Reviews (4)

Political correctness has put us into this situation
Bill Gertz explains clearly the rationale for improving America's counterintelligence. He throws out all political correctness that has put us in this current situation. Gertz is a better man for exposing these problems in our intelligence community. Now they may get fixed properly. Gertz can not believe that the Intelligence community has not changed many of its tactics since 9/11. Gertz points out the lack of intelligence in Iraq before the war began. He describes the problem with bureaucracy and its blocking of new changes. Gertz in each chapter describes a spy case that has happened in the past decades. Some points that jumped out at me in the book.
Enimies:Another wake-up call to America from Bill Gertz
This book gives an inside look at our failing intelligence agencies and the extent to which politics plays a roll in keeping them that way.While our short and long term enemies gain intelligence and sensitive weapons information on us, our politicians and incompetent leadership throughout our government's defense agencies do nothing but the same.I don't know what else to say.I hope everyone can read this and other Gertz books.Highly Recommended *****

what a shame
It is exactly this kind of short term mentality in this book, looking on all other countries as enemies instead of friends, that has been isolating the US from the rest of the world. Talking about military intelligence expense and power, no country beats the US. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Espionage    2. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    3. Political Freedom & Security - Intelligence    4. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    5. Political Science    6. Political Terrorism    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Terrorism    10. U.S. Government - Intelligence Agencies    11. United States    12. War on Terrorism, 2001-    13. Current Events / International   

Reviews (5)

Intelligence Analysis: A Target-Centric Approach Review
The book was very revealing into the structure and tactics the intelligence community has to go through in the new age of terrorism.Intelligence gathering methods of the past and of our fathers and grandfathers is no longer effective in this age of technology and political ideology.
Excellent & thorough, as to both form and function...
This is the best work for an account of the role of analysis and its relationship within the intelligence industry. I recommend this book as required reading prior, or in accordance with the first semester of the research methods series of courses at the graduate level.
Required Reading for Today's Intelligence Professional
Robert Clark's book is a most timely, welcome, and important contribution to the literature on intelligence. His target-centric approach captures how intelligence is produced today, and probably how analysis has always been performed. The importance of Dr. Clark's book is that he correctly places the analyst at the center of an effort that hinges on the precise definition of every requirement and then reaching out to the individuals and organizations possibly possessing the data. Dr. Clark's conceptual framework replaces the construct that was more appropriate to producing printed pages and an age when the threat was known well. In that era, the analyst's role as a manager of the knowledge-building effort was not as appreciated as much as the individual's mastery of the topic. Today, people are emphasizing collaboration, horizontal integration, and providing intelligence consumers with what they need, when they need it and in the desired form without any clutter. Dr. Clark gave us an approach for getting our arms around these challenges over a year ago. On an intelligence professional's bookshelf, this book should resemble a repair shop manual - its pages ought to be dog-eared and fingerprint-stained from continuous reference.
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Subjects:  1. Intelligence Agencies    2. Intelligence service    3. Methodology    4. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    5. Political Science    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. U.S. Government - Intelligence Agencies    9. Espionage & secret services    10. Political structure & processes    11. USA   

Reviews (27)

Tip of the Spear
Gary Schroen was less that 3 months away from retirement from the CIA on 9/11. He'd had a successful career there in "Operations", the guys who do the actual spying (as opposed to "Analysis", the guys who try and figure out what everything means), mostly dealing with the Middle East, and had wound up a Deputy Division head. For 2 years in the early 90s he was the Station Chief in Kabul, Afghanistan, and later in the decade he'd flown into the Northern Alliance's territory and met Ahmed Shah Masoud, the charismatic leader of that group who was assassinated just before 9/11. He had extensive contacts with various friendly figures in Afghan politics, speaks at least one of the local languages, and of course has lots of experience. As a result, 15 days after 9/11, Schroen was flown into the Northern Alliance's Panshir Valley on a CIA helicopter along with a half dozen other CIA guys, various laptops, satellite phones, and radios, a crate of guns, and $3 million in cash. His orders were to find and kill Osama bin Laden, and topple the Taliban government. This book is his account of the mission, how it went, and the adventures they had along the way.
5-star op, 4-star account
This is a four-star account of a five-star operation. Schroen perpetuates a few errors, but (as an earlier reviewer on this site noted)in most instances it would take a committed Afghanophile to spot them. He largely dispels the miasma of Pakistan-fostered, western-perpetuated slander that has besmirched the reputation of the anti-Taliban resistance, the so-called Northern Alliance. He makes it clear the alliance, even after the 9/9/01 assassination of their charismatic leader Ahmad Shah Masood, were a responsibly and effectively led grassroots movement, heroic in their resistance to tyranny.
Superb book
This is an excellent book and story!Make sure you also read, JAWBREAKER, which is essentially Part II to FIRST IN.
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Subjects:  1. Afghan War, 2001-    2. Central Intelligence Agency    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. Intelligence Operations    6. Military    7. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    8. Military - Persian Gulf War    9. Personal narratives, American    10. Political Freedom & Security - Intelligence    11. Secret service    12. United States    13. United States.    14. Afghanistan    15. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    16. History / Military / Persian Gulf War    17. Terrorism, freedom fighters, armed struggle    18. USA   

