Inside the CIA: Revealing the Secrets of the World's Most Powerful Spy Agency

by Ronald Kessler

Book Overview

Employs material taken from extensive research and hundreds of interviews to trace the CIA's evolution over the last fifteen years, describing its failures and successes. Reprint. AB. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671734571
• ISBN13: 9780671734572
• Release Date: November 1992
• Publisher: Pocket Books
• Length: 283 Pages
• Weight: 1.37 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Delivers what it promises

This is an interesting book describing the inner workings of CIA. There are many books describing CIA activities but not as many (and not as good) describing how the organization itself works.

Great book for the curious

This was an all around excellent book - informative, humourous and entertaining. It is well balanced between the CIA's successes, failures and excesses. I really enjoyed it and got the feeling that this book is a creditable account of the CIA's history. The author is a well respected jouranlist and had unprecidented access to former agents.

Amazing they let this get published: Secrets Galore

Fascinating, insightful. A real thinking-man's guide to the most thinking of agencies, the CIA. Well written, logical, and filled to the brim with anecdotes and examples. This is THE book for anyone who wants to join or understand 'the Company'.

BEST BOOK OUT THERE

For whatever reason, it seems as if this is the ONLY book that talks aobut the CIA in general, covering a wide variety of topics. Most of the books I've seen simply go in-depth about one of the past directors or a historical incident. This book is an excellent overview of the CIA past, present, and future, with in-depth discussion on all 4 directorates (operations, intelligence, administration, science & technology).Though it is a great book that I STRONGLY RECCOMEND, my own personal suggestion to the author: include more information on the gadgets used by the CIA and the employment process. Of course, an updated edition that addressed the CIA's role post-9/11 would be interesting as well.MyBargainShopping.com

COMPREHENSIVE AND EVENHANDED...

If you're going to read just one book about the C.I.A., this is it. The book provideds ample, succinct, and interesting history, analysis, and a treasure trove of direct quotes from the people who work at the agency. This is the first truly independent author to get cooperation from the company (at least at first), and this is the one book I've foundwhich I can honestly say seems unbiased. He's unshirking in looking at the ugly side, but just as thorough in his coverage of the heroism and success stories. This is also A QUICK AND ENTERTAINING READ; you won't be able to put it down.