First published 2020
Chris Whipple gained unprecedented access to nearly every living CIA director to reveal how America's most secretive agency operates. Through extensive interviews with fifteen former directors, including George Tenet, John Brennan, Leon Panetta, and David Petraeus, Whipple exposes the inner workings of an organization that reports directly to the president while conducting operations across every continent. The book examines how the CIA collaborates and conflicts with intelligence services in Britain, France, Germany, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Russia. Whipple covers the agency's evolution since 1947, exploring White House influence on intelligence operations, ongoing Middle East and Asian challenges, nuclear threats, and emerging cyberwarfare concerns. The directors share behind-the-scenes stories from seven decades of covert action and offer predictions about future espionage challenges. This investigation pulls back the curtain on the world's most influential intelligence service.
Genres: history, non-fiction, military-history, espionage
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism
Setting: Britain, France, Germany, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Russia
Period: 1947, Cold War, 21st Century
400 pages · Paperback · Simon & Schuster UK