John Rizzo first came to my attention when the Obama Administration released the "torture memos". John Rizzo played an integral part in that process. It was his role in this process that motivated me to read the book for additional background into that process, the book however discussed the entire sweep of a career of over 30 years. The true message of this book is that in the vast majority of cases the CIA is a highly accountable organization with a keen sense of legalities. If you believe, mindlessly, that the CIA is a bunch of rogue James Bond types you'll be sadly disappointed. While every large organization has it's problems and its problem people it also has many people of integrity like John Rizzo. This is by no means a typical 'tell all' book if your interested in not only policy but the process of implementing policy you'll find it interesting and highly informative. It also offers insight into the process of Congressional 'oversight' and how politicized and potentially ineffective it is.
I found it to be excellent in the sense of providing the reader with a sense of context and I was left with the impression that Mr. Rizzo was being as straightforward as it is possible to be in writing a book about an essentially sensitive organization. The book clearly reflects Mr. Rizzo's personality. I'd like to have a beer with Mr. Rizzo.
Other Sellers on Amazon
$16.17
& FREE Shipping
& FREE Shipping
Sold by:
Books'r us (We ship worldwide!)
Sold by:
Books'r us (We ship worldwide!)
(1187 ratings)
97% positive over last 12 months
97% positive over last 12 months
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Shipping rates
and
Return policy
$14.88
+ $3.99 shipping
+ $3.99 shipping
Sold by:
allnewbooks
Sold by:
allnewbooks
(268005 ratings)
92% positive over last 12 months
92% positive over last 12 months
In stock.
Usually ships within 4 to 5 days.
Shipping rates
and
Return policy
Usually ships within 4 to 5 days.
$19.28
+ $3.99 shipping
+ $3.99 shipping
Sold by:
Libraryly
Sold by:
Libraryly
(15294 ratings)
91% positive over last 12 months
91% positive over last 12 months
In stock.
Usually ships within 3 to 4 days.
Shipping rates
and
Return policy
Usually ships within 3 to 4 days.
Add to book club
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club?
Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Flip to back
Flip to front
Follow the Author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
OK
Company Man: Thirty Years of Controversy and Crisis in the CIA Paperback – October 7, 2014
by
John Rizzo
(Author)
|
Price
|
New from | Used from |
|
Audible Audiobook, Unabridged
"Please retry"
|
$0.00
|
Free with your Audible trial | |
|
Audio CD, Audiobook, CD, Unabridged
"Please retry"
|
$44.99 | — |
Enhance your purchase
-
Print length336 pages
-
LanguageEnglish
-
PublisherScribner
-
Publication dateOctober 7, 2014
-
Dimensions6 x 1 x 9 inches
-
ISBN-101451673949
-
ISBN-13978-1451673944
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
-
Apple
-
Android
-
Windows Phone
-
Android
|
Download to your computer
|
Kindle Cloud Reader
|
Frequently bought together
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Editorial Reviews
Review
“CIA Directors have come and gone over the past several decades. There were two constants at the agency: crises and John Rizzo in the Office of General Counsel helping to manage them. A larger than life character, with great style, nobody worked harder to protect the nation and the men and women of CIA than John Rizzo. Company Man offers fresh insights into the some of the most highly debated national security issues of our time, from the perspective of an honest and dedicated public servant. It is a must read for those trying to understand some very important moments in the history of the CIA.” -- George J. Tenet, Former Director of Central Intelligence
“A wonderful book by a man who was in the eye of the storm for thirty-four years. Told with humor and unfailing appreciation for the politics of espionage, Company Man is the best book out there on the modern CIA.” -- Robert Baer, New York Times-bestselling author of See No Evil and The Perfect Kill
“John Rizzo has seen it all in his 30 years as a CIA lawyer, and he tells the truth in this absorbing, well-written memoir of his life as a Company Man. Think of Tom Hagen, the Corleone family lawyer in "The Godfather," and you begin to get the flavor of what Rizzo had seen and heard. He draws vivid portraits of the agency's great characters and their sometimes outrageous schemes. The best thing about the book is that you sense Rizzo never stopped being a lawyer or trying to give his clients good, straight-up advice. If you're interested in the inside life of the CIA, read this book!” -- David Ignatius, Washington Post columnist and New York Times-bestselling author of Body of Lies
"John Rizzo, formerly the CIA's top attorney, has superbly captured the scope of his fascinating career in Company Man. Not only does he cover the major espionage and covert action of the decades he served, he also conveys an enduring and critical lesson for all liberal democracies--the centrality of the rule of law at the nexus of foreign policy and intelligence. John, who always provided clear and honest counsel to the CIA's Clandestine Service, has crafted an important book with the same sense of intellectual integrity and duty." -- Ambassador Henry A. Crumpton, New York Times-bestselling author of The Art of Intelligence, Chairman & CEO of Crumpton Group LLC and 24-year veteran of the CIA's Clandestine Ser
