
The Unexpected Spy
From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking Down Some of the World's Most Notorious Terrorists
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Narrated by:
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Devon Sorvari
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
©2020 Tracy Walder (P)2020 Macmillan AudioListeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
"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)
"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)
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LOVE TO SEE IT
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Stagnant Narration Dries Out Fascinating Memoir
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I played a game with myself as I was listening to the book - she doesn't give names for some of the locations she describes but she does describe certain features of some of the places. I did countless google searches afterwards trying to ascertain what some of these places were and have a couple guesses.
I would've liked it more if the author herself had narrated it (I always prefer this for first-person auto-biographical type books) but the reading is totally fine.
I thank her for her service and wonder if she can cut onions without tearing up.
Excellent recount
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This is an ok book.
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Tracy accomplished a great deal in her short time with both agencies. The choice of narrator does not match that image. The narrator’s cadence and approach to the material makes Tracy sound a bit like a valley girl.
It had so much potential…
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In the cases where this was the case, why not reword or write those redactions in a manner where it is not included in the final product. It takes away from flow of the story, especially in the audio book.
I appreciate the authors story, having been a part of the GWOT in the IC. Just think the reliance on redacted sections took away from parts of the story and told me a lot about the author.
Alternate Title
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Stop B******g, Start a Revolution!
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Very impactful
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Viva la revolution
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very much the unexpected
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