CharlieWilson'sWarwasapublishingsensationandaNewYorkTimes,WashingtonPost,andLosAngelesTimesbestseller.Intheearly1980s,aHoustonsocialiteturnedtheattentionofmaverickTexascongressmanCharlieWilsontotheraggedbandofAfghan"freedomfighters"whocontinued,despiteoverwhelmingodds,tofighttheSovietinvaders.Wilson,whosatontheall-powerfulHouseAppropriationsCommittee,managedtoprocurehundredsofmillionsofdollarstosupportthemujahideen.Thearmsweresecretlyprocuredanddistributedwiththehelpofanout-of-favorCIAoperative,GustAvrokotos,whoseworking-classGreek-AmericanbackgroundmadehimananomalyamongtheIvyLeagueworldofAmericanspies.AvrakotoshandpickedastaffofCIAoutcaststorunhisoperationand,withtheirhelp,continuallystretchedtheAgency'srulestothebreakingpoint.MovingfromthebackroomsoftheCapitol,tosecretchambersatLangley,toarms-dealers'conventions,totheKhyberPass,thisbookpresentsanastonishingchapterofourrecentpast,andthekeytounderstandingwhathelpedtriggerthesuddencollapseoftheSovietUnionandultimatelyledtotheemergenceofabrand-newfoeintheformofradicalIslam.