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Surprise, Kill, Vanish
The Definitive History of Secret CIA Assassins, Armies and Operators
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
The definitive, character-driven history of CIA covert operations and U.S. government-sponsored assassinations, from the author of the Pulizter Prize finalist The Pentagon's Brain
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THE USA TODAY BESTSELLER
'As fast paced as a thriller' - Fred Burton, Stratfor Talks Pen and Sword Podcast
'Jacobsen here presents a tour de force exploring the CIA's paramilitary activities...this excellent work feels like uncovering the tip of the iceberg... Highly recommended for those seeking a better understanding of American foreign policy in action.' - Jacob Sherman, Library Journal
'A behind-the-scenes look at the most shadowy corners of the American intelligence community... Well-sourced and well-paced, this book is full of surprises.' - Kirkus
'Annie Jacobsen takes us inside the darkest and most morally ambiguous corner of our government, where politicians ask brave men and women to kill-up close and personal-on America's behalf.' - Garrett M. Graff, author of Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself - While the Rest of us Die
'This is a first-rate book on the CIA, its paramilitary armies, operators, and assassins.' - New York Journal of Books
'Having already demonstrated her remarkable aptitude for unearthing government secrets in books like AREA 51 (2011) and THE PENTAGON'S BRAIN (2015), Jacobsen pulls back the curtain on the history of covert warfare and state-sanctioned assassinations from WWII to the present... Jacobsen's work revealing a poorly understood but essential slice of warfare history belongs in every library collection.' - Booklist
The definitive, character-driven history of CIA covert operations and U.S. government-sponsored assassinations, from the author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist THE PENTAGON'S BRAIN.
Since 1947, domestic and foreign assassinations have been executed under the CIA-led covert action operations team. Before that time, responsibility for taking out America's enemies abroad was even more shrouded in mystery. Despite Hollywood notions of last-minute rogue operations and external secret hires, covert action is actually a cog in a colossal foreign policy machine, moving through, among others, the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, the House and Senate Select Committees. At the end of the day, it is the President, not the CIA, who is singularly in charge.
For the first time, Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bestselling author Annie Jacobsen takes us deep inside this top-secret history. With unparalleled access to former operatives, ambassadors, and even past directors of the Secret Service and CIA operations, Jacobsen reveals the inner workings of these teams, and just how far a U.S. president may go, covertly but lawfully, to pursue the nation's interests.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Surprise, Kill, Vanish by Annie Jacobsen is lauded for its revelatory and compellingly hard-hitting nature, according to the New York Times. The Washington Post appreciates it as a fascinating and sometimes uneasy exploration.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781529378559
Publisher: John Murray Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 02 July 2020
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: John Murray Publishers Ltd
Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 42.0mm
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 395g
Pages: 576
About the Author
Annie Jacobsen is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Area 51 and Operation Paperclip and the Pulitzer Prize finalist The Pentagon's Brain. She was a contributing editor at the Los Angeles Times Magazine. A graduate of Princeton University, she lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons.
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