The Unexpected Spy, Tracy Walder
The Unexpected Spy, Tracy Walder
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The Unexpected Spy
From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking Down Some of the World's Most Notorious Terrorists

Author: Tracy Walder, Jessica Anya Blau

Narrator: Devon Sorvari

Unabridged: 8 hr 10 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/25/2020


Synopsis

A highly entertaining account of a young woman who went straight from her college sorority to the CIA, where she hunted terrorists and WMDs

"A thrilling tale...Walder’s fast-paced and intense narrative opens a window into life in two of America’s major intelligence agencies" —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

When Tracy Walder enrolled at the University of Southern California, she never thought that one day she would offer her pink beanbag chair in the Delta Gamma house to a CIA recruiter, or that she’d fly to the Middle East under an alias identity.

The Unexpected Spy is the riveting story of Walder's tenure in the CIA and, later, the FBI. In high-security, steel-walled rooms in Virginia, Walder watched al-Qaeda members with drones as President Bush looked over her shoulder and CIA Director George Tenet brought her donuts. She tracked chemical terrorists and searched the world for Weapons of Mass Destruction. She created a chemical terror chart that someone in the White House altered to convey information she did not have or believe, leading to the Iraq invasion. Driven to stop terrorism, Walder debriefed terrorists—men who swore they’d never speak to a woman—until they gave her leads. She followed trails through North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, shutting down multiple chemical attacks.

Then Walder moved to the FBI, where she worked in counterintelligence. In a single year, she helped take down one of the most notorious foreign spies ever caught on American soil. Catching the bad guys wasn’t a problem in the FBI, but rampant sexism was. Walder left the FBI to teach young women, encouraging them to find a place in the FBI, CIA, State Department or the Senate—and thus change the world.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press

About Tracy Walder

Tracy Walder is a former Staff Operations Officer (SOO) at the CIA's Counterterrorism Center and a Special Agent at the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office specializing in Chinese counterintelligence operations. She now teaches global terrorism at the all-girls Ursuline Academy in Dallas and is an adjunct professor of Domestic Terrorism and Criminal Justice at Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth. She is on the Board of Directors for Girl Security, a non profit, non partisan group that brings national security curriculum to girls in high school throughout the US.


Reviews

Goodreads review by ☘Misericordia☘ on December 03, 2020

This was fun actually, even though the protagonist came across as a teensy bit too naive. a lot of globe trotting, a lot of office work. Lots of image recognition and plenty of illustration of how our thinking and our doing are 2 different things. Love how spunky -the MC is about pretty much everyth......more

Goodreads review by Michelle on March 09, 2020

4 stars I was really excited to read this book because of my huge interest in politics and history and on a fun note, Alias was one of my favorite shows in college (remember Jennifer Garner totally kicking butt as a spy?) and reading the story of a real life, badass woman in the CIA and FBI checked a......more

Goodreads review by Valerity (Val) on December 29, 2019

I stayed up late the first night reading this, until I just couldn’t hold my eyes open any longer. I might have read it right through if I hadn’t been so tired from just inhaling another book before this one. A really good read about a young lady spy for the CIA who goes after bad guy terrorists aft......more

Goodreads review by Eloise on September 01, 2023

Just reread for the 5th time lol idk why this is the perfect travel book for me but I always reread on the plane......more

Goodreads review by L.A. on March 15, 2020

Fantastic book for everyone who likes thrillers, mystery, suspense, and current events. Walder--about whom I knew only as a parent of a Hockaday alum--explains her background, her work for the CIA in terrorist takedowns including regrets over the bad guys she didn't get, and the fiasco that was (no r......more


Quotes

"A well-written, engaging memoir, a serious and candid inside view of two enigmatic and significant institutions from a woman's perspective.'" —Booklist

"Tracy Walder's The Unexpected Spy is an engaging and thoughtful story of service that will inspire generations of young women to come. Tracy's story is particularly moving because it provides a candid but often untold account of the challenges of serving one's nation amid tumultuous times. As a woman in national security, Tracy offers a glimpse into the rewards and risks of actualizing a dream in a male-dominated space." —Lauren Bean Buitta, Founder, Girl Security

"Walder brings a you-are-there intimacy to her accounts. Often, the youngest person in the room and one of few females... [She] was certainly there when history was made." —Kirkus Reviews

"Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed Tracy Walder's unique perspective; it will be inspiring to so many, especially young women with an interest in national security. I couldn't help but compare it to some of my own experiences in the CIA, particularly her exhaustion working counterterrorism, her sense of betrayal in war time, and her feelings of responsibility after a large-scale attack. I admire Walder's ability to channel those challenges into a positive force. A force for change." —Sarah M. Carlson, Former CIA officer and author of In The Dark Of War

"The Unexpected Spy will get wide attention, and deserves it. It will give readers a different, more vivid, and more human idea of the actual work of spying, counter-intelligence, and dealing with terrorism. It will be especially important to young women who are considering this kind of career." —James Fallows at The Atlantic, author of Blind Into Baghdad

"Tracy Walder has a unique combination of immense courage along with compassion and humanity... This book will be an inspiration to anyone who picks it up." —Ellen Pompeo, actress, director, producer

"A compelling and well-written memoir that takes the reader on a journey from the CIA's 'Farm' and its 'black sites' to the FBI's training academy" —Peter Bergen, author of Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for bin Laden from 9/11 to Abbottabad