The CIA and the Pursuit of Security - (Intelligence, Surveillance and Secret Warfare) by Huw Dylan & David Gioe & Michael S Goodman (Paperback)

About the Book

Written by intelligence scholars and experts, this book chronicles the evolution of the CIA: its remarkable successes, its controversial failures and its clandestine operations. The history of the agency is presented through the prism of its declassified documents, with each being supplemented by insightful contextual analysis.

Book Synopsis

Since its creation in 1947, the CIA has been at the heart of America's security apparatus. Written by intelligence scholars and experts, The CIA and the Pursuit of Security offers the reader a lively survey of the CIA past and present. The history of the agency is presented through the prism of its declassified documents, with each being supplemented by insightful contextual analysis. The book chronicles the evolution of the CIA, its remarkable successes, clandestine operations, and its ongoing struggle to maintain American security in an age of proliferating threats.

From the Back Cover

An illuminating documentary history of America's most renowned intelligence agency Since its creation in 1947, the CIA has been at the heart of America's security apparatus. It has also been the subject of major national and international controversies, and been subject to accusations of poor performance and failure, most notably over the 9/11 attacks and Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. Written by intelligence scholars and experts, this book offers the reader a lively and authoritative survey of the CIA past and present. The history of the agency is presented through the prism of its declassified documents, with each being supplemented by insightful contextual analysis. The book chronicles the evolution of the CIA, its remarkable successes, clandestine operations, and its ongoing struggle to maintain American security in an age of proliferating threats. Key Features and Benefits - Includes a wealth of declassified documents that will give readers an understanding of how the CIA instigated, understood, or reacted to key historical events, with the authors' commentary providing broader contextual analysis. - Provides a robust and lively discussion of topics ranging from the high-Cold War and Vietnam to the arms race, rendition, and the hunt for Osama bin Laden. - Readers will gain an appreciation of how the business of intelligence and spying, and with it the CIA, has evolved since its inception in 1947. Huw Dylan is Senior Lecturer in Intelligence Studies and International Security in the Department of War Studies, King's College London. He is also Visiting Research Professor at the Norwegian Defence Intelligence School. David Gioe is Assistant Professor of History, United States Military Academy at West Point, and History Fellow, US Army Cyber Institute. He is Senior Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of War Studies, King's College London. Michael Goodman is Professor of Intelligence and International Affairs and Head of the Department of War Studies, King's College London. He is also Visiting Research Professor at the Norwegian Defence Intelligence School.

Review Quotes

A masterful chronicle of the rich and colorful history of not only the Central Intelligence Agency, but the Intelligence Community at large. With liberal inclusion of extracts of historically significant documentation, this work reflects attention to on-point, relevant detail, even-handed balance, and nuanced insight. An interesting, informative read for insider practitioners and the general public alike.--James Clapper, former Director of National Intelligence

An important and authoritative documentary history of the Central Intelligence Agency's most significant operations and activities since its inception in 1947 ... This compilation is a valuable primary reference resource for analysts on intelligence issues.-- "Perspectives on Terrorism, Volume 15, Issue 3"

About the Author

Dr Huw Dylan is a Lecturer in Intelligence and International Security at the Department of War Studies, King's College London, where he leads the MA programme in Intelligence and International Security. He is also and a visiting Associate Professor at the Norwegian Defence Intelligence School. His book, Defence Intelligence and the Cold War, was published by Oxford University Press in 2014.

Dr. David Gioe is Associate Professor of History at the United States Military Academy at West Point. As an intelligence practitioner, he spent over 15 years working in the U.S. intelligence community, beginning with an appointment in 2001 as a Presidential Management Fellow in the FBI National Security Division. He then served as an analyst in the CIA Counterterrorist Center before earning field certification as a CIA operations officer. He served multiple overseas tours as a case officer. He has published in The National Interest, World Politics Review, and has co-edited a volume on the Cuban Missile Crisis with Christopher Andrew and Len Scott (Routledge, 2014).

Michael S. Goodman is Professor of Intelligence and International Affairs in the Department of War Studies, King's College London and Visiting Professor at the Norwegian Defence Intelligence School. He has published widely in the field of intelligence history, including most recently The Official History of the Joint Intelligence Committee, Volume I: From the Approach of the Second World War to the Suez Crisis (Routledge, 2015), which was chosen as one of The Spectator's books of the year. He is series editor for Intelligence and Security for Hurst/Columbia University Press; and for Intelligence, Surveillance and Secret Warfare for Edinburgh University Press; and is a member of the editorial boards for five journals. He is currently on secondment to the Cabinet Office where he is the Official Historian of the Joint Intelligence Committee.