Reviews (1)

rationalizing and excusing treason
I have worked in the Intelligence Community for over 17 years. Pollard and I have held similar clearances. Yet one would think that Pollard didn't sign the same agreements not to disclose classified information to foreign countries. Mine said that doing so to any country and for any reason was wrong and was a crime and could get me put in jail for a very long time or even executed.
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Subjects:  1. 1954-    2. 20th century    3. Biography    4. Espionage    5. Espionage, Israeli    6. General    7. Government - U.S. Government    8. History    9. Israel    10. Political Science    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Pollard, Jonathan Jay,    13. Spies    14. True Crime / Espionage    15. United States    16. United States - 20th Century    17. Biography: general    18. Espionage & secret services    19. USA   

Reviews (4)

Good Subject, Little Meat
This book is a primer on interrogation tactics used by police, detectives, and military.It written at a low level, and would greatly benefit all middle school students (especially minorities) so that they do not needlessly confess to authorities.However, there is no reference to actual police and military training manuals, not even a bibliography.
Nothing Useful
I was hoping for a book that would give away all the secrets to interrogation and making people spill the beans. Instead I got an arrogant sermon on how important and powerful the author thinks private investigators and security guards are. He claims that anyone who does not talk to an investigator can be forced to give deposed testimony (total bull). Being an ex-private investigator, the author's tips are worthless. I want a book that exposes professional interrogation training like the Reid Technique and heuristical interrogation techniques. This book is a complete waste of money.

Not With This Book, Save Your $$$
I was looking forward to reading this book. But once I started, I was sorry I bought this book. Read more

Subjects:  1. Communications    2. Criminal Procedure    3. Espionage    4. Forensic Science    5. Interviewing in law enforcemen    6. Interviewing in law enforcement    7. Law    8. Military interrogation    9. Police questioning    10. Political Freedom & Security - Law Enforcement    11. Reference    12. Verbal self-defense    13. Criminal investigation & detection    14. True Crime / Espionage   

Reviews (2)

High Performance Ignition Systems-Basic operation to building the best.
I found this book to be very informal taking the reader from the basic operation of the automotive ignition systems to determining which system would best suit your need. A must have addition to the diy person/professional library of automotive repair. I couldn't put the book down.

Need ignition how-to info? This book's got it all.
This is one of the better books on high-performance and racing ignition to come along in quite a while. Read more

Subjects:  1. Automotive    2. Automotive - Customizing    3. Automotive - History    4. Automotive Mechanics    5. Engineering - Automotive    6. Espionage    7. Internal Combustion Engines    8. Power Resources    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Technology    11. Motor cars: general interest    12. Transportation / Automotive / General   

Reviews (5)

Best biography I've read in years
This is a well-researched, splendidly written biography of a very complex man, a real enigma. Even though the book is a decade old, its subject matter is still relevant today.Highly recommended.

Allen Dulles Committed High Treason
Any notion that Allen Dulles was a gentleman is absolutely absurd!He helped Hitler secure funds for his war machine from American and British financial institutions.On behalf of his client, Nelson Rockefeller, Dulles arranged to keep a steady flow of Saudi oil flowing to Nazi Germany throughout the war.He knew about the Holocaust, but didn't lift a finger to help the Jews.Dulles and James Jesus Angleton setup the Nazi Ratline near war's end that smuggled thousands of Nazi war criminals out of Europe to various Middle Eastern states as well as Argentina.After the war, he organized Operation Paperclip to smuggle hundreds of Nazi war criminals from South America into the United States to work for the CIA.He and brother John Foster Dulles committed high treason by providing aid and comfort to the enemy during wartime; crimes for which they should have been executed.Instead, they got an international airport named after John Foster Dulles.

