By Order of the President cover

By Order of the President

Presidential Agent • Book 1

by W.E.B. Griffin

Narrated by Dick Hill

4.25 ABR Score (12.4K ratings)
★ 4.13 Goodreads (9.7K) ★ 4.38 Audible (2.7K)

Why Listen to This Audiobook?

When the President goes around every agency in Washington to get a straight answer, you know the bureaucratic turf war has gotten truly dangerous.

  • Great if you want: procedural military thriller fans who like insider Washington detail
  • Listening experience: propulsive and dense — Griffin rewards patience with payoff
  • Narration: Dick Hill's clipped authority suits career military characters perfectly
  • Skip if: you find inter-agency procedural friction tedious rather than gripping

Listen to By Order of the President on Audible →

About This Audiobook

Major Carlos Castillo finds himself thrust into a deadly international conspiracy when a Boeing 727 is hijacked from an Angolan airfield under mysterious circumstances. As federal agencies stumble over each other in bureaucratic chaos, the President bypasses traditional channels and assigns this Army intelligence officer turned Homeland Security operative to uncover the truth. Castillo's investigation leads him from Washington's corridors of power to the dangerous landscapes of Africa, where he must navigate a web of allies and enemies while racing against time to prevent a catastrophic terrorist plot.

Dick Hill's commanding narration elevates Griffin's high-stakes thriller with his signature gravitas and precise character work. Hill expertly handles the story's blend of military authenticity and political intrigue, delivering crisp dialogue that distinguishes each character while maintaining the relentless pace essential to the genre. His measured delivery allows listeners to absorb the complex geopolitical elements without losing the pulse-pounding tension that drives Castillo's mission. The audio format particularly enhances the story's cinematic quality, with Hill's performance transforming technical briefings and action sequences into compelling listening that captures both the procedural details and emotional weight of modern counterterrorism operations.