Customer Reviews

The Puzzle Palace: Inside the National Security Agency, America's Most Secret Intelligence Organization

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's hard to take a fresh look at a book that has already been so well reviewed, but I feel that I do have a few more worthwhile comments, hence another review.

Even though PUZZLE PALACE has been around for eighteen years, it still seems to be the best researched book on NSA that's available. It would be nice if Bamford could update us on what has happened in those intervening years.

None of the following is classified information. I was an enlisted man in the Army Security Agency, stationed in the Philippines, from 1955 to 1957. I had been trained as a French Linguist at the Army Language School. It wasn't until I got to the Philippines that I even knew that there was an organization known as the National Security Agency (NSA). Even more amazing is the fact that, until I read Bamford's book, I had no idea how what I was doing fit into the scheme of things. Thanks, James Bamford, for clearing that up for me some forty five years later. Better late than never, they say.

What I think that Bamford has done so well is to tell the true story of the creation of a modern "Frankenstein's Monster." He presents a cogent case for the very real need for communication interception and code breaking in the early days of NSA's existence. He proceeds to take us through, step by step, the process whereby a protector of our freedoms seems to have evolved into a threat to those very freedoms.

According to Bamford, the communications security community seems almost paranoid in their fears that "unless we absolutely control it, it's dangerous." They are devious enough to get around any and every safeguard to the privacy of the individuual that might be established. To wit: Jimmy Carter, when he was President, put a few safeguards in place. With time on their side, the NSA waited until Ronald Reagan was President and got him to remove those safeguards. (See page 374 of the 1982 hardback edition.)

It makes one wonder: In today's world of e-mail, high speed faxes, cel phones, etc., all using the air waves, is anything sacred or has Orwell's prediction come true. As I mentioned above, I'd really like for Bamford to bring us up to date.

A few reviewers have complained about problems keeping up with all the initials used in PUZZLE PALACE. One has to understand that no discussion of the magnitude of the situation can be held without mentioning all of the organizations and committees involved.

It is true that a bit of hard work on the part of the reader is necessary to get all, or most, of the impact of the information contained in PUZZLE PALACE, but I think that the knowledge gained is definitely worth the effort.

When "The Puzzle Palace" first came out in 1982, it caused a certain amount of controversy and angst. Bamford now has a new book on NSA scheduled to appear this Spring. I wonder what it will contain? "The Puzzle Palace" was quite a good job of investigative reporting, especially considering the customary reluctance of NSA to reveal much about itself. I found "The Puzzle Palace" an interesting read, and I learned much from it that I had not learned during my 20 years of previous occasional contact with NSA. The book is not friendly to NSA, but neither is it muckraking.

In the 1980s I wished that "The Puzzle Palace" had not been written; it seemed to me to contain considerable material that would have best been left unpublished (and would have been if the United States had anything like the British Official Secrets Act.) Looking back from the vantage point of 2001, I note only one brief item in "The Puzzle Palace" that I know harmed the United States, and in that case the harm was minor. (Furthermore, Bamford got that item from a senior NSA official, and may not have know that it was sensitive.) And I note several places where Bamford must have known certain things he chose to omit from "The Puzzle Palace" that might indeed have imperiled some aspect of national security, even though they were not, are not, and never have been classified. So, overall, I consider that Bamford walked the tightrope quite well in "The Puzzle Palace."

It will be interesting not only to read his new book when it comes out, but also to compare the new book with "The Puzzle Palace." I intend to keep them side by side on my bookshelf.

The book is nothing short of sensational, for two reasons: itis the first and still the only really comprehensive look at globalsignals intelligence operations as dominated by the National Security Agency; and second, because all of his research was done using only open sources, including unclassified employee newsletters at Alice Springs, and he did a great job of making the most out of legally and ethically available information. James is still around, working on another book about SIGINT, and I believe that only he will be able to top this one.

It is incredible that someone could have written this book, given the lengths to which the US and other governments went to in order to hide the very existence of such a major organisation. But time and again Bamford slips behind the scenes, behind the walls of secrecy, to tell the world the intimate secrets of the NSA.

This, even after so many years, is the definitive history of the National Security Agency. Or at least the most definitive work ever to have been available to the general public. It starts at the start in World War One, and traces the development of what has become a monster, frequently acting beyond the law and in clear violation of basic rights of privacy and freedom of speech.

It is not a history of codebreaking or of the science of interception, but rather a history of the organisation that was set up to do this, and though we are told of the machines and systems that do the work, the tale revolves around the people who defended their secrets and sought out others.

It is fascinating reading, pitched at an average understanding, and accessible to the people who should be most concerned about the activities of the NSA. If it has a flaw it is a simple one - it needs updating.

In the wake of the S11 tragedies, it is indisputable that there is a need for such an organisation. Never let it be said otherwise. But what of the collateral damage to millions of innocent individuals, American citizens with nothing but love for their country, who are regularly spied upon by the NSA?

A disturbing and thoughtful book.

Recommended reading for anybody with an interest in codebreaking and communications security. Here you will find details of some of the leading figures in the "industry" not available anywhere else. Essential for your bookshelf.

I first read this report on the NSA (National Security Agency) in 1987 and was so moved by author James Bamford descriptions that I visited Fort Meade, Maryland to verify its existence. As it is a non-fiction work I must admit that it is rather dry reading for the reader used to spy-vs-spy fictional excitement. Nonetheless it is extremely well written and will inform (and shock) the average reader as to the depth (and history) of signal intelligence by the United States Government. It has been rumored that Bamford is working on a sequel. The Puzzle Palace was published in 1983, this is 1999, one can only imagine ...

