A war hero and the recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, Sergeant Raymond Shaw is keeping a deadly secret — even from himself. During his time as a prisoner of war in North Korea, he was brainwashed by his Communist captors and transformed into a deadly weapon — a sleeper assassin, programmed to kill without question or mercy at his captors’ signal. Now he’s been returned to the United … United States with a covert mission: to kill a candidate for US President.
Shaw’s former commanding officer, Major Bennett Marco, is the only one who knows his secret. And he must untangle a complex thread of lies, betrayal, and murder to uncover the truth of a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top of the US government — before it’s too late. This compelling military psychological thriller is the basis for the 1962 adaptation starring Frank Sinatra and Angela Lansbury — and it will have you on the edge of your seat until the end.
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Very original and I’ve heard based on some real and specialized knowledge of programming and brainwashing. This story spurred the imagination of thousands of people throughout the Cold War and beyond, and suggests MK Ultra covert ops. Not to mention it was the basis of a fantastic movie starring Frank Sinatra!
A wise man (probably me) once said, “Beware of the man who wears his religion or his patriotism on his sleeve, for he’s hiding something.” In The Manchurian Candidate, author Richard Condon said the same thing, only in many more words. And wonderful words they are.
The plot to The Manchurian Candidate is well known. Not only was it a best-selling …
So much for a free book you shitheads…now you’ve got my email address. BookBub is more like BookButtheads
A classic spy thriller for a reason.
A hapless, mother-controlled cynic is found to be brainwashable enough to become a Communist-controlled assassin.
Balanced beautifully between thriller and satire. If Douglas Adams had written thrillers or Kurt Vonnegut could slow down and plot commercial fiction for five minutes. A great ending to boot.
A masterpiece of suspense and political satire, this is a must-read for thriller fans.
A great read. A classic
Most of this author’s books are comedies. The Manchurian Candidate and The Whisper of the Axe are political conspiracies. I prefer his comedies, but all of his books are well written and entertaining.