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Lindsey A. O'Rourke
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Covert Regime Change: America's Secret Cold War (Cornell Studies in Security Affairs) Hardcover – December 15, 2018

by Lindsey A. O'Rourke (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars 54 ratings
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O'Rourke's book offers a onestop shop for understanding foreignimposed regime change. Covert Regime Change is an impressive book and required reading for anyone interested in understanding hidden power in world politics.― Political Science Quarterly

States seldom resort to war to overthrow their adversaries. They are more likely to attempt to covertly change the opposing regime, by assassinating a foreign leader, sponsoring a coup d'état, meddling in a democratic election, or secretly aiding foreign dissident groups.

In Covert Regime Change, Lindsey A. O'Rourke shows us how states really act when trying to overthrow another state. She argues that conventional focus on overt cases misses the basic causes of regime change. O'Rourke provides substantive evidence of types of security interests that drive states to intervene. Offensive operations aim to overthrow a current military rival or break up a rival alliance. Preventive operations seek to stop a state from taking certain actions, such as joining a rival alliance, that may make them a future security threat. Hegemonic operations try to maintain a hierarchical relationship between the intervening state and the target government. Despite the prevalence of covert attempts at regime change, most operations fail to remain covert and spark blowback in unanticipated ways.

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  1. Part of series
    Cornell Studies in Security Affairs
  2. Print length
    330 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Cornell University Press
  5. Publication date
    December 15, 2018
  6. Reading age
    18 years and up
  7. Dimensions
    6 x 1.12 x 9 inches
  8. ISBN-10
    1501730657
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1501730658
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Covert Regime Change is a valuable book that sheds light on an important issue."

(Survival: Global Politics and Strategy)

"This is a book for scholars and policy makers; the footnotes are copious and extensive. However, given the long commitment to covert activity, the admonitions about such action undoubtedly will fall on deaf ears."

(Choice)

"Fantastic.... A well-written, important work that should productively inform foreign-policy debates going forward, particularly in the post–Iraq, post–Libya world where we can see, fully on display, the destructive power of regime change gone wrong.... O'Rourke's book should be essential reading."

(The National Interest)

Review

The reality of covert operations that meddle with the domestic regimes of other states, as Lindsey O'Rourke documents, is that when the secret intervention fails it becomes public, leaving the unsuccessful intervener with egg on his face and blood on his hands. Every government library from the White House to the C.I.A. needs copies of this book on their shelves.

-- Michael Desch, Packey J. Dee Professor of International Relations, Founding Director of the Notre Dame International Security Center, and author of Cult of the Irrelevant

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cornell University Press
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 15, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 330 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1501730657
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1501730658
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.42 pounds
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.12 x 9 inches
  • Part of series ‏ : ‎ Cornell Studies in Security Affairs
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 54 ratings

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Lindsey A. O'Rourke

Lindsey A. O'Rourke

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Ray
    5.0 out of 5 stars an eye opener
    Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Good reading and an eye opener.
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  • IAP
    5.0 out of 5 stars If you want to know about US foreign policy since WW2 you must read this book
    Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    An expert analysis of US foreign policy with regard to overt and covert intervention in many countries during the past half century. One may or may not agree with the author's views as to the necessity or desirability of the US supporting or instigating "regime change" around the world, but the facts are scrupulously researched and clearly presented.
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  • B. C.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Eye opening
    Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    American foreign policy exposed as ineffective, deadly, and incompetent through careful research. With a success rate of below 15% why does the US continue to overthrow governments around the world?
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  • Alexander Hagen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly dispassionate and incisive analysis
    Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2023
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I have studied this subject since I read Noam Chomsky's "Washington Connection and Third World Fascism" Volumes 1 and 2 - when I was 15, 44 years ago. This is a must read for its method of deconstructing the mechanics of regime change - in terms of maintaining hegemon or great power success.

    I hope the Author has the courage and temerity to tackle 1990-2023!

    This year has been interesting in the "reversion to national sovereignty" coups where what appear to be "indigenous" elements take power to rid the country of a compromised leader - beholden to the West, offering far too high profits to France, etc. Will the US or France be able to conduct overt or covert ops and will they succeed or fail - to use a "restoration of electoral democracy" narrative - or will they seek to back channel compromise the coup commitees? (Unlikely) There is a wave of military coups to "improve sovereignty and good governance" -
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Erik
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book Sobering and Historic
    Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Clearly a book that has been extensively researched. The book describes initially the various reasons and methods used for intervention. It then shows how most were unsuccessful or even made problems worse. The final chapters include a series of case studies where a select few of the interventions are reviewed in greater detail.
    The book have been written without much emotion, which must have been very hard considering the seriousness and often tragic consequences that many of these operations had for many people.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • alexey
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good one
    Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    a little bit boring at the beginning it becomes more interesting with each chapter. The author goes long ways to prove her points about the rationals behind the scenes of covert operations. Impressive work with sources and documents obtained via FOI requests. Good choice of cases. Focused on Cold War, but clearly shows that the same policies are still active. Personally, I enjoyed reading it.
    13 people found this helpful
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  • jennifer M Hehemann
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well researched and intelligently composed
    Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2020
    Format: Kindle
    I found this book to be a thought provoking and well-cited history lesson. The author does a great job providing loads of evidence to support her points and lays it out in an easily digestible format. Would highly recommend to anyone with an interest in politics, foreign relations, and history.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Jake Shute
    5.0 out of 5 stars Theory
    Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2020
    Format: Hardcover
    Excellent theoretical framework for understanding why policy makers choose to use covert regime change as a tool of foreign policy.
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • RDM
    5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for every adult
    Reviewed in India on October 12, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    What we see might not be the fact, and what we believe or have been made to believe might not be the truth
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  • Avanti Victoire Rao
    5.0 out of 5 stars The most prolific work on US Covert Activity until 1989
    Reviewed in Germany on September 30, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This book is one of a kind. It breaks down covert operations in groups and lists them in detail.
    It is a heavy read even for those who read a lot of non-fiction. This one is really academic and should be read by students of Political Science.
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  • Akolyth
    5.0 out of 5 stars Unerläßlich
    Reviewed in Germany on January 6, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Wer Politik verstehen will, muß zuerst die Politik der USA verstehen. Und man muß wissen, daß es eigentlich nur Außenpolitik gibt. Innenpolitik ist immer nur eine Beschäftigungstherapie für Abiturienten und Hausfrauen. Das geht besonders gut anhand einer Liste wie der mit dem Buch vorgelegten.
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