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.

inside the cia (3.0)

I didn't realize the book was published approx. 17 years ago. The info was dated. I expected something more current. The book was paperback. For this??, I paid full price.

Revealing... In a Very Limited Fashion (3.0)

The author received the cooperation of the CIA in the writing of this book. As you can imagine, I think that both helped and hindered him.

How it helped: We get a nice look at a day in the life of the Director. We get a clear explanation of how the CIA functions as an organization. We get an idea of how the different branches within the CIA feel about each other and the rivalries they nurse. We get an interesting look into the mindset of the officers, today and yesterday. We get an interesting look at how the personality of an individual Director affects the way the organization does business.

How it hurt: The CIA is presented the way the CIA wants to be seen. It comes across as little more than a big 'ol benevolent think tank with daring aspirations of bureaucratic inertia. It is strongly implied that the most nefarious activities they engage in during this modern era are fishing the fecal matter of foreign dignitaries out of hotel room toilets and recruiting OTHER people to spy. While I don't doubt things like this make up the bulk of the daily grind for Operations Officers, I also had the strong feeling the job descriptions of the Operations Directorate were... neutered.

If you're expecting an officially sanctioned expose, this is NOT it. If you're looking to understand the culture of the CIA and how it functions as an organization to do what it does (whatever that is) this book offers a tantalizing look, but you have the feeling you're only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

Misleading Title But Informative (3.0)

Inside the CIA is a tantalizing title conjuring images of cloak and dagger operations scattered across back allies and poorly lit parks around the globe, but of course this isn't a Robert Ludlum novel and the books focus is in reality very different. The book was recommended to me by a professor of mine when I was in college and as such I was prepared for its true aim, to provide a broad level and detailed history of the Agency itself. While in some ways this is disappointing, mostly because after the mental build up and preparation for an exciting tale of spy craft it turns out to be a text book on the evolution of a government agency and bureaucracy. Still it plays a crucial function for anyone hoping to learn about the CIA and its actual operation both at home and around the world by detailing its development over the past fifty years and the role that each Directorate and position plays in the Agency.

On a side note Kessler did conduct several interviews with former Directors prior to writing Inside the CIA which perhaps lead to his broad spectrum and policy driven approach as their influence appears in various forms throughout the book.

Ultimately I would say that if you're looking to learn more about the CIA and how it functions as an Agency then this is the book for you but if you're looking for a personal account of working in the Agency your better of checking out something like See No Evil or Class 11 (or maybe just googling Ian Fleming depending on what your expectations are).

Toilet Paper (1.0)

This book is the dumbest book, I ever read. I can't believe the dumbass lies in this book, and the attack on someone like James Angleton. This is a clear sign of our, once great nation in decline, when this jerk can bad mouth someone like Angleton.

Boring , dull reading (2.0)

Just like read a long long laundry list. Or like read an operation manual written by someone just observed how people do the work but don't really understand.

Recommend: Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. That book is a much better overview of what's CIA's contribution in cold war years and recent days.