Great Book -- Fantastic life
What a great book!If you are a history buff like me, you'll love this book.Allen Dulles, former lawyer, former diplomat, former OSS Operative, former President of the Council on Foreign Relations, for Director of the CIA (under Eisenhower and Kennedy), and brother of the Secretary of State (John Foster Dulles who the airport is named after), and member of the establishment -- this book is quite a treat.It takes us through the post-WWI years and then through WWII where Dulles was stationed for OSS in Bern.It then details the formation and escalation of the Cold War.Grosse does a terrific job detailing Dulles's public and personal lives.Highly recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1893-1969    2. 20th century    3. Biography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Dulles, Allen Welsh,    7. Espionage    8. General    9. History    10. Intelligence service    11. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    12. Spies    13. U.S. Government - Intelligence Agencies    14. United States    15. Dulles, Allen Welsh    16. Political structure & processes    17. USA   

Reviews (4)

Fiction
If it was indeed true that the British Intelligence had set a trap for the Cambridge Spies, then the deceiving plan was poorly managed that eventually lead to disaster.
A New Twist to an Old Story?
For those who would be interested, my review of this book was published by H-Diplo, H-Net Reviews (H-Diplo@h-net.msu.edu) in February 2005. URL: http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.cgi?path=170151117221847

Three-and-a-Half Stars.
Despite the fact that I cannot get enough on the subject of the Cambridge Spies, it took me nearly six months to plough through S.J. Hamrick's "Deceiving the Deceivers." It is not as if his thesis is not provocative: that SIS, Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, in anticipation, laid a trap for Burgess, Maclean, Philby, and Blunt. However, the author exploresso many tangents that I found it difficult to grasp the central thread ofhis narrative.
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Subjects:  1. 1912-    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Espionage    5. Espionage, Soviet    6. Europe - Great Britain - General    7. Great Britain    8. Historical - General    9. History    10. History: World    11. Maclean, Donald,    12. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    13. Philby, Kim,    14. Soviet Union    15. Spies    16. Espionage & secret services    17. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    18. History / General    19. Russia    20. c 1945 to c 1960   

Reviews (2)

CIA Bosses, not Field Officers !!
And this is the whole point of this book, nevertheless interesting and well written : Interviewed are only CIA former Directors. So it's really the Bosses pont of view rather than the field operative's one.Mislead by the title, I was not that impressed by the book content. Most of the stories are already old news (some interviews have been published at length), about overtold events such as JFK's assassination or the Bay Of Pigs. If you wanna hear it from the guys doing the actual work, stay away. Interesting!
I suppose all I have ever thought of the CIA is the mysterious "wet ops" assassination stuff. This book certainly gave me a LOT more insight! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Central Intelligence Agency    2. Criminology    3. Espionage    4. History    5. History & Theory - General    6. Intelligence officers    7. Interviews    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. True Crime / Espionage    11. United States    12. United States.    13. Espionage & secret services    14. History / United States / General    15. Officials and employees    16. Police & security services   

Reviews (1)

Nice historical view
This book had short bio's on the lady spies of the Civil War.I touched on many lives with out getting to detailed.You can read about how the women got involved with spying and what happened to them after the war.It talked about which side they were loyal to and some of the battles and generals they helped.
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Subjects:  1. Espionage    2. History: American    3. Nonfiction - True Crime / Espionage   

Subjects:  1. Espionage    2. General    3. Reference    4. Yearbooks & Annuals    5. Military intelligence    6. Reference / Yearbooks & Annuals    7. Yearbooks, annuals, almanacs   

Subjects:  1. Engineering - Electrical & Electronic    2. Espionage    3. Personal & Practical Guides    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Technology    6. Technology & Industrial Arts    7. Telecommunications    8. Mathematics    9. Security & fire alarm systems    10. True Crime / Espionage   

Reviews (4)

Simple designs that work
The designs in this book are simple, lo-tech, and surprisingly effective.Being a good do-it-yourselfer helps, as does a good assortment of hand tools (which if you don't own, you will end up owning by the time you finish the book).Some of the designs are open to improvement, and adaptation to other circumstances.Additionally, they can be adapted to what supplies you have available.It makes for interesting trips to hardware stores.
Do a search..
You will be better off doing a search on the net.I will say this positive about the book...it proves anything can actually get published.If you spend a couple of hours on the net you could write a better book...

