The Craft of Intelligence: America's Legendary Spy Master on the Fundamentals of Intelligence Gathering for a Free World Paperback Author: Allen W. Dulles | Language: English | ISBN:
1592282970 | Format: PDF, EPUB
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Review
"Well organized, informative . . . When he talks about the CIA, its Russian counterparts, and specific examples of fiascoes and coups, the reader will certainly snap to attention."--The New Yorker
"The Craft of Intelligence is one of the most fascinating books of our time."--Washington Post
"Brilliantly selective candor."--The New York Times
From the Back Cover
If the experts could point to any single book as a source for understanding twentieth-century intelligence, that book would be Allen W. Dulles's The Craft of Intelligence. This classic of spycraft is based on Dulles's incomparable experience as a diplomat, international lawyer, and America's premier intelligence officer. Dulles was a high-ranking officer of the CIA's predecessor - the Office of Strategic Services - and served eight years as director of the newly created CIA.
In The Craft of Intelligence, Dulles reveals how intelligence is collected and processed, and how the results contribute to the formation of national policy. He discusses methods of surveillance and the usefulness of defectors from hostile nations. His knowledge of Cold War Soviet espionage techniques is unrivaled, and he explains how the Soviet State Security Service recruited operatives and planted "illegals" in foreign countries.
In an account enlivened with a wealth of personal anecdotes, Dulles also addresses the Bay of Pigs incident, denying that the 1961 invasion was based on a CIA estimate that a popular Cuban uprising would ensue. He spells out not only the techniques of modern espionage but also the philosophy and role of intelligence in a free society threatened by global conspiracies.
This is a book for readers who seek wider understanding of the contribution of intelligence to our national security.
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Books with free ebook downloads available Download The Craft of Intelligence: America's Legendary Spy Master on the Fundamentals of Intelligence Gathering for a Free World Paperback
- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Lyons Press; 1st edition (April 1, 2006)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1592282970
- ISBN-13: 978-1592282975
- Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.8 inches
- Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Allen Dulles said that "(i)n our time, the United States is being challenged by a hostile group of nations that profess a philosophy of life and government inimical to our own" and "(t)oday's intelligence service also finds itself in the situation of having to maintain constant watch in every part of the world, no matter what may at the moment be occupying the main attention of diplomats and military men." Given that this was written over forty years ago, in a radically different geopolitical climate, it is impressive that his observations are still valid and relevant, though not in the fashion that concerned him at the time of his writting. If someone reads this book broadly, without getting caught up in the constant references to the grand failure of the twentieth century, communism, there is great current relevance here.
Any citizen in a democracy has a duty to understand issues before voting. The actions and managment of the intelligence apparatus of the nation should be an essential issue in any voters' understanding of international affairs. "The Craft of Intelligence" will give the reader and voter a necessary understanding of the responsibilities and duties of the intellegence system. It discusses intelligence requirements, collection, and analysis, as well as defense against foreign spies, and deception.
But all that 'social conscious' and 'civic duty' stuff is the not the reason to read this book.
This is a bunch of awesome, historical spy stories! From a guy who has been there, done that from World War I through the height of the Cold War, you'll here the real life stories that inspired Tom Clancy, and Ian Fleming. And it's better than the made up stuff, as these events shaped the world we live in today.
Contrary to previous reviews, Allen does provide some great insights into the world of intelligence collection and analysis. However, keep in mind that Allen was also a CIA Director. This means he's not tapping phones himself, any more than a mining executive swings a pick axe, and so he's not going to tell you how that is done. It's also correct that we no longer live in Allen Dulle's world. Allen died in 1969, a world where the Soviets were at their most intimidating, Communism was a genuine global threat and the Cold War was a desperate battle of economics, politics, covert and overt violence, intelligence penetration and, of course, ideology. Please keep this in mind when you buy and read this book.
The book has some interesting insights into what intelligence meant at the time. It was the laborious penetration of the clandestine parts of a clandestine society. It was the penetration of soviet satellite nations. It was also the defence against clandestine penetration.
This book doesn't disclose national secrets, but I was surprised by the level of insight that Dulles provides into the intelligence world he led and managed at the time. Problems including the difficulties of penetration soviet society, the methods of blackmail that soviets would use against westerners, his opinion of the fundamentally untrustworthiness of the soviets (I got the impression they would not abide a gentleman's agreement), and many stories illustrating how soviets attempted to penetrate western targets (like embassies) while also showing how many soviets would defect and collaborate with the west.
I also don't want to give anything way, but his section on Homo Sovieticus was both very funny and chilling at the same time.
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