Reviews (16)

great
Item came on time and as promised.Could not ask for a better delivery situation.

Most USEFUL leadership book. Bar-none.
I have read dozens of leadership books over the years including many from both business and military perspectives. This is bar-none the best. I currently have four managers, about thirty staff and multiple projects I am responsible for and this is the book that I repeately reach for because it is a "how to" book. I reach for it to solve problems and I reach for it to teach my staff and managers "how to".
An Interesting Book on Leadership
This book was written for officers in the United States Army.It gives officers an idea of how to manage and develop the soldiers under them.Particularly it gives good advice on how to recognize and deal with certain types of soldiers based on a skill, will, and teamwork scale.To tell the truth, I'm not in the army, but I bought this book to gain some insight into the army's way of managing and developing soldiers.I believe that if you are a businessperson or a teacher, you can learn a lot about how to treat different employees or students.Each person has individual needs that need to be handled in different ways, and I think this is something that this book does a good job of introducing.If you're in the army, you definitely need this, and if you're not, you can still gain a lot of knowledge by reading this. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Command of troops    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. Leadership    5. Military    6. Military - General    7. Military Combat Units    8. Military Science    9. Defence strategy, planning & research    10. History / Military / General   

Reviews (116)

Amazing how few know Charlie Wilson!
It's amazing to me how few Americans have even heard of Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson (should I mention he was a Democrat!). I myself only had a vague idea of his role in the financing of the Mujaheddin in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation. George Crile, III, brings his story, and that of Gust L. Avrakotos, died a few years back at 67, the CIA agent in charge of the largest covert operation in CIA history--the arming of Afghani tribesmen during their 1980s guerrilla war--boldly to life. As entertaining as it is informative, every educated being on the planet should read this book to gain a better understanding of what exactly goes on behind the scenes as one crisis after another shapes the world we live in. Sadly, Mr. Crile died on May 15, 2006, of pancreatic cancer.

Bringing Down the Evil Empire
I, for one, don't believe that history is rewritten.I believe that history is told, either truthfully or not, and told again and again.Everyone who writes history does so with the facts at their disposal, and distance allows for wider views.It is for this reason that I believe Charlie Wilson's War by George Crile may be the best Afghan War history to date.This is the Afghan War pitting the Freedom Fighters against the Red Army and the 80's occupation.This is the Afghan War, financed by joint funds from the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, with weapon arrangements and tactical training as well as strategic planning from the C.I.A.
Entertaining, Historical and Symbolic of our current predicament
This book gives one an excellent historical account of one of the most entertaining and important spy stories of our time. It's almost unbelievable that it's not fiction. It's also particularly relevant as it's directly connected to 9/11 and our current troubles in the Middle East.
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Subjects:  1. Afghanistan    2. American military assistance    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. Military    6. Military - General    7. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    8. Military assistance, American    9. Political Freedom & Security - Intelligence    10. Secret service    11. Soviet occupation, 1979-1989   

Editorial Review

Amid his efforts to expose the Russian mob, Robert I. Friedman learned from the FBI that "the most brilliant and savage Russian mob organization in the world" had put a $100,000 price on his head. Reading Read more

Reviews (44)

Quite Shocking!
This is quite shocking of how the mafia is able to buy off members of both major political parties in the U.S. along with other Western nations such as Israel.I would also recommend reading Double Cross about Sam and Chuck Giancana the two mafia bosses whom had the Kennedys in their pockets.

