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Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Tim Weiner (Author), Stefan Rudnicki (Narrator), Blackstone Audio, Inc. (Publisher)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,807 ratings
Editors' pick Best History
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National Book Award Winner, Nonfiction, 2007

This is the book the CIA does not want you to read. For the last 60 years, the CIA has maintained a formidable reputation in spite of its terrible record, never disclosing its blunders to the American public. It spun its own truth to the nation while reality lay buried in classified archives. Now, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter Tim Weiner offers a stunning indictment of the CIA, a deeply flawed organization that has never deserved America's confidence.

Legacy of Ashes is based on more than 50,000 documents, primarily from the archives of the CIA. Everything is on the record. There are no anonymous sources, no blind quotations. With shocking revelations that will make headlines, Tim Weiner gets at the truth and tells us how the CIA's failures have profoundly jeopardized our national security.

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  1. Listening Length
    21 hours and 37 minutes
  2. Author
    Tim Weiner
  3. Narrator
    Stefan Rudnicki
  4. Audible release date
    July 3, 2007
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Blackstone Audio, Inc.
  7. ASIN
    B000TD15NE
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 21 hours and 37 minutes
Author Tim Weiner
Narrator Stefan Rudnicki
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date July 03, 2007
Publisher Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B000TD15NE
Best Sellers Rank #4,325 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#8 in National & International Security (Audible Books & Originals)
#9 in 21st Century History
#10 in Intelligence & Espionage (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,807 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book an interesting and worthwhile read. They appreciate the well-researched and insightful information about the CIA. The writing style is described as good and methodical. However, some readers feel the book focuses too much on failures and negative events like the Bay of Pigs, which may be too biased. Opinions differ on authenticity - some find it truthful and honest, while others feel the author's opinions are too evident.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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ReadabilityInformation qualityWriting qualityAuthenticityEffectiveness
152 customers mention "Readability"139 positive13 negative

Customers find the book readable and interesting. They praise the author's knowledge of the subject, his well-researched and documented work, and the book as an engaging page-turner. Readers also mention that the research is impressive, and the book provides valuable insights into the CIA's history.

"Great read by a knowledgeable writer who covered the agency for a couple decades...." Read more

"...Food for thought. Definitely worth a read...." Read more

"...of the CIA with reasonable detail without great depth so it is an enjoyable read that serves as an excellent primer for the evolution of the CIA..." Read more

"...Good journalistic style, and probably good journalism, but this is not history...." Read more

143 customers mention "Information quality"123 positive20 negative

Customers find the book provides insightful and comprehensive information about the CIA's history. They describe it as an insightful, well-written, and well-documented account of US domestic and international history in the latter half of the 20th century.

"This is not a heavy detailed analysis of the CIA but a great over view of the CIA with brief chapters broken in periods of time, by presidents or a..." Read more

"Great book on the Sorted History of the Central Intelligence Agency and their influence on various countries in the world." Read more

"...Anyway, the anecdotes are more interesting when they refer to events closer in time (and even more when they deal with the Bush II Administration)...." Read more

"...This book is engagingly written and draws on a remarkable selection of sources--including direct interviews with many involved in intelligence work..." Read more

52 customers mention "Writing quality"43 positive9 negative

Customers find the book well-written and easy to read. They appreciate the author's methodical approach to presenting the history of the CIA in clear, concise sections. The book is divided into digestible chapters and subsections, making it a fast-paced read.

"...Thus, this is a very fast paced read and the reason why I give it 5 stars is because it serves the purpose of giving a broad history of the CIA with..." Read more

"...Good journalistic style, and probably good journalism, but this is not history...." Read more

"...This book is engagingly written and draws on a remarkable selection of sources--including direct interviews with many involved in intelligence work..." Read more

"...Now this book is essentially a massive and well written critique of CIA and especially the DO...." Read more

38 customers mention "Authenticity"19 positive19 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's authenticity. Some find it a truthful and believable expose of the CIA, with great detail on its failures. Others feel the author's opinion is too evident, and the scope is intimidating at times.