“When the CIA was in trouble, big trouble, it called John… Rizzo knows where the bodies are buried because he helped stash them. Company Man reads like the CIA's conscience: what the CIA was thinking as it shifted from collecting information to killing terrorists after 9/11. Why did the CIA violently interrogate suspects and then destroy the evidence? Rizzo knows, and he's talking.” -- Richard Engel, NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent and author of War Journal
“Company Man is simply the most revealing insider account to date of the top ranks of the CIA during its most historic--and controversial--era. There is news and humor in every chapter. Frankly, I often found myself wondering why the CIA's pre-publication censors signed off on some of it.” -- Dana Priest, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for the Washington Post and co-author of Top Secret America
“[A] lively memoir of life and work inside the nation’s intelligence headquarters.” ― Publisher's Weekly
“Under seven presidents and 11 different CIA directors, Rizzo rose to become the CIA’s most powerful career attorney… [he] accumulated more than 30 years of war stories, and he tells most of them…[Rizzo] clearly loved his job and, readers conclude, served the agency and his country well.” ― Kirkus Reviews
“Must reading for today’s political junkies…. As insider looks go, this one is about as close-up as you can get.” -- Booklist
“[A] revealing and funny memoir…. Rizzo provides a clear, detailed account of his decision-making and his role in the C.I.A.’s interrogation program…. Rizzo’s memoir is an important contribution.” -- Steve Coll ― The New Yorker “Daily Comment”
“Revealing… Whatever conclusion you draw, Rizzo's book makes an important contribution to history and the debate over interrogation…. Company Man is tailor-made for CIA buffs. Rizzo's career as an agency lawyer spanned the decades from Iran-Contra to drones, with Russian turncoat Aldrich Ames, the rise of al-Qaida…. His book manages to strike notes that are both earnest and candid. That alone sets Company Man apart in the genre.” -- Matt Apuzzo ― Associated Press
"A gripping story." ― New York Times Book Review
"Few books have this scope or insider perspective on the CIA. Rizzo seems to have been there for everything — from Iran-contra to Valerie Plame to the arrival of President Obama. And that makes Company Man a front-row seat on the hidden world of intelligence over the past 30 years.... Rizzo rose from humble beginnings to become a fixture in national intelligence.... An atlas to navigate the dark, murky morality that governs the business of intelligence." -- Dina Temple-Raston ― Washington Post
"Emphatically a book for anyone who cares about the security of this country and about how the political classes treat those charged with protecting it." -- Michael Mukasey ― Wall Street Journal
"Both students and lay readers of American politics should find considerable value in this memoir." ― Library Journal
"Rizzo's memoir often reads like a good spy novel." -- Andrea Mitchell, NBC News
“A gripping, affecting and revelatory story.” ― The Age (Australia)
“John Rizzo takes readers deep inside Langley.... Informative and mordantly witty, [Rizzo] … reveals fascinating details … and does not hesitate to peer into the future with an insider’s prediction that ought to command our attention.” ― Boston Globe
“Fascinating and insightful… A unique and refreshing perspective… a surprising page-turner.” ― Fredericksburg Freelance Star
“Rizzo saw and heard a lot. The astonishing roster of his bosses begins with William Colby, followed by George H.?W. Bush, Stansfield Turner, William Casey, William Webster, Robert Gates, James Woolsey, John Deutch, George Tenet, Porter Goss, and Leon Panetta. Rizzo’s portraits of these individuals in action—some of them legendary figures in the history of American espionage—make this memoir worth the price of admission. But Company Man also holds interest for the light it sheds on a variety of quasi-secret subjects, some of them highly controversial.” -- Gabriel Schoenfeld ― The Weekly Standard
“[A] remarkable career… Rizzo is a good story-teller… I liked this book very much …. one man whose story is wrapped up in the many twists and turns of the CIA’s modern history of triumph, failure, and scandal, and whose personal story offers an important window into why those triumphs, failures, and scandals probably can’t ever be separated.” -- Benjamin Wittes, Lawfare Blog
“An exceptionally valuable resource. What this book does well, among other things, is explain the inner workings of the processes of the most controversial CIA programs of the past decade…. Reading John Rizzo’s book, and being more familiar with the scope of law within the area of national security law would help citizens and reporters to process the actions and accusations of our nation’s elected and appointed leaders…. Company Man is an excellent read." -- Tobias T. Gibson, Law and Politics Book Review
“A wonderful book by a man who was in the eye of the storm for thirty-four years. Told with humor and unfailing appreciation for the politics of espionage, Company Man is the best book out there on the modern CIA.” -- Robert Baer, New York Times-bestselling author of See No Evil and The Perfect Kill
