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Ted Gup

The Book of Honor : The Secret Lives and Deaths of CIA Operatives Paperback – May 1, 2001

by Ted Gup (Author)

372 ratings

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A national bestseller, this extraordinary work of investigative reporting uncovers the identities, and the remarkable stories, of the CIA secret agents who died anonymously in the service of their country.

In the entrance of the CIA headquarters looms a huge marble wall into which seventy-one stars are carved-each representing an agent who has died in the line of duty. Official CIA records only name thirty-five of them, however. Undeterred by claims that revealing the identities of these "nameless stars" might compromise national security, Ted Gup sorted through thousands of documents and interviewed over 400 CIA officers in his attempt to bring their long-hidden stories to light. The result of this extraordinary work of investigation is a surprising glimpse at the real lives of secret agents, and an unprecedented history of the most compelling—and controversial—department of the US government.

Print length

396 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Anchor
Publication date

May 1, 2001
Dimensions

5.1 x 1 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

0385495412
ISBN-13

978-0385495417
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Rich reporting...a fitting tribute."-The Boston Globe

From the Inside Flap

In the entrance of the CIA headquarters looms a huge marble wall into which seventy-one stars are carved-each representing an agent who has died in the line of duty. Official CIA records only name thirty-five of them, however. Undeterred by claims that revealing the identities of these "nameless stars" might compromise national security, Ted Gup sorted through thousands of documents and interviewed over 400 CIA officers in his attempt to bring their long-hidden stories to light. The result of this extraordinary work of investigation is a surprising glimpse at the real lives of secret agents, and an unprecedented history of the most compelling-and controversial-department of the US government.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Anchor; 1st Anchor Books ed edition (May 1, 2001)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 396 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0385495412
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385495417
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.1 x 1 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #130,174 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #46 in Historical China Biographies
- #323 in Intelligence & Espionage History
- #356 in Political Intelligence

Customer Reviews:
372 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		71%
4 star		16%
3 star		9%
2 star		2%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from the United States

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G. Maxwell

A comforting read after a personal tragedy

Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2019

A good friend of mine died recently under very tragic circumstances. Some of us saw it coming for quite a while but it was still a huge shock when it finally happened. I picked up this book at the advice of a friend and absolutely couldn't put it down. I'd read it walking the dog, getting fast food, or even just lounging around the house. It helped me realized that my friend really believed in something, and that giving your life for the CIA, NSA, FBI, Mossad, or other intelligence agency is truly a higher calling and not something to mourn. A wholehearted recommendation.

548 people found this helpful

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S. CoxTop Contributor: Pets

Author's viewpoint overshadows much of the narrative

Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2017

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The author's disdain for the CIA and its secrecy make this difficult to get through. The subject matter is interesting; while many of the details of these agents' deaths remain classified, readers get an interesting look at their lives and how they came to be agents, as well as how the agency itself evolved through the Cold War and beyond. However, the author is unrelenting in his focus on the lack of credit and recognition the agents received. He seems to imply that, once dead, all need for discretion is erased, which ignores the reality that there are other people - agents, assets, informants, etc. - still alive who could be "outed" and missions jeopardized if all was revealed. With each chapter, Gup laments the fact that the agents are represented by a "nameless star", that their widows may no have been allowed to keep their medals, and that their gravestones or other memorials referenced their over positions rather than their link the CIA; time and again he despairs over the "lowly" positions the agents held as part of their cover stories when clearly they were all so superior to their purported roles. Not only does this make for repetitive storytelling, but it is a strange fixation to have - these agents knew the nature of their work, both in terms of the risk involved and the anonymity. To be sure, the CIA has its failings and could have done more to protect some of these people, but the lack of fanfare for agents - current or former - comes with the territory. Gup has misjudged his subjects; the need for glory and notoriety is his, not theirs.

66 people found this helpful

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Licia Flynn

Isolation & Solitary Confinement

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2018

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Generally, when people think about CIA operatives, they imagine what they see in films or television. In most popular programming there's a camaraderie among team members. Gup does an excellent job of capturing the isolation that many clandestine officers face.

