At the Center of the Storm, George Tenet
At the Center of the Storm, George Tenet
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At the Center of the Storm

Author: George Tenet

Narrator: Eric Conger

Abridged: 12 hr 22 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 04/30/2007


Synopsis

In the whirlwind of accusations and recriminations that emerged in the wake of 9/11 and the Iraq war, one man's vital testimony has been conspicuously absent. Candid and gripping, At the Center of the Storm recounts George Tenet's time at the Central Intelligence Agency, a revealing look at the inner workings of the most important intelligence organization in the world during the most challenging times in recent history. With unparalleled access to both the highest echelons of government and raw intelligence from the field, Tenet illuminates the CIA's painstaking attempts to prepare the country against new and deadly threats, disentangles the interlocking events that led to 9/11, and offers explosive new information on the deliberations and strategies that culminated in the U.S. invasion of Iraq.Beginning with his appointment as Director of Central Intelligence in 1997, Tenet unfolds the momentous events that led to 9/11 as he saw and experienced them: his declaration of war on al-Qa'ida; the CIA's covert operations inside Afghanistan; the worldwide operational plan to fight terrorists; his warnings of imminent attacks against American interests to White House officials in the summer of 2001; and the plan for a coordinated and devastating counterattack against al-Qa'ida laid down just six days after the attacks. Tenet's compelling narrative then turns to the war in Iraq as he provides dramatic insight and background on the run-up to the invasion, including a firsthand account of the fallout from the inclusion of ""sixteen words"" in the president's 2003 State of the Union address, which claimed that Saddam Hussein had sought to purchase uranium from Africa; the true context of Tenet's own now-famous ""slam dunk"" comment regarding Saddam's WMD program; and the CIA's critical role in an administration predisposed to take the country to war. In doing so, he sets the record straight about CIA operations and shows readers that the truth is more complex than suggested in other versions of recent history offered thus far. Through it all, Tenet paints an unflinching self-portrait of a man caught between the warring forces of the administration's decision-making process, the reams of frightening intelligence pouring in from around the world, and his own conscience. In At the Center of the Storm, George Tenet draws on his unmatched experience within the opaque mirrors of intelligence and provides crucial information previously undisclosed to offer a moving, revelatory profile of both a man and a nation in times of crisis.

About George Tenet

George Tenet was the Director of Central Intelligence from 1997 to 2004. He holds a BSFS from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and an MIA from the School of International Affairs at Columbia University. He was appointed to the faculty of Georgetown University in 2004 and lives outside Washington, D.C., with his wife, author Stephanie Glakas-Tenet, and their son.

About Eric Conger

Eric Conger's stage credits include appearances Off-Broadway and at the Long Wharf Theater. He has appeared as a regular on Another World and Loving, and has translated the works of Feydeau.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Justin on August 07, 2007

I like George Tenet. He has a tough-guy New York accent and there's a picture of him in the book with a leather jacket on looking like he's really giving it to Andrew Card. Personally, I have no special strong feelings for George Bush, either way. But, when it comes down to finger-pointing (which, y......more

Goodreads review by Charlie on February 17, 2015

Although written pretty well (which is why it gets two stars), this was one long boring politics-as-usual, name dropping, finger pointing slog. Here's the most interesting paragraph so you don't have to read this: "In one conversation, operations officers in Washington told the field of a major devel......more

Goodreads review by Vladimir on September 22, 2011

I don't care about his family. He knows I don't care about his family. Was writing about his family supposed to make me think the head of the CIA is a nice guy? If so, it failed. There's a lot of info in this book, and maybe its good. But it is wildly glossed in favor of the CIA. He talks about how h......more

Goodreads review by Katie on June 14, 2010

Interesting in parts but dry in parts... still was a good reminder of recent events in the intelligence world of the U.S., although I took a lot of it with a grain of salt. It was interesting reading about Tenet complaining about how Bob Woodward portrayed him in his book "Plan of Attack", which I r......more