Inside the CIA

From a purely informational and documentary perspective, this book is useful. However, it's just too kissy-assy from a journalist who clearly thinks the CIA is oh so like totally awesome, and it reads as a mash note by a 13-year-old girl to a teen idol which she sprays with her perfume and stamps wi......more

There is some interesting information and analysis contained within, but to get to it, you must endure the book. The book appeared to be very well researched, but became tedious. This has to be one of the most boring books. The writing style used is most similar to that utilized in writing medical jo......more

This book is a readable, if dry, account of how the CIA worked circa the late 1980s, which is far more exciting when read between the lines. Kessler is (was?) one of the preeminent intelligence journalists in Washington D.C., with a string of books about the FBI, spies in Moscow, and the Reagan Whit......more

Kessler is a rational rather than a fanatic advocate of good spying. He describes James Angleton's paranoid efforts well. He points out that CIA breaks laws and gets away with it. Wasting money is what they do while engaged in searching for spies. He points out the different styles of spies; some ar......more

I found this book BORING; it reads like a research paper. The writing is not done well - there are no connectors to the story. I was interested in learning about the CIA, but this reads like a choppy report. It was interesting to learn about the CIA, its history, and key players, but I had to force......more