My favorite account was of Hugh Redmond, the U.S. intelligence agent who spent decades in a Chinese prison (Ward road Prison -- Shanghai; 1951-197x). After years of incarceration, the once-athletic Redmond had lost all of his teeth and became afflicted with disorders that he was forbidden to discuss. (William McInenly.)

Gup's book is great because he captures the integrity of the men and women who have fought bravely to defend American values while at the same time criticizing hypocrisy within our government. For example, on page 75, he writes --- Plausible deniability enabled the president to distance himself from the darker hand of his own foreign policy, even freeing him to chastise those who carried out covert activities that he himself had set in play. Increasingly the Agency would be forced to fall on its own sword, to suffer not only ignominy of occasional defeats but the full moral responsibility of that defeat

36 people found this helpful

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JayL

Great book on many levels

Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2017

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It is my first review ever, after 18 years of buying from Amazon. Bottom line, one of the best books I have ever read. Author managed to tell fascinating personal stories, touch higher level subjects while carrying a sensible critical tone that doesn't take over the book's main purpose. I can only hope he takes his experience here and apply it together with his curiosity and sensitivity towards more such works.

23 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Compelling, eye-opening, couldn't put it down.

Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2019

Verified Purchase

This book is an eye-opening "review" of our gov't in action. Or should I say 'inaction?' Definitely worthy of getting, hours can pass by before it's realized that actual work needs to be done (hope the boss ain't reading this review 😳). A long bus ride will melt away like ice on a 120°F sidewalk because the stories are so skillfully entwined.
I did find one error: 'baled' should've been written as 'bailed' - as in 'bailed' [him] out.
Other than that one error, it's a great book.

4 people found this helpful

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T. Lehecka

Hindsight is 20 20

Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2019

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After reading this I'm not sure who you feel sorry for. The deceased who bravely and unquestioningly carried out their missions. The Agency, who in retrospect made so many poor choices and botched so many missions. Or the American people who are left unaware of the secret goings on. There is no question in these times of international terrorism we need a strong intelligence presence. This book makes me realize we can do so much better.

6 people found this helpful

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Lori Nelson

This is a fascinating book about the untold story of ...

Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2017

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This is a fascinating book about the untold story of the history of the CIA and its fallen heroes. Each star on the wall in the CIA lobby represents an agent who has given his/her life in service to the country, yet because of the CIA's security most of the information about them has been concealed from the public. Even their families have limited information and many have spent years trying to get the facts. Now we learn their full stories. Each of the agent stories in the book gives a glimpse into a different time period in American history, from post-WWII America, to the Cold War, Cuban missile crisis, and others. It paints a vivid picture of the evolving nature of the CIA, and US policies, as the focus of the organization shifts from Cold War to terrorism threats. I hope they make this into a TV series, many will be riveted by this secret history.

7 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

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Fubar

Very good condition

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 13, 2019

Verified Purchase

Good reading, used , in very good condition.

Mrs S

This is real life

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 13, 2014

Verified Purchase

My uncle is one of the CIA agents in this book, it really makes you appreciate what these men went through, and how they got left high and dry. Very moving and for our family very moving.

2 people found this helpful

Alvaro

received on time. No mayor issue

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 9, 2015

Verified Purchase

satisfied

Bessmert

bellissimo libro

Reviewed in Italy on September 27, 2019

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Un libro avvincente ed abbastanza circostanziato che comunque non contiene rivelazioni straordinarie. Narra le storie di uomini caduti in missione - e dell'impatto della loro morte sulle loro famiglie - che per motivi di segretezza non potevano apparire come incaricati della CIA. Facile lettura del testo anche per me che non sono un fenomeno in inglese. Mi è piaciuto moltissimo.

One person found this helpful

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peter clarke

enjoyable read

Reviewed in Canada on July 20, 2020

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Interesting book

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