Elegant Designs
The only criticism I have of this little book is that it was way too short; I wanted to see more of these elegant designs.
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Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Design and construction    3. Espionage    4. Firearms & Weapons    5. General    6. Military Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Silencers (Friearms)    9. Technology    10. Small firearms, guns & other equipment    11. True Crime / Espionage   

Reviews (4)

The best book in the world..
Well, this book is tedious reading..But to my knowledge, it is one of a kind!Mr. Agee relates the REAL operations of the CIA.
Detailed but odious work
This isn't a thriller and it can be very dry and tiresome at times. However, from the academic standpoint , this is an interesting work on the CIA. Best Cold Look at Day to Day Clandestine Operations
I despise what Philip Agee did with this book, endangering the lives of real people and violating his oath as a commissioned officer in the clandestine service.I was also very surprised by the level of detail inthe book, and concluded that he intended to betray the CIA well prior toleaving.I've served three overseas tours and three Washingtonassignments, and from all that time I can barely remember one cryptonymseries and not a single true identity.I think Agee took notes and plannedahead to burn the CIA.This is a good diary, and I include it in thisbibliography to represent the pedestrian side of the DO-the day to daymonotony of going through the motions and doing agent recruitments andagent handling operations in third world countries where the bulk of whatone does really does not contribute to U.S. national security orunderstanding. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Espionage    2. General    3. History - General History    4. Military intelligence    5. Non-Classifiable    6. USA   

Subjects:  1. 1908-2000    2. Atkins, Vera,    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography And Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Espionage    9. Great Britain    10. Historical - British    11. History: World    12. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    13. Military - World War II    14. Secret service    15. Spies    16. Women    17. World War II - Europe    18. World War, 1939-1945    19. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Reviews (18)

The immense detail is rivaled only by the drama & Action
This is truly a one-of-a-kind story.I just couldn't put it down while reading it and haven't been able to get it out of my mind since.You really feel like you're there, but you'd pretty much rather be anywhere else on earth.It's really that horrifying, like an airliner plummeting toward a crowded market -- you can't bear to think of what's about to happen but you also can't look away.
Total BS
This book was written by a delusional, albeit creative man.If you want to read something entertaining and fictional, go for it.If you prefer something factual, look elsewhere.

A mind-boggling, meticulously detailed true crime.
After reading this guys other book by happenstance and loving every razor's edge second of it, I was compelled to purchase this one.I didn't think it was possible, but this one was even better than the other (INSIDE JOB).A must read for all you true crime lovers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bucchi, Kenneth C    2. Case studies    3. Cocaine industry    4. Colombia    5. Drug control    6. Espionage    7. General    8. Government policy    9. Narcotics, Control of    10. Nonfiction - True Crime / Espionage    11. Other Miscellaneous Crimes    12. Political Freedom & Security - Law Enforcement    13. True Crime    14. True Crime / Espionage    15. United States    16. Organized crime   

Reviews (3)

Not at all what I hoped for
I am extremely disappointed in this book. I was expecting something very thorough and in-depth, given the subtitle "a complete history." Instead, this is a slim volume written at about the level of complexity you'd expect from one of those Reader's Digest compilations. There are tons and tons and tons of pictures and varying typefaces, as if the editors were desperate to give people something to look at besides the words; as a result, the pages are so cluttered as to not make for easy reading or easy picture viewing. This book can be considered complete in its breadth, which is considerable, but not in its depth, which is at about the level of a high-school reader. I almost expected discussion questions at the end of each chapter. There are some very engaging anecdotes -- but I had read the majority of them elsewhere before. In short, there's nothing here that you can't find presented with more clarity elsewhere. I regret the purchase and will be taking this to a used bookshop to at least try and get some value on trade-in.

