{"product_id":"the-spymasters-how-the-cia-directors-shape-history-and-the-future-9781982106416","title":"The Spymasters: How the CIA Directors Shape History and the Future","description":"\u003cb\u003eFrom the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Gatekeepers\u003c\/i\u003e, an \"engaging...richly textured\" (\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e), behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to run the world's most powerful intelligence agency. \"The best book about the CIA I've ever read...one hell of a story\" (Christopher Buckley).\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith unprecedented access to more than a dozen individuals who have made the life-and-death decisions that come with running the world's most powerful and influential intelligence service, Chris Whipple tells the story of an agency that answers to the United States president alone, but whose activities--spying, espionage, and covert action--take place on every continent. At pivotal moments, the CIA acts as a counterforce against rogue presidents, starting in the mid-seventies with DCI Richard Helms's refusal to conceal Richard Nixon's criminality and through the Trump presidency when a CIA whistleblower ignited impeachment proceedings and armed insurrectionists assaulted the US Capitol. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSince its inception in 1947, the Central Intelligence Agency has been a powerful player on the world stage, operating largely in the shadows to protect American interests. For \u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eSpymasters\u003c\/i\u003e, Whipple conducted extensive, exclusive interviews with nearly every living CIA director, pulling back the curtain on the world's elite spy agencies and showing how the CIA partners--or clashes--with counterparts in Britain, France, Germany, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Russia. Topics covered in the book include attempts by presidents to use the agency for their own ends; simmering problems in the Middle East and Asia; rogue nuclear threats; and cyberwarfare. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA revelatory, well-researched history, \u003ci\u003eThe Spymasters\u003c\/i\u003e recounts seven decades of CIA activity and elicits predictions about the issues--and threats--that will engage the attention of future operatives and analysts. Including eye-opening interviews with George Tenet, John Brennan, Leon Panetta, and David Petraeus, as well as those who've recently departed the agency, this is a timely, essential, and important contribution to current events.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChris Whipple is an author, political analyst, and Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker. He is a frequent guest on MSNBC, CNN, and NPR, and has contributed essays to \u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eVanity Fair\u003c\/i\u003e. His first book, \u003ci\u003eThe Gatekeepers\u003c\/i\u003e, an analysis of the position of White House Chief of Staff, was a \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestseller. His follow-up, \u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eSpymasters\u003c\/i\u003e, was based on interviews with nearly every living CIA Director and was critically acclaimed. Whipple lives in New York City with his wife Cary.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Scribner Book Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50445052444946,"sku":"9781982106416","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_a9aff841-c1e0-42c8-889a-0007a4c4f667.jpg?v=1729694576","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-spymasters-how-the-cia-directors-shape-history-and-the-future-9781982106416","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}