"...I think it’s a history book that should be taught in schools. It's a very real and important part of American history...." Read more

"...of stories about ineffective and/or ignorant leadership, politically-motivated subterfuge, in-fighting, and downright deliberate deception and..." Read more

"...It is a very eye-opening, totally believable, and sobering account of the psychology of another giant self serving federal bureaucracy." Read more

"...The only negative is that the author records so many notable negative events such as the Bay of Pigs, failures to get a leg up on the Russians..." Read more

34 customers mention "Effectiveness"8 positive26 negative

Customers find the book disappointing and inaccurate. It focuses on the CIA's poor record in field operations. Readers mention it is the worst book on the agency they have ever read.

"...The recurring themes of excesses, poor stewardship, lives lost needlessly, and infighting, bureaucratic incompetence, and weak, or at best ignorant..." Read more

"...at in the The Looking Glass War about the inefficient bureaucracy, ambitions far beyond actual capabilities and resulting..." Read more

"...There's not only incredible spy stories but also secret political plots, military strategies revealed and, of course, billions of tax-payer dollars..." Read more

"...CIA as an institution, the book really focuses on DO and its alleged failures...." Read more

Excellent Condition
4 out of 5 stars
Excellent Condition
The book while used was in excellent condition at a very reasonable price. As usual I was in no hurry for the book as I have several on hand yet to be read. I will take a look at the foreword to see if this one jumps to the head of the line. I have a special interest in the early days of the CIA as I met two men who were part of the OSS during WW II. These men served in the China/Burma theater and stayed behind in Hong Kong, Thailand ( and a third Jim Thompson who was in Malaysia). I was led to believe they were initial CIA operatives in that area (China???)
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Daniel Hurley
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Catlogue History of the CIA
    Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2008
    Verified Purchase
    This is not a heavy detailed analysis of the CIA but a great over view of the CIA with brief chapters broken in periods of time, by presidents or a certain activity thus it reads like a catalogue of CIA adventures including an excellent telling of its origins under Wild Bill Donovan. Thus, this is a very fast paced read and the reason why I give it 5 stars is because it serves the purpose of giving a broad history of the CIA with reasonable detail without great depth so it is an enjoyable read that serves as an excellent primer for the evolution of the CIA from the beginning to the end. The documentation; however, is excellent thus it was well researched. The only negative is that the author records so many notable negative events such as the Bay of Pigs, failures to get a leg up on the Russians during the cold war to the recent "slam dunk" proclamation that one does have to wonder if the leaders of the CIA were quite frequently a bunch of blithering idiots. However, failures are most likely more notable and many of the unknown successes may be a product of the service's secrecy. The one theme that is very note worthy, and probably fueled by the real paranoia of the cold war and spread of communism during the 40s and 50s, was the preoccupation with interfering with the governments in other countries as opposed to sheer espionage. That is the greatest part of the author's history as more than once our government sided with a harsh dictator that in retrospect cost the US friends in the future. Probably, the biggest weakness of the book is to properly put in perspective what it was like during those times that perpetuated the need to get involved with the politics of another country. The one serious element brought forth was the fact that heads if the CIA, and sometimes rogue station chiefs, were less than truthful within the organization and to the Presidents themselves, the latter being the biggest disappointment.
    15 people found this helpful
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  • Gregory A. Bonadies
    4.0 out of 5 stars Eye-opening, thought-provoking, inconclusive - just what you'd expect from spy business exposition.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA is a somewhat loose, roughly chronological compendium of events, activities, and leaders associated with the US Central Intelligence Agency from its inception in 1945 through 2007. Information for the work appears to have been gathered from numerous primary and secondary sources, including conversations with former members of the CIA, politicians, and a number of unclassified documents with some declassified just prior to the first publication of the book in 2007. Taken at face value, this New York Times reporter’s work shocks the reader in two ways.

