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Plot
Mitch Rapp is a college lacrosse star at Syracuse University. He is a world-class athlete on a full scholarship who is majoring in international business and minoring in French. On December 21, 1988, Pan Am flight 103 was bombed over Lockerbie, Scotland. Thirty-seven students from Syracuse University died, including members of Mitch Rapp’s lacrosse team and his long-term girlfriend. Naturally, Mitch is furious. He desperately wants to get revenge on the terrorists who orchestrated the attack on the plane. Immediately after graduating from college, Rapp enrolls in the CIA’s underground counter terrorism unit, the Orion Team. The job of this branch of the CIA is to find and destroy terrorists and those who aid them, and do it without being found, caught, or traced back to America. Irene Kennedy leads this team, and she sees his stats, readings, and testings off the chart. She wants to use his abilities for her group. Irene recruits him and delivers him to the elite training camp, with six trainees and three trainers. Stan Hurley, an ex-operative, is waiting for him at the old ranch in rural Virginia. Hurley immediately interrogates Kennedy about her decision to bring an untested and inexperienced “college puke” into this demanding field of work. The rough, old trainer finally grudgingly agrees with Irene and gives Rapp a chance. Right after Kennedy departs, Rapp is exposed to the training. Hurley, a cunning and experienced man, doubts Mitch. Rapp wants to prove himself. He challenges Hurley to a wrestling match. Hurley has never lost, and Rapp has had one month of “strip-mall” Brazilian jiu jitsu training. Mitch wins, easily, and the only way Stan can get up from the mat is by crushing Rapp’s testicles in his fist. This event sparks Mitch’s slow progression to equal and undoubted by the others.

After months of rigorous training, Rapp is the only recruit who has passed the program. So far he has received training in all explosives, types of guns, using both hands for anything, foreign languages, obstacle courses, endless runs, hand-to-hand combat, surveillance, computers, and international politics. Following his training, Rapp is sent into the field on his first mission. It is successful, and he is highly praised by Thomas Stansfield, who is the director of the CIA, Irene Kennedy, and Stan Hurley. After accomplishing this mission alone, Rapp is given many new solo tasks of various description. Mitch’s assignments take him, Stan Hurley, and Richards, to Beirut, Lebanon. While preparing to advance, Hurley and Richards are abducted by members of the Islamic Jihad, and are kept as prisoners in downtown Beirut. Leaders of three different terrorist organizations all want the hostages, so they have a meeting to discuss who will get them and for how much. During this time, Rapp and Ridley, a CIA correspondent, are making a plan to rescue Hurley and Richards from the violent side of Beirut.

American
Mitch Rapp- Thomas Stansfield- He is the director of the CIA. He supports the hidden Orion Team and allows them access to classified information.

Irene Kennedy- Director of an underground team called the Orion Team. She is Stansfields assistant.

Stan Hurley- an ex-operative or the CIA. Works on the ranch training the new recruits. He is a tough man and wants to get in the field again.

Tom Lewis- A Doctor who

Sergeant Smith- He works together with Jones to train the new recruits.

Sergeant Jones- He works together with Smith to train the new recruits.

“Victor”- Appears at the beginning of the book as a possible trainee. The reader finds out he is an undercover sergeant trying to catch the recruits in a lie.

John Cummins- An undercover agent who is currently in the field. He gets caught and is held prisoner in Beirut, Lebanon.

Mary- Mitch Rapp's girlfriend. She dies in the Pan Am Bombing.

“Fred”- A fellow trainee of Mitch's in camp. Fred and Rapp are the only ones who survive the months of training. Rapp is eventually chosen to go into the field.

Richards- An agent who accompanies Rapp and Hurley on their mission to Beirut. He is hanged in a torture chamber and the closing of the book.

Middle Eastern
Assef Sayyed Samir Mossad Abu Radih Hamdi Sharif Badredeen Mughniyah

Russian
Nikolai Shvets Mikhail Ivanov Pavel Sokoll

European
Hans Dorfman- A German banker who is handling large sums of money or different terrorist organizations. He is murdered by Rapp, Hurley, and Richards for his involvement.

Carl Ohlmeyer- A Swiss banker who Greta Ohlmeyer Elsa Ohlmeyer August Ohlmeyer Robert Ohlmeyer

Major Themes
The major themes of American Assassin are  terrorism, revenge, and loyalty. Terrorism plays a major part in American Assassin. Each individual country performs acts of terrorism, even though some are portrayed as good and some as bad. Terrorism causes violence and retaliation of a very extreme degree. Many different characters lost followers and leaders to foreign terrorist operations. Their lives were greatly and permanently affected. Close friends as well as family were all murdered because of these acts based off of revenge and hatred. The individuals and groups constantly look for retribution and justice on the attackers. Loyalty is a very important concept and idea in American Assassin. If an individual character, group, or organization strongly believes in an idea, they will defend it and spread the idea. Loyalty to one’s country is very important in this novel. Each character acts for their country because they believe in it and they want to fight for it. When hard times come, if these characters were not loyal to their countries, they might stop fighting so hard.

Influences
American Assassin was influenced by the genre of espionage and gang violence in Los Angeles. Vince Flynn thanks Robert Ludlum and Frederick Forsyth for “defining the espionage genre” and “setting the bar high” (Q&A with Flynn). Flynn explained that the situation in Lebanon (war and rifts) is similar to the gang violence in Los Angeles.

Reception
Most critics praised American Assassin. One critic described American Assassin as an “ intriguing” and “fast-paced” thriller (Europe Intel Wire). Another critic has said that this novel “does not disappoint” (Examiner). Edward Zwick, from CBS, described this novel as “ thrilling and entertaining” and “relevant” (CBS Films). On the other hand, a critic said “If you are looking for political correctness this is not the book to read.” (Examiner)

Adaptations
American Assassin is currently being created into a film by CBS films. Edward Zwick will be directing this production. (CBS Films)