By Order of the President

By: W.E.B. Griffin

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris

Over the years, W.E.B. Griffin's stories of the military and police, told with crackling realism and rich characters, have won him millions of fans and acclaim as "the dean of the American war adventure" (Publishers Weekly). Now he vaults into the present day with a series as exciting as anything he has ever written.

At an airfield in Angola, two men board a leased Boeing 727; then, once it is in the air, slit the pilot's throat and fly to parts unknown. The consternation is immediate, as the CIA, FBI, FAA, and other agencies race to find out what has happened, in the process elbowing each other in the sides a little too vigorously.

Fed up, the President of the United States turns to an outside investigator to determine the truth, an Army intelligence officer serving as special assistant to the Director of Homeland Security. Major Carlos Guillermo Castillo, known as Charley, is the son of a German mother and a Tex-Mex father, a Medal of Honor winner who died in Vietnam. A pilot, West Point graduate, and veteran of Desert Storm and the Special Forces, Castillo has a sharp eye for the facts—and the reality behind the facts. Traveling undercover, he flies to Africa, and there, helped and hindered by unexpected allies and determined enemies, begins to untangle a story of frightening dimensions—a story that, unless he can do something about it, will end very, very badly.

Critic reviews

"Plenty of action, high-level intrigue, interesting characters, flip dialogue, romance, and a whole lot of drinking and other carrying on." (Library Journal)

"Cutting-edge military material." (Publishers Weekly)

Great characters

I've seen the Griffin books for years, but never got around to reading them, so I was excited to see that he finally is featured on Audible. He seems to be able to develop great characters with a lot of depth and interesting backgrounds. Maybe it's the abridgement here, but I would have to agree with the earlier reviewer that the story was pretty predictable.

Typical Griffin

I have enjoyed Mr. Griffin's books close to 20 years, my favorite is "The Corp". However, I think he can make the lingo, i.e. simply stating "Bragg" instead of "Ft. Bragg", when soldiers talk among themselves a little more realistic, (we old soldiers would appreciate that) and, the days of "frocking" are long gone (corporal to general in past stories now city cop to secret service, hhhmmmm). Not as exciting as his past books, with a definite lack of "enlisted heroes" but an enjoyable listen.

Great book...hard to put down.

What made the experience of listening to By Order of the President the most enjoyable?

The twists and turns of the story.

What other book might you compare By Order of the President to and why?

Transfer of Power by Vince Flynn

What aspect of Dennis Boutsikaris’s performance would you have changed?

N/A

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Murder on Capital Hill

Love Griffins style

If you have never listened or read Griffin before then you are missing a great author in my estimation. I love action and adventure and Griffin always has kept me on the edge as it were. His latest is set in more modern times than what his other books have been but he still writes a great story. If you like war stories then seek out more of his books this is just the latest of many great books by this author

Great Griffin!!

I have always liked W.E.B. Griffin's books. I am happy to see them in audible. Would like to see the unabridged editions. Once you get a handle on the characters the books become more fun. His detail and military knowledge are a compelling part of the books. Although the characters are somewhat "super hero", why not? This is what makes the books fun to read. I think this kind of support for our military is just what public the needs to characterize the men and women who fight and die for this country. I hope this is the beginning of a long series of books with these characters.