Play Audiobook Sample
The Tears of Autumn Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.99) - 484 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
Spun with unsettling plausibility from the events surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and featuring secret agent Paul Christopher,The Tears of Autumnis a tour de force of action and enigma.
Christopher, at the height of his powers, believes he knows who arranged the assassination and why. His theory is so destructive of the legend of the dead president, though, and so dangerous to the survival of foreign policy, that he is ordered to desist from investigating. But Christopher is a man who lives by, and for, the truth, and his internal compunctions force him to the heart of the matter.Christopher resigns from the Agency and embarks on a tour of investigation that takes him from Paris to Rome, Zurich, the Congo, and Saigon. Threatened by Kennedy's assassins and by his own government, Christopher follows the scent of his suspicion—one breath behind the truth, one step ahead of discovery and death.
The Tears of Autumnis an incisive study of power and a brilliant commentary on the force of illusion, the grip of superstition, and the overwhelming strength of blood and family in the affairs of a nation.
Download and start listening now!
"This is a plausible story of a possible relationship between the assassinations of the presidents of Vietnam and the US. As a Vietnam combat veteran myself, I appreciated McCarry's insights into the history, values and mindset of the Vietnamese - and the arrogance and ignorance of US political leaders at that time. A good read."
— Bob (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“Fascinating, entirely credible…This political thriller catches the reader and commands him to finish.”
— Peter Benchley, New York Times bestselling author -
“There is no better American spy novelist. It’s like the best parts of ten John le Carré novels all put together.”
— Time -
“Ranks up there with le Carré in a select class of two.”
— Daily Mail (London) -
“McCarry’s masterpiece…would be intriguing even if told in pedestrian prose, but the grace of its writing gives it a special dimension…beautifully written, its conspiracy theory still intrigues and it most assuredly is a classic.”
— Washington Post -
“Charles McCarry…resides in the upper echelon of spy fiction’s Mount Olympus.”
— Boston Globe -
“Possibly the greatest espionage novel ever written and certainly the most compelling effort to unravel the many secrets surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy.”
— Otto Penzler, Edgar Award-winning editor and publisher
The Tears of Autumn Listener Reviews
-
" Enjoyable spy novel. Will look for authors other books. "
— John, 2/13/2014 -
" If you want escape, this will do it. Great spy story. "
— Mom, 2/7/2014 -
" What a great read, positing a Vietnamese plot to kill Kennedy in revenge for the assassination of the Diem's in Saigon 21 days before, in 1963. Really well put together and displaying an insider's knowledge and insight. Very plausible and it really would make a great movie. "
— Steve, 2/6/2014 -
" The first of the Paul Christopher series. Beautifully written. "
— Bill, 1/28/2014 -
" I dug this one. McCarry takes a more minimalist approach than other intrigue writers such as Forsyth. His writing is light but crisp, with edgy, convincing dialogue. Ultimately I got a little lost in the conspiracy, but I almost felt like I was supposed to, and trusted the narrative enough for it to remain plausible. The backstory of Paul Christopher being formerly a published poet was a nice touch too. "
— Dan, 1/23/2014 -
" Good writing, not great. I hear his other books with this character are worth a read "
— Chris, 1/16/2014 -
" I definitely enjoyed this book, the style, the characters. If I read the details of the plot in the newspaper or online, I'd say oh another whacky conspiracy nut. But in this context anything is possible and I had no problem suspending belief. I will read other books by this author. "
— Pat, 1/16/2014 -
" This thriller is a quick read. Try it if you like spy stories. Dated now and not as surprising as when first published. "
— Susan, 12/5/2013 -
" A very early Paul Christopher novel [1974:]. Plot contains one of the many JFK assassination conspiracy theories. Why not? "
— Lou, 10/25/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this book. Premise is that the S. Vietnamese killed JFK in revenge for Diem murder through a Cuban contact, and the Russians killed Oswald through a Mafia contact to protect themselves. An enjoyable romp. "
— Jim, 5/30/2013 -
" As spy novels go, only The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is better. "
— Tom, 5/5/2013 -
" I enjoyed this book, but I thought the plot was a little hackneyed. However, if I read this book in 1975 when it was published I probably would have thought the plot was intriguing. McCarry is a talented writer and I will definitely give some of his other titles a chance. "
— Drew, 3/17/2013 -
" This was not a fast paced thriller but an excellently written spy novel that was filled with tension throughout and had one of the better fictional explanations for the JFK assassination. Listened to the audio version read by Stefan Rudnicki "
— Sandi, 1/7/2013 -
" This is a strong spy novel of the cold war period. McCarry does a good job bringing the situation in Vietnam in the early 60's into focus and plays with the JFK myth in a fun way. "
— Ajj, 4/10/2012 -
" An intelligently written spy novel, can't say that too often. At times I felt like I was reading Hemingway, both stylistically and pace-wise. Fun, and not dumb-downed read for the conspiracy theorists out there. "
— Simon, 1/17/2012 -
" Liked it. Intriguing view of the JFK assassination, written in the 70s. Plausible set-up and structure, very detailed. "
— Rod, 12/11/2011 -
" were the Chinese behind JFK assassination? "
— Ruth, 10/25/2011 -
" This is a strong spy novel of the cold war period. McCarry does a good job bringing the situation in Vietnam in the early 60's into focus and plays with the JFK myth in a fun way. "
— Ajj, 1/6/2011 -
" Liked it. Intriguing view of the JFK assassination, written in the 70s. Plausible set-up and structure, very detailed. "
— Rod, 10/6/2010 -
" This is McCarry's first novel and it had me from the beginning. Nicely paced. "
— Mark, 9/2/2010 -
" Tears of Autumn: A Paul Christopher Novel (Paul Christopher Novels) by Charles McCarry (2007) "
— Kevin, 7/28/2010 -
" An intelligently written spy novel, can't say that too often. At times I felt like I was reading Hemingway, both stylistically and pace-wise. Fun, and not dumb-downed read for the conspiracy theorists out there. "
— Simon, 6/7/2010 -
" Contains one of the most fascinating -- and somewhat plausible-- JFK assasination theories that I've ever run across. One of the best spy novels, by someone other than Le Carre. "
— Steve, 3/19/2010 -
" A very early Paul Christopher novel [1974:]. Plot contains one of the many JFK assassination conspiracy theories. Why not? "
— Lou, 3/14/2010 -
" A very good spy novel, set during the end of 1963. Even though there's not much action, the story is very compelling and the writing more than a cut above. The story and characters feel very grounded, though that may be partially because McCarry bases the story around actual events. <br/> <br/> "
— Ben, 2/7/2010 -
" One of my favourite authors writes another breathtaking novel featuring secret agent Paul Christopher. "
— Michelle, 1/12/2010 -
" Good writing, not great. I hear his other books with this character are worth a read "
— Chris, 12/12/2009
About Charles McCarry
Charles McCarry is the author of ten critically acclaimed novels and nine nonfiction books. He is a former editor-at-large of National Geographic and has contributed dozens of articles, short stories, and poems to leading national magazines. His op-ed pieces and other essays have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. For ten years he served under deep cover as a CIA operations officer.
About Stefan Rudnicki
Stefan Rudnicki first became involved with audiobooks in 1994. Now a Grammy-winning audiobook producer, he has worked on more than five thousand audiobooks as a narrator, writer, producer, or director. He has narrated more than nine hundred audiobooks. A recipient of multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards, he was presented the coveted Audie Award for solo narration in 2005, 2007, and 2014, and was named one of AudioFile’s Golden Voices in 2012.