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The Puzzle Palace: Inside the National Security Agency, America's Most Secret Intelligence Organization Paperback – September 29, 1983

by James Bamford (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars (354)
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In this remarkable tour de force of investigative reporting, James Bamford exposes the inner workings of America's largest, most secretive, and arguably most intrusive intelligence agency. The NSA has long eluded public scrutiny, but The Puzzle Palace penetrates its vast network of power and unmasks the people who control it, often with shocking disregard for the law. With detailed information on the NSA's secret role in the Korean Airlines disaster, Iran-Contra, the first Gulf War, and other major world events of the 80s and 90s, this is a brilliant account of the use and abuse of technological espionage.
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  1. Print length
    656 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Publishing Group
  4. Publication date
    September 29, 1983
  5. Dimensions
    5.06 x 1.48 x 7.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0140067485
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0140067484
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In 1947, the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand signed a secret treaty in which they agreed to cooperate in matters of signals intelligence. In effect, the governments agreed to pool their geographic and technological assets in order to listen in on the electronic communications of China, the Soviet Union, and other Cold War bad guys--all in the interest of truth, justice, and the American Way, naturally. The thing is, the system apparently catches everything. Government security services, led by the U.S. National Security Agency, screen a large part (and perhaps all) of the voice and data traffic that flows over the global communications network. Fifty years later, the European Union is investigating possible violations of its citizens' privacy rights by the NSA, and the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a public advocacy group, has filed suit against the NSA, alleging that the organization has illegally spied on U.S. citizens.

Being a super-secret spy agency and all, it's tough to get a handle on what's really going on at the NSA. However, James Bamford has done great work in documenting the agency's origins and Cold War exploits in The Puzzle Palace. Beginning with the earliest days of cryptography (code-making and code-breaking are large parts of the NSA's mission), Bamford explains how the agency's predecessors helped win World War II by breaking the German Enigma machine and defeating the Japanese Purple cipher. He also documents signals intelligence technology, ranging from the usual collection of spy satellites to a great big antenna in the West Virginia woods that listened to radio signals as they bounced back from the surface of the moon.

Bamford backs his serious historical and technical material (this is a carefully researched work of nonfiction) with warnings about how easily the NSA's technology could work against the democracies of the world. Bamford quotes U.S. Senator Frank Church: "If this government ever became a tyranny ... the technological capacity that the intelligence community has given the government could enable it to impose total tyranny, and there would be no way to fight back, because the most careful effort to combine together in resistance to the government ... is within the reach of the government to know." This is scary stuff. --David Wall

Review

"There have been glimpses inside the NSA before, but until now no one has published a comprehensive and detailed report on the agency. . . Mr. Bamford has emerged with everything except the combination to the director's safe." —The New York Times Book Review

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Publishing Group
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 29, 1983
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 656 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140067485
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140067484
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.12 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.06 x 1.48 x 7.75 inches
  • Best Sellers Rank: #299,790 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars (354)

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James Bamford

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
354 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book interesting as an introduction to the history of the NSA and appreciate its detailed information. The book receives positive feedback for its accuracy, with one customer describing it as a factual account. However, customers disagree on the historical content, with some finding it fascinating while others describe it as dull. Moreover, the book's pace receives criticism for being sluggish, and several customers note that it feels dated.

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ReadabilityInformation qualityAccuracyDated contentHistoryPace
42 customers mention "Readability"37 positive5 negative

Customers find the book interesting and well-written, with one customer noting it serves as an excellent introduction to the history of the National Security Agency.

"Great book and I really liked it. Wanted to get extra for my children to have about some of my work." Read more

"Worked for NSA while I was in the Navy. Excellent book." Read more

"A good read, but it shines a light on a organization that has no limits . That is a concept that is counter to good government...." Read more

"Having worked in the periphery of the field, I find it very interesting...." Read more

20 customers mention "Information quality"18 positive2 negative

Customers praise the book's detailed information, with one customer noting it covers all aspects of the NSA and provides a brilliant account of technological espionage.

