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The Spymasters
- How the CIA's Directors Shape History and Guard the Future
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 14 hrs and 39 mins
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Publisher's summary
From the New York Times best-selling author of The Gatekeepers, an “engaging…richly textured” (The New York Times), 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).
With 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-70s 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.
Since 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 The Spymasters, 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.
A revelatory, well-researched history, The Spymasters 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.
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Investigative journalist Lee Smith's The Plot Against the President tells the story of how Congressman Devin Nunes uncovered the operation to bring down the commander-in-chief. While popular opinion holds that Russia subverted democratic processes during the 2016 elections, the real damage was done not by Moscow or any other foreign actor. Rather, this was a slow-moving coup engineered by a coterie of the American elite, the "deep state," targeting not only the president, but also the rest of the country.
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Nunes is a national treasure.
- By Chip Atkinson on 01-30-20
By: Lee Smith
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The One Percent Doctrine
- Deep Inside America's Pursuit of Its Enemies Since 9/11
- By: Ron Suskind
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
- Abridged
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Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and best-selling author Ron Suskind takes you deep inside America's real battles with violent, unrelenting terrorists, a game of kill-or-be-killed, from the Oval Office to the streets of Karachi.
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The Agenda is Clear
- By Penny on 09-28-11
By: Ron Suskind
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The Afghanistan Papers
- A Secret History of the War
- By: Craig Whitlock, The Washington Post
- Narrated by: Dan Bittner
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Unlike the wars in Vietnam and Iraq, the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 had near-unanimous public support. At first, the goals were straightforward and clear: Defeat al-Qaeda and prevent a repeat of 9/11. Yet soon after the United States and its allies removed the Taliban from power, the mission veered off-course and US officials lost sight of their original objectives.
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Eye-Opening Book
- By David J Ray on 09-01-21
By: Craig Whitlock, and others
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Enemies
- A History of the FBI
- By: Tim Weiner
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 18 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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We think of the FBI as America’s police force. But secret intelligence is the Bureau’s first and foremost mission. Enemies is the story of how presidents have used the FBI as the most formidable intelligence force in American history. This is the first definitive history of the FBI’s secret intelligence operations, from an author whose work on the Pentagon and the CIA won him the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.
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Good book, just not for me
- By a on 11-12-12
By: Tim Weiner
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The Quiet Americans
- Four CIA Spies at the Dawn of the Cold War - a Tragedy in Three Acts
- By: Scott Anderson
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean, Scott Anderson
- Length: 22 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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At the end of World War II, the United States was considered the victor over tyranny and a champion of freedom. But it was clear—to some—that the Soviet Union was already seeking to expand and foment revolution around the world, and the American government’s strategy in response relied on the secret efforts of a newly formed CIA. Chronicling their fascinating lives, Scott Anderson follows the exploits of four spies. Despite their ambitions, time and again their efforts went awry, thwarted by ham-fisted politicking and ideological rigidity at the highest levels of the government.
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A Tragedy for One
- By Amazon Customer on 09-23-20
By: Scott Anderson
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Surrounded by Enemies
- What if Kennedy Survived Dallas?
- By: Bryce Zabel
- Narrated by: Edd Hall
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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If President John Kennedy had survived the ambush at Dealey Plaza in Dallas a half-century ago, what other twists might history have taken? In his meticulously researched novel, Surrounded by Enemies: What If Kennedy Survived Dallas, author Bryce Zabel delivers a supercharged but plausible alternative narrative of the turbulent 1960s after our charismatic president escapes unscathed on November 22, 1963.
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Makes a classic "alternate history" mistake
- By Norman on 11-16-14
By: Bryce Zabel
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The Ghost
- The Secret Life of CIA Spymaster James Jesus Angleton
- By: Jefferson Morley
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Ghost, investigative reporter Jefferson Morley tells Angleton's dramatic story, from his friendship with the poet Ezra Pound through the underground gay milieu of mid-century Washington to the Kennedy assassination to the Watergate scandal. From the agency's MKULTRA mind-control experiments to the wars of the Mideast, Angleton wielded far more power than anyone knew.
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Flawed Superpatriot
- By Bubblehog on 11-23-17
By: Jefferson Morley
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The Plot to Betray America
- How Team Trump Embraced Our Enemies, Compromised Our Security, and How We Can Fix It
- By: Malcolm Nance
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 13 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Plot to Betray America, New York Times best-selling author and renowned intelligence expert Malcolm Nance reveals exactly how President Trump and his inner circle conspired, coordinated, communicated, and eventually strategized to commit the greatest acts of treachery in the history of the United States: Compromising the presidential oath of office in exchange for power and personal enrichment.
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Fantastic Read
- By Customer on 11-14-19
By: Malcolm Nance
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Plan of Attack
- By: Bob Woodward
- Narrated by: Boyd Gaines
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Abridged
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Plan of Attack is the definitive account of how and why President George W. Bush, his war council, and allies launched a preemptive attack to topple Saddam Hussein and occupy Iraq. Bob Woodward's latest landmark account of Washington decision making provides an original, authoritative narrative of behind-the-scenes maneuvering, examining the causes and consequences of the most controversial war since Vietnam.
