Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA

"Read" this on audio book. A bit dry, a bit slanted (CIA has NEVER done anything right?) but nonetheless presented in a pretty factual manner. No blame is placed on just Dem or Rep, but basically ALL Presidents were unable to use the agency as it was intended. I'd recommend it with the warning that it is LOOOONG and again, dry if you are listening to it.

This book was incredible! I never knew the CIA was SO incompetant! The book was well researched. The author quotes former directors, Assistant directors, and operatives of the CIA. He had access to the official CIA history and declassified documents. he draws on all this to produce a comprehensive history of America's "#1" intelligence gathering agency. it's a shame they...more

This book was incredible! I never knew the CIA was SO incompetant! The book was well researched. The author quotes former directors, Assistant directors, and operatives of the CIA. He had access to the official CIA history and declassified documents. he draws on all this to produce a comprehensive history of America's "#1" intelligence gathering agency. it's a shame they couldn't gather any intelligence! This book is a must read. It is very easy to read, and I found it both entertaining and a real eye opener. Not done yet, but an incredibly entertaining and informative overview of what the CIA has been doing around the world and at home. Lying to the president and congress is SOP at the CIA. So is making American foreign policy without the consent or knowledge of the president or congress. The book is well writen, a real page turner, and is well researched with lots of oral history from ex-CIA people and de-classified documents.   hide

This book would be interesting to anyone involved in behavioral interviewing as the book references it several times.

Fascinating, but disheartening, history of the CIA, reviewing its relatively few successes as well as its tragic failures. If you want to keep believing that America would NEVER assassinate foreign leaders, engineer coups, rig elections, foment invasions, then DO NOT read this book.