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Secrecy and Democracy: The CIA in Transition [Paperback]

Stansfield Turner (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews) |

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Product Details

  • Paperback: 308 pages
  • Publisher: Harpercollins (May 1986)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0060970251
  • ISBN-13: 978-0060970253
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 4.9 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,330,068 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Stansfield Turner was a Rhodes scholar and naval officer who rose to command of a carrier task group, a fleet, NATO's southern flank, and the Navy's most prestigious intellectual institution, the Naval War College. He served from 1977-1981 as Director of Central Intelligence under President Jimmy Carter, and his book in my mind was the first serious contribution-perhaps even a catalyst-to the growing debate over whether and how much reform is required if the U.S. Intelligence Community is to be effective in the 21st Century. His eleven-point agenda for reform is of lasting value, as are his ideas for intelligence support to those responsible for natural disaster relief and other non-military challenges.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
2 years removed from the DCI Turner reflects on what intelligence means in a democracy and the issues of the DCI as manager. This is not a history book nor is it a memoir. It is something closer to first person journalism. For me, the book's greatest appeal is looking at the CIA through the eyes of an outsider. Turner is so much an outsiders that this book suffered more censorship that perhaps the total of all other books written by CIA directors combined. One part that sticks with me is when Turner has a moment of enlightenment; he realizes that the CIA is actually 3 separate autonomous organizations under one roof. Heis not sure how to effectively manage them and comes to the conclusion what the 3 want is someone just to fight the political battles for them on Capitol Hill against the President and Congress, as well as dealing with the media. Turner despite all the obstacles does mange to implement some of his policies and manage to keep his job during his president's tenure (1 of 2 DCI to accomplish this). At the end of the text are his 11 action agendas to reform the U.S. intelligence. Personally I don't agree with most of them. Like a typical bureaucrat his solution is to add more government to the already overextended yet underperforming, bulky, byzantine and inefficient government design; interesting enough 2 of the actions have occurred since his writing this text. How much he had to do with them, that I do not know.

I would recommend this book to anyone new in national security studies rather than someone actually practicing national security (it would kind of dated for them). He book provides a candid glimpse into the challenges of intelligence management.
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An important contribution November 30, 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
If you are studying the CIA or the Carter administration this book provides a perspective you need to read. Turner was not the best DCI, it wasn't even the job he wanted, but he served honorably and made some important contributions. The book provides good insight into the intelligence community and the foreign policy team during the Carter Administration. I recommend reading Brzezinski's book "Power and Principle" as well to get a second view on the same issues. If you are interested in the intelligence community, Turner's "Burn Before Reading" provides a longer view of the CIA and their interaction with the President.
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