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Rorschach Test
- By Michael on 05-03-04
By: Bob Woodward
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The Gatekeepers
- How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency
- By: Chris Whipple
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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The chiefs of staff, often referred to as "the gatekeepers", wield tremendous power in Washington and beyond; they decide who is allowed to see the president, negotiate with Congress to push POTUS's agenda, and - most crucially - enjoy unparalleled access to the leader of the free world. Through extensive, intimate interviews with 18 living chiefs (including Reince Priebus) and two former presidents, award-winning journalist and producer Chris Whipple pulls back the curtain on this unique fraternity. In doing so, he revises our understanding of presidential history.
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Interesting, but lacking in political objectivity
- By Stephen Watson on 09-04-17
By: Chris Whipple
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Hubris
- The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War
- By: Michael Isikoff, David Corn
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 18 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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This fast-paced, behind-the-scenes narrative tells the inside story of how the Bush administration used bad intelligence to sell and then justify the Iraq war. Veteran reporters Michael Isikoff and David Corn take the reader behind the scenes at the White House, the CIA, the Pentagon, the State Department, and Congress, where controversial decisions and turf battles were fought in the highest circles of the Bush administration.
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Hubris
- By Pamela on 12-19-06
By: Michael Isikoff, and others
What listeners say about The Spymasters
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amazon Customer
- 07-27-22
Fantastic achievement
Fantastic treatment of the subject. Very well worth the time to read it or listen to it.
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- T-Ward
- 11-23-20
Outstanding and entertaining
Once again, Chris Whipple has authored a classic. The Spymasters is absolutely as great as The Gatekeepers; I highly recommend both.
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- J.B.
- 09-16-20
Our Potential Damnation
The Spymasters, How the CIA's Directors Shape History and Guard the Future, written by Chris Whipple, and narrated by Mark Bramhall. (And a very expertly read audio at that.) This book is not a historical study of the agency. So says the author at the beginnings of his stories. It is an examination of the personalities that managed the agency and that examination takes place through the scrutiny of the man (and now one woman’s) personality as they reacted to dramatic issues facing the nation. I hate to disagree with such a brilliant researcher and storyteller. It is history in the retelling. Done brilliantly, I might add. Even better than his famous prior work, The Gatekeepers.
As a history book of the major enmeshments that confronted our past Directors of the Central Intelligence Agency, and their interaction with their one client, the president, is a magnificent retelling. It is an examination and perhaps even a psychological analysis of each person under pressure. The rather large chapters examine a Director and his interchange with his related and authorizing president(s). The book tingles with excitement as we learn and discern. Much insight into our presidents and international and historical threat periods over the last 60 years.
The last chapter deals with Trump. Are we in danger because our present executive ignores facts and is authoritative and narcissistic? I have read a dozen books on the subject of the Trump presidency. No one of those books explains the danger of having a man who applies lies to a world in which those lies do not match and thus will always have American policy existing against the forces of nature, economics, and ergonomics. No one of those books explains the danger of having a man who applies his need to be admired (and who is not very smart) and thus can be taken in by others who have little care for America’s health, and maybe be antagonistic against the American Way. With Trump in the White House, a little flattery can get you a lot of corruption. Read this book and learn of our potential damnation.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Calvin Walker
- 09-25-20
Awesome!
This book was just freaking awesome! It was a great insight into the DCIA over the decades!
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- jarredtrout
- 07-18-21
Wonderful
Very informative, concise, provocative, a must listen, should be required listening.
Tells the unvarnished story and truths about CIA
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- Gary
- 11-13-20
A good start for historic reading
Excellent overview of the history of the CIA. It is bias so further reading is required to develop more refined conclusions. Highly Recommended.
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- Dan-Victor Balaesh
- 07-26-21
It’s a great book
Chris Whipple reminds me of Barbara Tuchman famous writings. It is also very well narrated by Mark Bramhall...
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- RODOLFO DAVALOS
- 12-11-20
An educative and foundational book.
Among the stories from this book, there are the most critical foundational teachings that someone may take. The best experiences to learn. The best values to hold. The most accurate judgments for recent history. The importance and value of an unpoliticized CIA and its critical role in protecting our national security.
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- Teresa Miller
- 02-24-22
Must Listen To
if you enjoy hearing what is going on behind the scenes, this is a great book. Also if you haven't read Gatekeepers, read that one as well. This would be great as a book club , read both and meet up type gathering.
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- Michael J. Burrell
- 05-13-23
Insight into modern day CIA and it’s leadership.
Very interesting read of the timeline history of the CIA laid on to of the personalities and issues of each modern day CIA director. A window into the balancing act each director has to play out with the president and political powers during their tenure at the helm of the CIA. Very well written .
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