    First, we are given to believe that the bulk of the efforts of the CIA from 1945 to 2007 were failed operations resulting from incompetent and bungling leadership within the agency. One comes away thinking the entire enterprise of U.S. intelligence gathering and covert operations is a series of one mis-guided, unmitigated disaster after another. The reader is treated to a litany of stories about ineffective and/or ignorant leadership, politically-motivated subterfuge, in-fighting, and downright deliberate deception and deceit on the part of the CIA with, and between and among others in the executive branch (presidents, vice presidents, and cabinet members), members of the military establishment, congress, and the state department.

    Second, this reader was appalled at the extent of CIA-sponsored “interventions” which are redolent of the highest degree of hypocrisy and duplicity in the violations of norms national sovereignty. Contemporary allegations of Russian interference in the United States election process through social media tampering seem quaint compared with the dozens or hundreds of episodes of interfering with foreign governments and societies; directly and indirectly destroying and/or supporting (sometimes both at the same time!) political actors and systems of governance in countries around the world. Dispensing propaganda and operating Radio-Free Europe pale against charges of assassination, coups, and para-military incursions, and full-blown (or at least partial) direct, but unacknowledged, military invasions.

    Justification for this no-holds-barred approach to intelligence gathering, counter-intelligence, espionage, and counter-espionage (and apparent counter-counter espionage, etc.), was the mission to combat, conquer, or at least contain the largely Soviet-engineered spread of communism. The net result of most of the work of the CIA seems to amount to an abhorrent waste of money, thousands of lives (CIA and surrogate foreign agents), layered on top of a litany of characters – at the highest level of government – engaging in all manner of excess, self-dealing, over-wrought ambition, and hubris with extremely little of benefit to the national security of the United States. The recurring themes of excesses, poor stewardship, lives lost needlessly, and infighting, bureaucratic incompetence, and weak, or at best ignorant, leadership throughout the CIA’s history is disheartening.

    Regarding the work itself, I must acknowledge and applaud Weiner’s effort to tackle such a difficult subject, especially one in a domain in which obscuring and obfuscating information is the modus operandi and where a good bit of the evidence is based on declassified information (at least those fragments of the total store of data the government has allowed to be declassified), together with conversations and dialogs with many who may have an ax to grind, a legacy to protect or promote, along with a fair amount of unsubstantiated stories, opinions, and conjectures. The reader must accept at the outset that only a partial story can be viewed and that much more (some at least as horrific as was exposed in the book itself), lies beneath the surface and veil of necessary, or at least claimed necessity for, secrecy to protect national security interests.

    The author pulls no punches in indicting the rank and file of politicians, military personnel, and civilian actors, showing culpability on both sides of the aisle of American politics. However, his wagging finger displays a hint of partisan slant at times. The journalistic reporting work of “facts,” to the extent the information reported can be considered as such, is punctuated with normative interjections, assessments, conclusions, and declarations that are mostly facile and unwarranted, or at least unproven. Clearly short on analysis, the work fulfils its ostensibly expository purpose, shedding light on the darker side of U.S. national security efforts.

    Legacy of Ashes points to the many challenges and obstacles facing those tasked with ensuring national security at all costs, including recruiting, training, and deploying spies and covert operations personnel (while keeping “moles” or foreign spies out of the ranks). Weiner points out the inherent paradox of the intelligence business that relies on methods, techniques, and programs of deception, disinformation, and mis-direction that run counter to principles underlying the U.S. Constitution, U.S. law, and likely that offend the moral and ethical sensibilities of a large part of the American electorate.