Inciteful and Highly Readable
A real eye-opener. Friedman writes about some pretty ruthless, cruel people. I don't know how the author could have possibly obtained all the information that he did; he is a brave man. I hope he's still alive, and will be amazed if he is, given the nature of the people about whom he has written. Friedman describes Russian Mafiya types operating in Toronto, near to where I live -- very unnerving. Mind you, if you live in NYC, Miami, Denver, San Francisco or Los Angeles, you are not alone...

Great Information.
Friedman has done the public a service by this book.It renews my faith that there are a few, albeit an extremely small number, jews who will tell the truth.
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Subjects:  1. American    2. Current Affairs    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    5. Organized crime    6. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    7. Politics - Current Events    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Russia (Federation)    11. Russian American criminals    12. United States    13. Current Events / Poverty   

Reviews (11)

The Cold War that cost lives.
At the beginning of this book, it quotes Teller as saying at least the Cold War did not cost any lives.Burrows points out in this book that the Cold War did cost lives.At least 15 planes were shot down, and close to a hundred Air Force and Navy airmen were killed.The U.S. Government hid the fact that many flights were ferreting radar information and bombing sights in case of offensive nuclear war.The Soviets and Chinese did the same thing, even if their propaganda said otherwise.The real losers in this conflict were the families of those airmen who were lost.The government lied to them to cover their activities.
FEET TO THE FIRE!
I remember reading stories of Americans, mainly servicemen, who disappeared behind the Iron Curtain following World War II. To the everlasting shame of every single President from Truman to the current occupant of the White House, we have never demanded a full accounting of their fates, not even from so-called "Democratic" Russia.
Buy it, read it, give a copy to a friend
Bottom Line - This is an excellent book.Buy it, read it, give it to a friend.
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Subjects:  1. Air warfare    2. Cold War    3. Communist countries    4. Espionage, American    5. History    6. History - Military / War    7. Military    8. Military - Aviation    9. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    10. Modern - 20th Century/Nuclear Age    11. History / Military / Aviation   

Reviews (42)

The secret is out
very interesting look at the mystery that is delta force. this book is written by the founder and first commanding officer of the force and represents an intriguing look at what was formerly kept secret. look into the world of some of our country's most daring and important servicemembers. this blow-by-blow account reads like a novel, and sometimes you wish that is all it was.

Page turner. Essential for Spec-ops library.
I first thought that this book would probably be a bit dull, since it didn't have a lot of combat experiences in it, but is mostly about the formation of Delta. But it's now one of my favorite reads. A real page-turner, it only took me a couple weeks to get through it. I admit that it's enjoyment is probably limited to those with a serious interest in special ops. It has an honest and candid tone that lacks the the egoism of Marzcinko's book about SEAL Six. If your interested in learning more about Delta, I also reccomend reading Eric Haney's book, and Blackhawk Down. All three are very interesting and informative books, that take you inside, are hard to put down, and inspire profound respect for those who serve their country in this capacity.

How to sell the Army a new idea
"Delta Force" should be required reading for every ambitious careerist working for a large organization. Wearingcamo fatigues or gray-flannel suit, this fine treatise tells the ambitious what it takes to get things done in a large organization--in this case, the largest organization-the U.S. Army. And what it takes is a very smart, relentlessly driven maverick, just what these organizations abhor. Maverick General Billy Mitchell was court-marshaled for proving to the Navy that one aircraft could take out the fleet's largest ship.
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Subjects:  1. Army    2. Army.    3. Beckwith, Charlie A    4. Delta Force    5. History    6. History - Military / War    7. Military    8. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    9. Military Science    10. Modern - 20th Century/Nuclear Age    11. Operation Eagle Claw, Iran, 1980    12. Personal narratives    13. Political Terrorism    14. Special Forces    15. Technology    16. United States    17. United States.    18. War & Military    19. History / Military / General    20. Special & elite forces    21. USA   

Reviews (38)

Government Bungling - Again!
Gertz begins by relating how, prior to 9/11, the CIA failed to help an Afghan leader trying to rally forces against the pro bin Laden Taliban. As a result, he was captured and executed.
A little right biased
This was a informative book that outlined what Gertz thought was the reason Sept 11th happened. Though these were problems left over from countless decades of neglect to the intellgence community Gertz seems to protray this as the cause of failure. It is a combination af manyy things and to point your finger at one aspect of the pie is ludicris. The book does make a good point on how politics get in the way of policy. "It is what you do and not what you say, if your not part of the future than get out of the way." Stop pissing around and playing favorites and get the job done!