"Not too entertaining. Very informative...." Read more

"Amazing Detail And Historical Mystery Of NSA..." Read more

"Accurate. Detailed. Puzzle Palace...." Read more

"...I knew about this book for years and finally sat down to read it. Great information of the inner workings of the CIA and other agencies...." Read more

3 customers mention "Accuracy"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the accuracy of the book.

"This book is a factual account of the early years of NSA and other US intelligence agencies...." Read more

"...A must read for every US Person - A real EYE OPENER on our tax dollars at work. Jonathan" Read more

"Accurate. Detailed. Puzzle Palace...." Read more

5 customers mention "Dated content"2 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's dated content.

"...The only problem is that this book is a bit dated, so it's hard to know how similar the early '80s Puzzle Palace compares with that of the early..." Read more

"This is an old book, but I wanted a hard copy for my library. You've got to read his latest - current book - SPY FAIL!" Read more

"...Because it's dated, and dry, I wouldn't recommend this book to casual readers...." Read more

"Old book but still relevant today" Read more

5 customers mention "History"3 positive2 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the historical content of the book, with some finding it dull while others appreciate it.

"Fascinating history of this agency, but the details won't put you to sleep. I learned more than I had expected to." Read more

"For academic use only. A dull history, devoid of any human interest. Better to check it out from a library than to buy." Read more

"...some good human interest stories inside." Read more

"OUtdated book and boring history going back to 1900..." Read more

3 customers mention "Pace"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the pace of the book sluggish.

"...America's Most Secret Agency" is a frustrating read due to its sluggish pace...." Read more

"stopped reading after a chapter. Found it to be slow and boring" Read more

"...This is not a John le Carre thriller; it does move slowly. But that doesn't mean it doesn't have its usefulness...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • R. E. Roper
    5.0 out of 5 stars Accurate. Detailed. Puzzle Palace.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    De facto standard for referencing these activities. Older volume but scope remains suitable. Must read item.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Glenn F. Spencer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Detail And Historical Mystery Of NSA
    Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Being a former military member and SIGINT operator, the history this book supplies is fascinating. It answered a lot of questions for me.

    I understanding wanting to be thorough, but it is to a fault and can get overwhelming with minute details. It could have been shorter and been just as good. If you can wade through the names and dates, it is an interesting read.

    The only other drawback is the date of the publication, which is 1982. An updated version would be great if it was possible.
    6 people found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Monty Vierra
    5.0 out of 5 stars Important Background to the Snowden Leaks
    Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Some reviewers have expressed dissatisfaction with the sometimes ponderous way the book moves, and some have complained that the book is out of date. This is not a John le Carre thriller; it does move slowly. But that doesn't mean it doesn't have its usefulness. And it is right up there with today's headlines. Reading this book can help people understand the evolution of the organization. Unlike when it was written and until the advent of the Internet, it really was shrouded in secrecy. Bamford helped to lift that shroud. To get a sharp contrast with this book, one only has to go to the NSA website, where just about everything is spelled out in black and white.

    When we consider that people as far removed as the leaders of Germany and Indonesia appear shocked by the 2013 revelations that NSA is spying on them, we can conclude either that they have never read this book or that they have and don't want to tell their citizens about it. In short, as Bamford points out, one or more members of the "5 Eyes Only" group has been spying on mass communications ever since the transatlantic cables were first laid, more than a century ago.

    Another valuable part of this history is the laying to rest of some myths of WWII communications. Bamford's book is a good counterweight to books and articles emphasizing the Enigma device. I recall one author claiming that Roosevelt "knew" the Japanese were going to attack Pearl Harbor and "let" it happen. Bamford supplies the more complex, nuanced story of how the communications failed due to human error, not to any "conspiracy."

    The afterword contains the story of Geoffrey Arthur Prime, which is the closest we get to a Le Carre style spy story. Prime was carrying on his work while the 1974 Le Carre novel, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was being written. See pages 502-532 in the paperback edition I have. Perhaps NSA should assign someone to read spy novels.