    The CIA Director role has shown to be a revolving door counting more than 30 different individuals (counting interim or acting directors) in its 73 year existence. Weiner notes this in his book and describes the challenges that such churn in leadership cause. By my count, the CIA director role has been filled by 12 or 13 career military officers, 7 academics, 5 lawyer/diplomats, 1 senator, and 2 business people (industrialist McCone, and oil man George H.W. Bush), with the remaining dozen or so individuals being career civil servants. One could argue that the bias towards military and civil service backgrounds is less suited and ill-matched to the requirements of leadership in such an organization as the CIA with such a mission as the CIA’s than that of an experienced and successful business person who knows how to set up and operate a sustainable operation. Granted the spy business is categorically different than making steel and setting up telecom infrastructure (McCone), and pumping oil (Bush), but sound command, control, and communication organization principles still apply.

    My opinion aside, it is clear from the book that the CIA has been in a constant state of identity crisis: Who are we? What is our mission? How should we organize and operate? What should we do/not do? How are we positioned vis-à-vis the Pentagon, the state department, the executive branch, the judiciary, Congress, etc. Has anything changed at the CIA in the decade since the Legacy of Ashes was published? I would like to see a follow-on work that scrapes together enough scraps about the CIA’s most recent decade to get some insight. I may have to wait another few years or longer before more documents are declassified to learn more.

    One could conclude from reading this work, assuming what is written accurately reflects the apparent doings, mis-doings, and state of disarray of the CIA, that the U.S. cannot possibly do the kinds of clandestine work, espionage, covert operations, etc. required to ensure the national security of our country given the values and structure of the our culture and system of governance. Perhaps the failures and shortcomings of the CIA imply reversion to old-fashioned, “hard-power” methods of geopolitical influence to avoid fighting an enemy with one hand tied behind our back. Exercising more severe “soft-power” methods for example economic sanctions may not be a substitute for hard power, but can certainly augment an arsenal of military and clandestine efforts. The rules of engagement for applying hard-power have historically been clearer when America’s leaders and people appeared to have the “stomach for war.” There is much complexity, guesswork, and difficulty in attempting to discern intentions when using military power, but the world of clandestine work is perhaps more-so burdened with these same challenges and is thus more prone to mis-calculation.

    Arguably, the focus of CIA efforts since the turn of the century is on non-state actors, i.e., terrorist groups and less on the designs of imperialist nations (Russia, China). Also, maybe Jimmy Carter was onto something in his efforts during his administration to direct at least some of the CIA’s resources towards addressing humanitarian crises around the world (as Weiner describes Carter’s direction to CIA leadership to sabotage apartheid in South Africa). Who knows if our CIA resources could have intervened in the Rwanda crisis of 1994 – perhaps half a million lives could have been saved. Is North Korea on the CIA’s radar? How about the dire situation in Syria and the Kurds in northern Iraq abandoned by the U.S. after deposing Saddam Hussein? Food for thought.

    Definitely worth a read. But you may end up hearing a little inner voice whisper outlandish speculations: “Is the author of Legacy of Ashes secretly on the CIA payroll?” or “Does he have a secret bank account in Switzerland being filled with Russian rubles for every word he writes that disparages the CIA?” Or maybe the KGB just wants me to believe the former and the CIA the latter, or vice versa. Hmmm…
    60 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • SoulMaidHealing
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read!
    Reviewed in Canada on July 17, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    It will tickle your brain!
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  • Enrique Delgado
    5.0 out of 5 stars Valió la pena.
    Reviewed in Mexico on February 11, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Llegó bien y a tiempo.
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  • Anonymous
    5.0 out of 5 stars I devoured the book
    Reviewed in Germany on November 15, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    "The history of ashes" reads like a novel, with the tiny little difference that it is not. Amazing what Mr Weiner achieved with this book. Looking for a sequel.
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  • Kindle Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars CiA
    Reviewed in India on October 26, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This means CIA is a total failur, nothing more.
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  • Michael K Willcox
    5.0 out of 5 stars Prompt delivery.
    Reviewed in Australia on January 8, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    To read on my holiday
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