Excellent reminder of how 9.11 was a complete failure for
both the CIA and FBI.Mr. Gertz, the excellent correspondent for the excellent (meaning not anti-Bush/republican NY Times/Wash. Post/CNN/CBS/ABC,etc.) Washington Times does an excellent job in explaining how 9.11 could have been prevented.Examples include the lack of adequately trained translators, CIA apprehension in "penetrating" al-Qaeda, and the 1970 era of anti-CIA political machinatiions that decimated the US intelligence.Also, Mr. Gertz details the lack of attention paid to the intelligence community during eight years of Bill/Hillary/Madeline/fat Al Gore/Sandy stolen documents Berger/et al.Binny struck in 93, 95, 96, 98, and 2000 (and many aborted/thwarted attacks) and all we got from that administration was some cruise missiles and an exploded milk factory in Sudan (while cowardly running from Somalia).This all led to the tragedy of 9.11 (and now the madman Kim Jong-il.)
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Subjects:  1. Bin Laden, Osama,    2. Evaluation    3. History - U.S.    4. Intelligence service    5. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    6. Political Freedom & Security - Intelligence    7. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    8. Political Science    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Terrorism    11. United States    12. United States - 21st Century    13. World Trade Center Bombing, Ne    14. World Trade Center Bombing, New York, N.Y., 1993    15. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    16. Political Science / Political Freedom & Security / Terrorism   

Reviews (1)

Superb book about a greatly misunderstood spy case
Some people like to call Jonathan Pollard "America's Dreyfus."Pollard's own supporters tried to get the Israeli government to accord him "prisoner of Zion" status (i.e. formal designation as someone suffering persecution for Zionist activities).
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Espionage, Israeli    5. General    6. History    7. Israel    8. Military - Naval    9. Political Freedom & Security - Intelligence    10. Political Science    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Spies    13. United States    14. United States - 20th Century    15. Espionage & secret services    16. Military intelligence    17. USA    18. c 1980 to c 1990   

Reviews (35)

Good history, fair analysis, outdated
The simple fact is that this book is outdated. Published in 1992, it is obvious that the absolute last world event dealt with in the author's research was the Gulf War of 1991. Even though it says it's been updated in 1994, there is definitely no mention of the Clinton years or the 1993 WTC bombing. In fact, in an ominous line, the authors writes to the effect that there has never been a major intel failure since the 80s (regardless of what side you believe, 9/11 would certainly get a full chapter under this category). It's time to update this book, or it will be totally obsolete very soon.
Horrible, uninformative book on the CIA
Ronald Kessler's INSIDE THE CIA is among one of the worst books I've ever read, and the worst detailing the Central Intelligence Agency.
Kessler should come back to this book for an update
Good book, but very dated. Kessler is very informed about the workings of the CIA and the backgrounds of its employees and directors, but only up to when this book was published. It has a lot of interesting folklore about the beginning of the CIA and its different divisions. It's a good read if you want to get an overview of its structure and an idea of its mindset of the CIA up to and just after the fall of the Soviets. That being the post WWII era and the cold war. If he were to go back to this book's subject I am sure he would be able to gain a wealth of newer information more applicable to the current situations we face as a nation. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Espionage    2. General    3. History: American    4. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    5. True Crime / Espionage    6. Current Events / General    7. Espionage & secret services    8. USA   

Reviews (10)

Good Introduction Book
Mark Lowenthal's book on intelligence is a great starting point for anyone looking to get aquainted with intelligence. It covers all aspects and will give the layman a new and better understanding of both the polictics and the process behind intelligence. The only reason I'm giving this game 4/5 is because in places the book becomes almost too rudimentary which I guess is expected of an introductory book. In short the book is organized like a series of lectures on the topic of intelligence, informative reading, midly entertaining, but over all a great book.

Better than I imagined
This was the first time I have ever bought books online and I am quite impressed with the quickness that the books came and also the super shape in which the books were in.

