: Vince Flynn
Narrated by: George Guidall
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Publisher's Summary

Before he was considered a CIA superagent, before he was thought of as a terrorist's worst nightmare, and before he was both loathed and admired by the politicians on Capitol Hill, Mitch Rapp was a gifted college athlete without a care in the world...and then tragedy struck.

Two decades of cutthroat partisan politics has left the CIA and the country in an increasingly vulnerable position. Cold War veteran and CIA operations director Thomas Stansfield knows he must prepare his people for the next war. The rise of Islamic terrorism is coming, and it needs to be met abroad before it reaches America's shores. Stansfield directs his protégé, Irene Kennedy, and his old Cold War colleague Stan Hurley to form a new group of clandestine operatives who will work outside the normal chain of command - men who do not exist.

What type of man is willing to kill for his country without putting on a uniform? Kennedy finds him in the wake of the Pan Am Lockerbie terrorist attack. Two-hundred and seventy souls perished that cold December night, and thousands of family and friends were left searching for comfort. Mitch Rapp was one of them, but he was not interested in comfort. He wanted retribution.

Six months of intense training has prepared him to bring the war to the enemy's doorstep, and he does so with brutal efficiency. Rapp starts in Istanbul, where he assassinates the Turkish arms dealer who sold the explosives used in the Pan Am attack. Rapp then moves on to Hamburg with his team and across Europe, leaving a trail of bodies. All roads lead to Beirut, though, and what Rapp doesn't know is that the enemy is aware of his existence and has prepared a trap. The hunter is about to become the hunted, and Rapp will need every ounce of skill and cunning if he is to survive the war-ravaged city and its various terrorist factions.

Includes the first chapter from Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills' latest thriller, Enemy of the State!

©2010 Vince Flynn (P)2010 Simon and Schuster Audio

What listeners say about American Assassin

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

better then the movie

Loved the book! The character Mitch Rapp is like a young John Maclean. Better then the movie!! #Audible1

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A Solid Origin/Background Adventure

I have never been exposed to this character before (having never read a Mitch Rapp novel or seen a film, this was my first experience with Vince Flynn). This novel was written late in the series as a retrospective look at the motivation, recruitment, training, and first mission for Flynn's iconic CIA assassin (it reminded me of Clancy's 'Without Remorse' - written to enrich the John Clark character).
Flynn follows Mitch Rapp from College (as a Nationally-ranked Lacrosse player no less.. admittedly odd qualifications for a Covert Operator) - to CIA training - to the Middle East on the hunt for the ones responsible for a terrorist bombing that killed his girlfriend. Along the way, hand-to-hand combat and gun battles abound, while villainous bad guys plot to unleash death on the CIA Agent and the unsuspecting public. Doubtless, existing fans of the character will get much more from the novel than a newbie like me.. but I very much enjoyed it.
As an example of adrenaline-fuelled entertainment in the Action-Thriller genre, 'American Assassin' is above-average. Flynn's characters are cartoonish but realistic, the plot is unoriginal but engrossing, and the combat sequences are scripted but vividly described. I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

The narration from George Guidall is professional (I would characterize it as "adequate").. easy to consume for hours (this audiobook would be great for a long drive); exhibiting admirable tone/timbre/cadence; and demonstrating passable voice-acting (accents are largely delivered realistically). Less fortunately, Guidall's rate of reading is a bit slow - but I listened at 1.15X speed to satisfactory effect. Simon & Schuster Audio selected the reader nicely.

Overall, I judge this a "very good" Action-Thriller.. meriting 8.5 stars out of 10. If you're a fan of Vince Flynn, this book will certainly satisfy. If, like me, you're a casual fan of the genre: the writing is inferior to Ludlum or Clancy, but is slightly better than what Mars or Hurwitz offer, and is far better than Greaney or Child. It's worth the Credit.

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Better than the movie

The movie was good. The audio book was better.
I enjoyed the listen. The narrators voice gently lulled me to sleep a few times in a good way. But was peppy enough for listening at any time.

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Great and Different Story!

I have to admit I was drawn to this book after watching the movie. And as always the book is always better!!! This book was so well written it kept you always interested and excited. The author really knew and planned who his main character was and it showed. I will be checking out more from this series for sure.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Loving Audible

I'm loving the Audible app - it has become my new addiction - working, walking the dog, working out, running, I always have Audbile on. I have recommended it to my friends and family every chance I can get. I love reading books, but with Audible, I can supplement my reading with a couple of audio books a week as well. There is so much content that I can enjoy a good fiction novel or self-improvement book based on my mood. I enjoy the narrators and how they change their voices for different characters or when there are multiple narrators. 10/10 #Audible1

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