“John Rizzo has seen it all in his 30 years as a CIA lawyer, and he tells the truth in this absorbing, well-written memoir of his life as a Company Man. Think of Tom Hagen, the Corleone family lawyer in "The Godfather," and you begin to get the flavor of what Rizzo had seen and heard. He draws vivid portraits of the agency's great characters and their sometimes outrageous schemes. The best thing about the book is that you sense Rizzo never stopped being a lawyer or trying to give his clients good, straight-up advice. If you're interested in the inside life of the CIA, read this book!” -- David Ignatius, Washington Post columnist and New York Times-bestselling author of Body of Lies
"John Rizzo, formerly the CIA's top attorney, has superbly captured the scope of his fascinating career in Company Man. Not only does he cover the major espionage and covert action of the decades he served, he also conveys an enduring and critical lesson for all liberal democracies--the centrality of the rule of law at the nexus of foreign policy and intelligence. John, who always provided clear and honest counsel to the CIA's Clandestine Service, has crafted an important book with the same sense of intellectual integrity and duty." -- Ambassador Henry A. Crumpton, New York Times-bestselling author of The Art of Intelligence, Chairman & CEO of Crumpton Group LLC and 24-year veteran of the CIA's Clandestine Ser
“When the CIA was in trouble, big trouble, it called John… Rizzo knows where the bodies are buried because he helped stash them. Company Man reads like the CIA's conscience: what the CIA was thinking as it shifted from collecting information to killing terrorists after 9/11. Why did the CIA violently interrogate suspects and then destroy the evidence? Rizzo knows, and he's talking.” -- Richard Engel, NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent and author of War Journal
“Company Man is simply the most revealing insider account to date of the top ranks of the CIA during its most historic--and controversial--era. There is news and humor in every chapter. Frankly, I often found myself wondering why the CIA's pre-publication censors signed off on some of it.” -- Dana Priest, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for the Washington Post and co-author of Top Secret America
“[A] lively memoir of life and work inside the nation’s intelligence headquarters.” ― Publisher's Weekly
“Under seven presidents and 11 different CIA directors, Rizzo rose to become the CIA’s most powerful career attorney… [he] accumulated more than 30 years of war stories, and he tells most of them…[Rizzo] clearly loved his job and, readers conclude, served the agency and his country well.” ― Kirkus Reviews
“Must reading for today’s political junkies…. As insider looks go, this one is about as close-up as you can get.” -- Booklist
“[A] revealing and funny memoir…. Rizzo provides a clear, detailed account of his decision-making and his role in the C.I.A.’s interrogation program…. Rizzo’s memoir is an important contribution.” -- Steve Coll ― The New Yorker “Daily Comment”
“Revealing… Whatever conclusion you draw, Rizzo's book makes an important contribution to history and the debate over interrogation…. Company Man is tailor-made for CIA buffs. Rizzo's career as an agency lawyer spanned the decades from Iran-Contra to drones, with Russian turncoat Aldrich Ames, the rise of al-Qaida…. His book manages to strike notes that are both earnest and candid. That alone sets Company Man apart in the genre.” -- Matt Apuzzo ― Associated Press
"A gripping story." ― New York Times Book Review
"Few books have this scope or insider perspective on the CIA. Rizzo seems to have been there for everything — from Iran-contra to Valerie Plame to the arrival of President Obama. And that makes Company Man a front-row seat on the hidden world of intelligence over the past 30 years.... Rizzo rose from humble beginnings to become a fixture in national intelligence.... An atlas to navigate the dark, murky morality that governs the business of intelligence." -- Dina Temple-Raston ― Washington Post
"Emphatically a book for anyone who cares about the security of this country and about how the political classes treat those charged with protecting it." -- Michael Mukasey ― Wall Street Journal
"Both students and lay readers of American politics should find considerable value in this memoir." ― Library Journal
"Rizzo's memoir often reads like a good spy novel." -- Andrea Mitchell, NBC News
“A gripping, affecting and revelatory story.” ― The Age (Australia)
“John Rizzo takes readers deep inside Langley.... Informative and mordantly witty, [Rizzo] … reveals fascinating details … and does not hesitate to peer into the future with an insider’s prediction that ought to command our attention.” ― Boston Globe
“Fascinating and insightful… A unique and refreshing perspective… a surprising page-turner.” ― Fredericksburg Freelance Star
“Rizzo saw and heard a lot. The astonishing roster of his bosses begins with William Colby, followed by George H.?W. Bush, Stansfield Turner, William Casey, William Webster, Robert Gates, James Woolsey, John Deutch, George Tenet, Porter Goss, and Leon Panetta. Rizzo’s portraits of these individuals in action—some of them legendary figures in the history of American espionage—make this memoir worth the price of admission. But Company Man also holds interest for the light it sheds on a variety of quasi-secret subjects, some of them highly controversial.” -- Gabriel Schoenfeld ― The Weekly Standard