Primer for Presidents, Congress, Media, and Public
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Subjects:  1. Espionage    2. Government - General    3. Intelligence service    4. Political Science    5. Politics/International Relations    6. True Crime / Espionage    7. United States    8. Espionage & secret services   

Editorial Review

A sentimental favorite, Read more

Reviews (142)

Thanks to the missing .75 cents...
We get an incredibly engaging page-turner of an astronomer/system manager tracking down a foreign hacker. Cliff Stoll genuinely struggles and questions his own actions not knowing whether he is doggedly tracing some hapless student or a nefarious spy. In the end he overcomes his Berkeley counterculture distrust of all those three letter gov't agencies and develops a respect for their work if not their inability to coordinate or communicate interdepartmentally. He becomes a security expert they all seek but laments the lack of openness and the attack on trust that is required in the academic world in order to facilitate networking and the exchange of ideas. A really good story and there is a pretty good recipe for chocolate cookies on page 155.

Nice reading with good technical coverage
"The Cuckoo's Egg" is a good book on computer hacking and espionage . It covers well all technical aspects involved in the case, stuff like UNIX, Tymnet and the very begining of system cracking.
Berkley Unix?
I really liked this book.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Data Security    2. Databases    3. Defense information, Classified    4. Electronic Warfare    5. Espionage, Soviet    6. Fiction    7. General    8. Germany    9. Hannover    10. Hess, Markus    11. Nonfiction - True Crime / Espionage    12. Stoll, Clifford    13. United States    14. Non-Classifiable   

Editorial Review

Little is known--and less has been published--about American submarine espionage during the Cold War. These submerged sentinels silently monitored the Soviet Union's harbors, shadowed its subs, watched its missile tests, eavesdropped on its conversations, and even retrieved top-secret debris from the bottom of the sea. In an engaging mix of first-rate journalism and historical narrative, Sherry Sontag, Christopher Drew, and Annette Lawrence Drew describe what went on.Read more

Reviews (296)

A Fascintating Readfor Fiction or Non Fiction Devotees
This fascinating book has it all. True history, science fiction [the workings of modern subs is out of science fiction], war thriller, spy/espionage thriller, etc..
"After we left station . . . Whiskey-a-go-go"
After being silent for so many years, "Blind Man's Bluff" opened the door for us submariners to share some of our experiences.After one of our longest dives, and a narrow escape from people that wanted to do us harm, this book filled me in on the "boat" that took over our station.Evidently, the folks on the surface learned something after we got away, and "caught" our replacement . . . so I focused on "Chapter Two".Many times, I listened on the passive Sonar to a Whiskey Class submarine passing directly overhead . . . out every morning, back into port every evening."They" didn't know we were there.Even among submariners (pronounced sub-ma-RIN-ers), little is shared between "boats", so we appreciate the information finally shared in this book.The silent service is a young man's game and life changing.This book gives an excellent look at a small corner of the life that we experienced, a life saturated with the smell of diesel oil, no sunlight, and sixty days without showers.Recommended to all those who love submarines and wish to look behind the curtain during that transition between our "diesel boats" and the nuclear age. . . a time when we risked our lives, and loved our work, without the bravado of a "hot" war.

Blind Man's Bluff - Fidler
Very well written, engrossing. Contained material I did not know prior to reading. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Espionage, American    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. Intelligence service    5. Military    6. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    7. Military - Naval    8. Military - United States    9. Military Science    10. Military intelligence    11. Modern - 20th Century    12. United States    13. History / Military / General    14. Modern fiction   

Reviews (39)

Great Book On A True Event
I have Read 3 books on this subject Project Jennfier / Spy Sub / On this book this one is the best one so far on what happened to the K-129.
A Plausible Reading
A plausible interpretation of events, with the interesting backdrop of Cold War history.Could someday be the basis for a good submarine fiction movie production.

My Opinion
This book was very informative.It was accurate.
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Subjects:  1. Biography/Autobiography    2. Conspiracy & Scandal Investigations    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. Intelligence Agencies    6. K-129 (Submarine)    7. Military    8. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    9. Military - Naval    10. Military - Nuclear Warfare    11. Soviet Union    12. Soviet Union.    13. Submarine disasters    14. Submarine forces    15. Submarines    16. Voenno-Morskoæi Flot    17. History / Military / Nuclear Warfare