"The Puzzle Palace" came highly recommended by other amazon readers. A glance at the inside covers reveals 25 reprintings and a solid bio for the author. I found "PP" to be a virtual whirlwind of facts, names, dates, comings and goings, changes of command, anecdotes and many military/governmental acronyms. (There is even a 6-page glossary of these!). Mr. Bamford's work is well researched and well documented. In the acknowledgements, he admits to filing a "torrent" of Freedom of Information Act requests. I can well imagine! He supports his effort with 80 pages of notes, so what is written here must be authentic. That is the good news. The bad news is that for this reader, "The Puzzle Palace" simply did not work. Perhaps I missed the story somewhere in the plethora of facts. Perhaps the facts themselves were intended to be the story. This reader had hoped for some juice, some "inside information". Apart from the horrendous 1967 Israeli attack on the USS LIBERTY, and some Cold War incidents, there were precious few. I believe "PP" will appeal to those well versed in the Beltway Scene, since they can "connect the dots" better than I. Those already possessing a knowledge of the intelligence game should also enjoy. A 5 star rating is appropriate for these 2 groups. For the rest of us, some rating stars must be subtracted. If we gave "A"s for effort alone, Mr. Bamford would deserve one. For results, a Gentleman's "C" is more appropriate

Years ago, when I was working with and around Naval communications, in the course of conversations I would sometimes ask them questions about the work they were doing, not being nosy, but just trying to gain some knowledge about communications in general. Being good security conscience people, they basically told me that they couldn't talk about it. But, they suggested I read the Puzzle Palace for some insight. So a number of years later I did. It was interesting. Working around communications for the better part of 30 years plus growing up around D.C., I was very familiar with some of the NSA, Army and OGA sites, which are written about in the book and could take you to those sites today. But, time and technology has marched on. Many of the sites from the 60's, 70's and 80's have been abandoned, and in Northern Virginia's march to cover the landscape with urban sprawl, are now shopping centers, housing developments or just plain abandoned. Even a CG Base in California is the former location of the site where the Army intercepted Japanese communications regarding Pearl Harbor. So, to me the book was great. It yielded the type of history in communications that marked WWII and the ensuing Cold War years. Well, with advances in communications, satellites etc... much of the former infrastructure is outmoded and other technologies have taken their place. For instance... Norfolk Virginia, once home to a large communications center at the Naval Operations Base, employing hundreds of Navy Radiomen, is now a very large room occupied with a rack or two of computer gear. Communications are no longer the labor-intensive operation it once was. Computers do the routing and relaying, computer networks, uplinks and downlinks to satellites have replaced the Radio Communications of the past. Quite a change from just 30, even 10 to 20 years ago. The puzzle palace documents specific uses of that telecommunications system, in that it shows the reader the organization of secure communications, electronic intelligence gathering and associated operations. I liked the book, yes it did read like a text, but I wasn't looking for a novel or a fiction. As for the writers who claim this was pure fiction. I believe they are flawed in their "expert" assessments.

This book was written back in 1982, but the information you get from it is still fresh and very relevant. Especially, after the revelation that President Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency (NSA) to spy on Americans and others in the United States making contact with persons in other nations. More recently, "USA Today" reported that the NSA is operating "the largest database ever assembled in the world", containing call detail records of all calls (inbound and outbound) placed through AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth.

James Bamford has done a remarkable job in revealing the secrets of this agency. Something that is hard to imagine. However, he did keep a balance by not giving all the information, especially those that will concerns national security. No doubt, the more you know about NSA more you respect it. They have got some of the best cryptologists, technologists, and mathematicians working for them. It is amazing to see how Bamford collected and documented the information about the secret agency, not to forget that there was a time when its existence was not even acknowledged.

Having said that, I have to agree that this is one of the most interesting books you will find in the non-fiction category.

Book gets you behind the fences of Fort Meade and into the super secret files of the National Security Agency. Covers all aspects about the NSA (mission, procedures, organization, rivals, friends). I only gave it four stars because some of the book goes into some obscure details about organization that only a few would ever care about.

"The Puzzle Palace" came highly recommended by other amazon readers. A glance at the inside covers reveals 25 reprintings and a solid bio for the author. I found "PP" to be a virtual whirlwind of facts, names, dates, comings and goings, changes of command, anecdotes and many military/governmental acronyms. (There is even a 6-page glossary of these!). Mr. Bamford's work is well researched and well documented. In the acknowledgements, he admits to filing a "torrent" of Freedom of Information Act requests. I can well imagine! He supports his effort with 80 pages of notes, so what is written here must be authentic. That is the good news. The bad news is that for this reader, "The Puzzle Palace" simply did not work. Perhaps I missed the story somewhere in the plethora of facts. Perhaps the facts themselves were intended to be the story. This reader had hoped for some juice, some "inside information". Apart from the horrendous 1967 Israeli attack on the USS LIBERTY, and some Cold War incidents, there were precious few. I believe "PP" will appeal to those well versed in the Beltway Scene, since they can "connect the dots" better than I. Those already possessing a knowledge of the intelligence game should also enjoy. A 5 star rating is appropriate for these 2 groups. For the rest of us, some rating stars must be subtracted. If we gave "A"s for effort alone, Mr. Bamford would deserve one. For results, a Gentleman's "C" is more appropriate