“[A] remarkable career… Rizzo is a good story-teller… I liked this book very much …. one man whose story is wrapped up in the many twists and turns of the CIA’s modern history of triumph, failure, and scandal, and whose personal story offers an important window into why those triumphs, failures, and scandals probably can’t ever be separated.” -- Benjamin Wittes, Lawfare Blog
“An exceptionally valuable resource. What this book does well, among other things, is explain the inner workings of the processes of the most controversial CIA programs of the past decade…. Reading John Rizzo’s book, and being more familiar with the scope of law within the area of national security law would help citizens and reporters to process the actions and accusations of our nation’s elected and appointed leaders…. Company Man is an excellent read." -- Tobias T. Gibson, Law and Politics Book Review
About the Author
John Rizzo had a thirty-four-year career as a lawyer at the CIA, culminating with seven years as the Agency’s chief legal officer. In the post-9/11 era, he helped create and implement the full spectrum of aggressive counterterrorist operations against Al Qaeda, including the so-called “enhanced interrogation program” and lethal strikes against the Al Qaeda leadership. He has served as senior counsel at a Washington DC law firm and is a visiting scholar at the Hoover Institution. He is a graduate of Brown University and George Washington University Law School.
Start reading Company Man on your Kindle in under a minute.
Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Product details
- Publisher : Scribner; Reprint edition (October 7, 2014)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 336 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1451673949
- ISBN-13 : 978-1451673944
- Item Weight : 12.8 ounces
- Dimensions : 6 x 1 x 9 inches
-
Best Sellers Rank:
#168,036 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #152 in Iraq War Biographies
- #199 in Lawyer & Judge Biographies
- #240 in Iraq War History (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
145 global ratings
How are ratings calculated?
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2014
Verified Purchase
12 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2014
Verified Purchase
I am familiar with Rizzo and his history. His longevity and involvement in so many key issues makes him a Forrest Gump-like character--in the right place at the right time for a good deal of the Agency's history. Rizzo gives a good account of the events he describes, but does an awkward job at times in pulling his punches. Specifically, he'll offer what I believe is legitimate criticism of someone, but then quickly try to mend any potential offense by offering a defense of the inappropriate activity he criticizes and claiming that the instigator remains a great friend. Look--you can't have it both ways. Call a spade a spade. It's inevitable that not everyone is going to love you if you write a book like this. The author should have accepted that fact. Beyond that fault, which I found annoying, the book offers an outstanding overview of some key and controversial Agency activities and explains them in a perspective that is fresh and will be educational for interested readers. That quality earns four stars, but trying to stay buddies with those whom the author criticizes cost him the fifth star in my review.
2 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2014
Verified Purchase
This book rates five stars because it is a first hand account by an inside actor in the CIA. He has worked for several presidents describing how they viewed the Agency and how important the relationship is between the president and the Agency . The author makes no bones about the pressures he was under from press revelations, legalities and dealings with Congress. With the exception of a few critical comments about a few politicians and two journalists the author praises others and deflates press and other written accounts. I have recommended this book to friends and relations that are lawyers. The author has dealt with a large number of people in his assignments and it may be hard to follow the narrative in some cases depending on the issue at hand. Nonetheless, the writing flows and the author's wins and losses are out there in plain view. Definitely worth reading.
4 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2014
Verified Purchase
An autobiography written in an easy to read style. The recounting of events seems to have a natural almost intuitive (to the reader) flow. I've seen the author interviewed on TV a couple of times and each time I found myself wishing it would last a little longer. This book is a reasonable substitute. The author has high regard for Bob Woodward but makes it clear that he doesn't buy Woodward's story about getting an admission from DCI Casey regarding Iran Contra from Casey's hospital bed. Enjoyable and enlightening.
2 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2015
Verified Purchase
The problem with being a ground-level spy in the intelligence business is that you are only privy to the "need to know" secrets that you directly work with. To get the big picture view with access to any and all juicy details, you'd have to be President or......in-house counsel for the CIA.