Fun, Exciting, Read
Hidden secrets is not the type of book that one will study for hours upon hours however, it is most likely one of the most interesting books that I have read in the past year or so.Hidden Secrets is a brief overview of all areas of espionage, from electronic surveillance, to deception campaigns.Especially fun are the short case studies presented.This book can be read quickly and is most definitely for somebody seeking enjoyment of their time and not for espionage study.

Subjects:  1. Equipment and supplies    2. Espionage    3. History    4. History - General History    5. Intelligence service    6. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    7. Military - Other    8. Military Science    9. Subversive activities    10. True Crime    11. Espionage -- Equipment and supplies    12. Espionage -- History    13. True Crime / Espionage   

Reviews (5)

A Fantastic True Story
For about two years I have had this thing for reading true escape stories. The Flight of the Falcon is one of the best. It's a story about a smart, young, convicted spy and his escape from prison. I give it only four stars because the author kind of went over board on the whole "follow the false leads" thing. For 18 months they got thousands of leads that went absolutely nowhere and Boyce was well on his way to freedom. But the play by play accounts of each false lead was redundant and tedious. Lindsey took a gamble with that and won.....in my opinion. All the redundancy paid off in a big way with a truly exciting escape story.

good
I didn't care about the red herrings the investigators were following. I just wanted to know what Boyce was really doing. So I read only those parts of the book. Those parts were quite interesting.

An Amazing Page Turning Exploration of Manhunt intrigue!
I picked this book up in a used book store, and read it in less than a day. I couldnot put it down! At first, I almost felt sorry for Christopher Boyce, but once he started robbing banks to support himself, forget aboutit. I wonder if today, in July of 2000, if he is still as bitter towardsboth the government and the CIA ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Espionage    2. General    3. History    4. History: American    5. True Crime / Espionage    6. United States - 20th Century    7. History / General   

Reviews (11)

My Father the Spy; an intriguing memoir
I found My Father the Spy to be an intriguing,finely written memoir exploring the dynamics of family, country and the internal workings of the CIA.The author takes the reader from World War II, through the turbulent Vietnam era to Watergate and beyond. He explains the burst of behavior against the sadness of his father and his generation during the 60's and 70's and raises questions about current affairs.It's written in an honest and sensitive way, drawing the reader into personal,realistic details of family life.
The Dad Who Knew Too Much
When John Richardson's father died, he decided to investigate the elder Richardson's mysterious career in government, resulting in this partially interesting family memoir. The unassuming and bookish father was actually an old-school cold warrior, with many years at fairly high levels in the CIA spy organization. This includes playing a big part in the early years of America's involvement in Vietnam, plus working in several other countries where the CIA was obsessed with knocking off the communists. For about the first two-thirds of this memoir, we get an enjoyable look at the history and politics surrounding the elder Richardson's responsibilities in the CIA, as we learn along with Richardson Jr. how nail-biting his dad's life really was. The general family biography is also pretty interesting, as we learn about young Richardson and his sister growing up as expatriate American kids in several different foreign nations.
Better than the Washington Post review
I heard the author speak on TV and decided I wanted to know more.In the meantime, a rather negative review appeared in the Post.The sense of the review was that the author had many stories to tell--and conflated them in a confusing and ultimately poor manner.The review had much substance, BUT, I really enjoyed the book as a combined family/CIA memoir.It is VERY incomplete with regard to the author, his father, his family, and the CIA, BUT it presented an interesting and informative overview of geopolitics as seen by a disturbed teenager (is there any other kind?). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. (John Hammond),    2. 1954-    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Espionage    8. Family    9. General    10. Intelligence Agencies    11. Intelligence officers    12. Military - Vietnam War    13. Political    14. Political Freedom & Security - Intelligence    15. Richardson, John H.    16. Spies    17. U.S. History - Post World War II Period    18. United States    19. United States - 20th Century    20. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Reviews (2)

excellent and it just won the Edgar award.
Co-editor Maureen Corrigan book reviewer on NPR Prgram Fresh Airis well worth reading.Lots of valuable info in a very detailed interesting work.