    There is one major problem with this edition, but it doesn't seem to be the author's fault.The blurb on the back of the book claims that the book includes "information on the NSA's secret role" in "major world events of the 1980s and 1990s." The afterward ends with 1982. There's nothing after that: No "Korean Airlines disaster [Sept 1, 1983], Iran-Contra [1986], [nor] the Gulf War [1990-91]."

    Readers counting on the book to cover these topics should complain to Penguin Books.
    30 people found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Curtis L. Bagley
    3.0 out of 5 stars True to its name “The Puzzle Palace”.
    Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Not too entertaining. Very informative. NSA should create a format to ehelp the reader remember the hundreds of names beginning in the early 1900’s to the present.
    Helpful
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  • Donna Bittinger
    5.0 out of 5 stars Book
    Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Worked here. Good book
    Helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars What is happening now in the 21st Century?
    Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    As other reviewers have said "Purple Palace" brings us to the mid 1980s. But much has changed going into 2024. How can NSA deal with the huge amount of fibre optic cable that has replaced terrestrial transmissions and electronic communication.
    A bigger concern is Artificial Intelligence and what it could do to decryption and encryption. To me it seems that AI will do a fantastic job of creating Keys and do just as good a job, if not better, of deciphering Keys.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • EB
    4.0 out of 5 stars Too bad it's so dated...
    Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    "The Puzzle Palace" probably would have been a five star book back when it was published in 1982, a book that might have rattled a few cages and opened many eyes to what was then a secret organization.

    Since then, not only has the world of spydom changed (or at least I hope it has!!!), but nonfiction narratives have changed as well. This book is crammed with specifics but it reads like a textbook, which is about the way most nonfiction was written forty years ago. These days we expect and appreciate an easier reading experience--one that blends interesting narrative with otherwise dry facts.

    Because it's dated, and dry, I wouldn't recommend this book to casual readers. If you're intrigued by the ins and outs of intelligence gathering and distribution, this book will provide some insight into how it's been done in the past. And when taken in this way, the book helped me understand how faulty our intelligence systems have been and how good they've been--at the same time.

    But the book is probably going to be of most value to those interested in the history of secret agencies, the National Security Agency (NSA) in particular. Who ran the agency when, what types of intelligence they were gathering, how they distributed secret information across vast distances, which scandals most rocked the NSA's world, and how the agency became less secret are all covered.
    17 people found this helpful
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  • Darlene Patrick
    5.0 out of 5 stars Book
    Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Very interesting and informative
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Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • tonio
    5.0 out of 5 stars Une histoire presque exhaustive de la NSA
    Reviewed in France on November 22, 2019
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Enfin une histoire à peu près exhaustive quant à l'histoire de la NSA.

    Un livre que doit posséder les personnes passionnées par les écoutes et l'espionnage.
    Report
  • XMP
    5.0 out of 5 stars Inside the NSA - National Bestseller
    Reviewed in Germany on June 25, 2018
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    "There have been glimpses inside the NSA before, but until now no one has published a comprehensive and detailed report
    on the agency...Mr. Bamford has emerged with everything except the combination to the director's safe."
    -- The New York Times Book Review
    Report
  • Graham
    5.0 out of 5 stars James Bamford has written two newer and - especially post-Snowden ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 20, 2015
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    James Bamford has written two newer and - especially post-Snowden - important books but this remains a fascinating and gripping read even in the historical context it now exists in. Essential reading still for anyone wanting the definitive public history of the NSA, the only caveat to that statement is that you should also buy and read Bamford's other books on the subject too.
    Report
  • Tom Garvey
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great overview on code breaking and the history of the ...
    Reviewed in Canada on January 21, 2018
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    A great overview on code breaking and the history of the NSA.
    Report
  • Jan Onderwater aus NL
    3.0 out of 5 stars Ein Bisschen Enttäuschend.
    Reviewed in Germany on July 16, 2017
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Dieses Buch handelt über die NSA, und es ist vor allen ein Bisschen Enttäuschend. Erwarte keine tiefe Einsichten oder Enthüllungen. An sich gut geschrieben und unterhaltsam, aber nicht viel mehr als das.
    Es verspricht viel mehr als es hält.
    Report