Intelligence Wars: American Secret History from Hitler to Al-Qaeda (New York Review Collections) [Paperback]

Thomas Powers (Author)

Book Description

Series: New York Review Collections | Publication Date: June 30, 2004

This updated edition contains new analysis on the situation in Iraq and the war against terrorism.

Sold over 10,000 copies in hardcover.

No one outside the intelligence services knows more about their culture than Thomas Powers. In this book he tells stories of shadowy successes, ghastly failures, and, more often, gripping uncertainties. They range from the CIA's long cold war struggle with its Russian adversary to debates about the use of secret intelligence in a democratic society, and urgent contemporary issues such as whether the CIA and the FBI can defend America against terrorism.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A remarkable, twisted tapestry of intrigue." --Ron Rosenbaum -- The New York Observer, February 24, 2003

"Essential wartime reading" -- The New York Times Book Review

"Indispensable...Powers brilliantly conveys the ethos and culture of intelligence agencies." -- The Washington Post

"It's not just that Mr. Powers knows the material; he knows what to make of it." -- Dallas Morning News

"The most reflective writing on intelligence" -- The Boston Globe --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Author

"Think of the CIA's files as the nation's unconscious. There you may find the evidence, like the gouges on rock where a glacier has passed, of what American leaders really thought, really wanted, and really did--important clues to who we are as a people."
--Thomas Powers --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: New York Review Books; Rev Exp edition (June 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590170989
• ISBN-13: 978-1590170984
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.2 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #952,074 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A trip down American security policy memory lane, June 9, 2003

By 

Dean S. Warren (Altamonte Springs,, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Intelligence Wars: American Secret History from Hitler to Al-Qaeda (Hardcover)

I'm writing this to counter the troglodytish review posted by the unnamed reader from Alexandria, Virginia. My career was in the national security establishment--defense industry and State Department. I, along with Forrester, also have "no connection or history within the intelligence world." The New York Review of Books serves intellectuals like myself, however, not intelligence professionals. As such, his reviews and this book provides a timely refresher course in the scandals and triumphs of American intelligence over the last some sixty years. It is especially welcome because of the arrival of more scandal in regard to 9/11 and Iraq weapons of mass destruction, and another triumph in the defeat of the Taliban. INTELLIGENCE WARS is stimulating, well written, and engrossing.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting cold war history, weak on modern intelligence., August 29, 2004

By 

B. Williams (Virginia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Intelligence Wars: American Secret History from Hitler to Al-Qaeda (Hardcover)

Despite the alluring subtitle boasting coverage from Hitler to Al-Qaeda, the bulk of the book (likely from the first edition - delineation of new material is not clear) is dedicated to cold war spying issues and the Soviet Union. Many of the stories covered of that time are done so in great detail, sometimes overly monotonous. As the book moves on, I was hoping to learn more about American intelligence efforts in other theaters, but the material is limited. Hitler, South American and the Middle East pre-9/11 are all given little attention and scant new information is available, even for a moderate follower of the subject. Further, as the coverage shifts more to the modern day and the post-9/11 world, the book takes on a sanctimonious tone on what, based on earlier writings on the subject, would still be considered limited information from the intelligence world. Material that likely makes up the revised edition appears sounds more of Monday morning quarterbacking thrown together quickly to take advantage of the current public interest.

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Collection of Reviews from Powers, April 4, 2005

By 

David W. Southworth (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Intelligence Wars: American Secret History from Hitler to Al-Qaeda (New York Review Collections) (Paperback)

This revised and expanded collection of Thomas Powers' reviews of books on intelligence and national security for the New York Review of Books is an excellent resource on a wide range of topics. Powers has a demonstrated knowledge of many aspects of the history of US intelligence gathering since World War II, and he shows it in this collection.

Beginning with a review of the life of Billy Donovan, the progenitor of WWII American espionage, and ending with a review of books on the current threat from international terrorism, Powers covers a broad spectrum of topics. Though he is much stronger on the Cold War history, the author is able to bring his background in history to comment on current threats. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in national security and the intelligence world.