BORING, BORING, BORING... VERY TEDIOUS READING...
I had expected this to be an exciting book about spying during the SecondWorld War, and it was about the spies, but not about events, but about thepeople involved and where they traveled to and the disguises they used intheir missions, what colleges they used as fronts, how many books they tookwith them, etc. - If you are truly interested in the mundane minutedocumentation about the people this is the book for you; but it's not thebook for the general reader. It's too specific and detailed with verylittle "spy" action. Not reader friendly. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Espionage    2. History - General History    3. History: American    4. Intelligence Agencies    5. Intelligence service    6. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    7. Scholars    8. United States    9. Universities and colleges    10. Espionage & secret services    11. Military intelligence    12. Political Science / General    13. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    14. Second World War, 1939-1945    15. Social history    16. USA    17. Universities / polytechnics   

Reviews (5)

5 stars for the next book
Step by step we are moving to the truth.
Far far far... far away form the truth
The book is far far far ... far away from the truth. So far, that this book is complete non-sense. By the way, the reality is much more excited than the book.
The book should be rewritten accordingly the facts
The book is not written accordingly the facts.
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Subjects:  1. American    2. Current Affairs    3. Espionage    4. Nonfiction - True Crime / Espionage    5. Politics/International Relations    6. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    7. USA   

Reviews (5)

Run-on Sentences
This book is informative and the author is obviously intelligent. The reading is hard to follow, however. The author makes a great use of run-on sentences. He is constantly interjecting side thoughts within a sentence that makes the use of many commas with some dashes the norm. Sentences greater than an inch in width down a page are quite common. One must reread continuously to try to connect his thoughts. Except toward the end, this is not a light reading book.

A Classic of Tradecraft
No need to repeat what is covered below. Christopher Felix is the pseudonym of James McCargar who was a field agent in the late 40s. He was still active in the community when this book was originally published way back when. Then it was one of the few reality based accounts by an American about the postwar era when the Red juggernaut was slowly rolling up eastern Europe. An excellent introduction into espionage
Christopher Felix's A Short Course in the Secret War provides the reader with an excellent introduction into the little known world of international espionage.As a reviwer noted earlier, the first part of the book outlines what spycraft is and is not, what the theory of intelligence work is, and how it is practiced.Pay close attention, as the vocabulary used and techniques discussed are put into practice later in the book.Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Biography    3. Espionage    4. Espionage, American    5. Felix, Christopher    6. History    7. History - Military / War    8. Hungary    9. McCargar, James    10. Military    11. Military - General    12. Spies    13. United States    14. Biography: historical    15. Espionage & secret services    16. History / General    17. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    18. USA    19. World history: postwar, from c 1945 -   

Reviews (3)

Patriot or spy?

A Very Important Man Not Well Known
There has been relatively little written about German spying during World War II. And most of what is written comes from the viewpoint of the American or British side. The British, for instance in their capturing and turning all of the German agents sent to England.
What might have been?
Not since Anthony Cave Brown wrote "Bodyguard of Lies" has there been a really thorough discussion about the role of Wilhelm Canaris in the shadow war against Hitler. Bassett brings a lot of recently-available detail to this book and draws some interesting conclusions. To his credit, he also admits that some aspects of the life of this fascinating character will never be unraveled. The writing style is sometimes a bit choppy but it moves quickly. Had Canaris succeeded in his plans, had Neville Chamberlain been more visionary, had Kim Philby not interfered, the history of World War II would have been very different. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Espionage    4. Europe - Germany    5. Historical - General    6. History - Military / War    7. Intelligence Operations    8. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    9. Military - World War II    10. World War II    11. Biography: historical    12. European history: from c 1900 -    13. Germany    14. History / Military / World War II    15. Second World War, 1939-1945