John Rizzo knew EVERY skeleton in EVERY closet in his long career at CIA because it was his JOB to know!
Anyone who has ever watched corporate lawyers in action know that the field is littered with legal beagles who specialize in advising their superiors on how to "drive 43 mph in a 45 mph zone." Playing safe is not something you get to do, however, when you are trying to balance law, critical foreign policy objectives and operational effectiveness wherein millions of lives may hang in the balance.
Rizzo provides the reader with one of the most comprehensive historical perspectives on both the agency and numerous Presidential administrations from the vantage point of one of the most fascinating and pressure-packed professional careers imaginable.
Great stuff.
John Rizzo knew EVERY skeleton in EVERY closet in his long career at CIA because it was his JOB to know!
Anyone who has ever watched corporate lawyers in action know that the field is littered with legal beagles who specialize in advising their superiors on how to "drive 43 mph in a 45 mph zone." Playing safe is not something you get to do, however, when you are trying to balance law, critical foreign policy objectives and operational effectiveness wherein millions of lives may hang in the balance.
Rizzo provides the reader with one of the most comprehensive historical perspectives on both the agency and numerous Presidential administrations from the vantage point of one of the most fascinating and pressure-packed professional careers imaginable.
Great stuff.
3 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2014
Verified Purchase
This book kept me interested throughout as I found I was following the author's career in a government service of which the average person has little knowledge. John Rizzo was honest as to his mistakes and acknowledged that he was often naïve. This was particularly true when it came to politics.
He named many well known individuals and how they reacted when informed of secret classified information relating to prisoner interrogation. He even tells of visiting a "black site." I found this inside information fascinating.
He named many well known individuals and how they reacted when informed of secret classified information relating to prisoner interrogation. He even tells of visiting a "black site." I found this inside information fascinating.
One person found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2017
Verified Purchase
An ok read, some interesting content mixed with a bit of historical context I found interesting. However, I had a near sense in many instances that the author was attempting to mollify the reader into thinking that ensuing problems and legal complexities encounterd "were not the fault" of the author. I was not looking for apologies, I was interested in the historical narrative.
Top reviews from other countries
Ben de Jong
5.0 out of 5 stars
Especially interesting when it comes to relations between the CIA on the one hand and the US Goverment and Congress on the other
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2014Verified Purchase
'Company Man' doesn't offer much in terms of operational details about the CIA's work but it is definitely interesting when the author discusses the CIA's relationship with Congress and the US Government which is largely what the book is about. The dominance of this angle obviously has to do with the work of the author in the CIA's Office of General Counsel (OGC) over a period of more than thirty years. The book covers a lot of ground from the mid 1970s to the beginning of the Obama administration and Rizzo has interesting things to say about practically all the scandals the CIA was involved in over this period, including older ones like Iran-Contra. He starts off with the story of the notorious 'torture tapes' which contained video recordings of the water boarding sessions of the well-known Al-Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydah and which ended up destroyed by CIA officials. Rizzo writes, interestingly, that Abu Zubaydah was not waterboarded (i.e. strapped to the board for a session) 83 times, as many of the CIA's critics have said, but had water splashed on him 83 times which is not the same, of course. He also offers many details about the by now well-known story of the 'torture memo's', which were signed off by officials of the Department of Justice under George W. Bush and gave the CIA legal justificaton to carry out the notorious 'Enhanced Interrrogation Techniques' (EITs). By the time these memo's became public under the newly-installed Obama Administration, the Department of Justice officials who had signed off on them earlier had moved on to positions outside government and the CIA, as has happened so often in its history, was left to carry the blame under a new administration. The book makes clear for the umpteenth time that when working on the operational side of the CIA it is absolutely necessary to have a good insurance policy which covers legal aid in case you ever have to appear in court as a consequence of having carried out orders from superiors, even though in this particular case and in the case of the destroyed torture tapes nobody from the CIA was ever tried by a court. One of the glaring omissions in the book, understandably but unfortunately, is the drone war against Al-Qaeda which took off under the presidency of George W. Bush and was intensified under Obama, but about which the US Government keeps largely silent to this day. According to press accounts I have seen, John Rizzo was also deeply involved in this. 'Company Man' has a light, bantering tone which makes it a very easy read. Its main virtue is in the fact that it offers a vivid account of many controversial episodes from the CIA's recent history from the perspective of the organization itself and not from the perspective of the extremely critical press accounts one usually reads.
One person found this helpful
Report abuse
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Pages with related products.
See and discover other items: law books for lawyers, cia department

![T.Weiner's Legacy of Ashes(Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA [Paperback])(2008)](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51UekLFolGL._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg)






