Book Description
If the experts could point to any single book as a starting point for understanding the subject of intelligence from the late twentieth century to today, that single book would be Allen W. Dulles's The Craft of Intelligence. This classic of spycraft is based on Allen Dulles's incomparable experience as a diplomat, international lawyer, and America's premier intelligence officer. Dulles was a high-ranking officer of the CIA's predecessor-the Office of Strategic Services-and was present at the inception of the CIA, where he served eight of his ten years there as director. Here he sums up what he learned about intelligence from nearly a half-century of experience in foreign affairs.
In World War II his OSS agents penetrated the German Foreign Office, worked with the anti-Nazi underground resistance, and established contacts that brought about the Nazi military surrender in North Italy. Under his direction the CIA developed both a dedicated corps of specialists and a whole range of new intelligence devices, from the U-2 high-altitude photographic plane to minute electronic listening and transmitting equipment.
Dulles reveals much about how intelligence is collected and processed, and how the resulting estimates contribute to the formation of national policy. He discusses methods of surveillance, and the usefulness of defectors from hostile nations. His knowledge of Soviet espionage techniques is unrivaled, and he explains how the Soviet State Security Service recruited operatives and planted "illegals" in foreign countries. He spells out not only the techniques of modern espionage but also the philosophy and role of intelligence in a free society threatened by global conspiracies.
Dulles also addresses the Bay of Pigs incident, denying that the 1961 invasion was based on a CIA estimate that a popular Cuban uprising would ensue. This account is enlivened with a wealth of personal anecdotes. It is a book for readers who seek wider understanding of the contribution of intelligence to our national security.
Customer Reviews:
WAS ALLEN DULLES OUR BEST SPYMASTER? .......2006-11-06
Allen Dulles was the Director of Central Intelligence from 1953 to 1961 during the eight-year term of Dwight Eisenhower and first ten months of John Kennedy's administration. His historical memoir `The Craft of Intelligence' has been re-published by The Lyons Press.
This re-issue of Dulles' book makes one take a new examination of the function of the DCI when the CIA started all of the things it's known for today and presumed to still be doing. Even though four DCI's served under Harry Truman the tenure of Dulles for Eisenhower best typifies what the CIA has now become known for.
Dulles was the ultimate `remain in the shadows, behind the scenes, backroom negotiator' that was so prevalent in the first half of the 20th Century political world. He must have been inspired to be that way by the antics of Colonel Thomas House who was the inside advisor to President Woodrow Wilson when Dulles' own uncle Robert Lansing was the nation's Secretary of State. And Dulles was in government work when politicians were still trusted by the public yet doing the nation's dirty work that was generally not revealed to the masses at that time.
The first four DCI's to President Truman in the years 1946-1953 came directly from military service when the agency was getting started and was only seen as an intelligence gathering entity. It was when Eisenhower took over and appointed Dulles as DCI that the CIA began covert operations and inserting itself into the matters of foreign governments for America's benefit.
Dulles had his followers as he attempted to implement Ike's plan of containing the spread of communism. But he also had his detractors as he put forth America's intelligence presence throughout the world during his tenure. He was obviously well thought of by Eisenhower since he served as DCI for the entire eight years of the 34th president's term. But his career ended in forced retirement when newcomer chief executive Kennedy blamed the CIA for the April, 1961 `Bay of Pigs' fiasco after Cuban freedom fighters launched from Florida were defeated on the beaches of Cuba by Fidel Castro's Army.
Dulles never made derogatory comments about JFK after his removal even though he must have had an opinion about it. So isn't it ironic that three years later he served on a commission to investigate the assassination of the very man who fired him!
Anyway, to get a read on the real Dulles as the holder of the nation's secrets you must look at every photo of him. You will observe that he always has a smug look on his face as if he knew he wasn't telling the whole truth to the American people but recognized he was still getting away with it.
Everyone in the spy business read the book when it came out in 1963. Even 007 himself, James Bond, studied the work while on an assignment in Japan in Ian Fleming's classic novel `You Only Live Twice' so he could pick up tips on how to be a better spy!
But it's apparent from forty years of hindsight and the declassification of many CIA files from that era that Dulles wrote this book in a matter that presumed us naive citizens still believed and trusted their leaders in what was being told to them was actually true. So his tome now comes off in a somewhat condescending manner with the revelations that most of what the CIA presumed about the threat from the Soviet Union and the state of the world for the last sixty years have been proven wrong or were grossly inaccurate to justify excessive and unneeded military expenditures for our side.
It's still arguable whether Allen Dulles was the best DCI we will ever have. But he knew how to brag when necessary and stay in the shadows when needed to keep his president happy.
How information is gathered, processed, and used in the formation of national policy.......2006-06-22
If you seek a single source reference to the history of modern espionage, it should be THE CRAFT OF INTELLIGENCE: AMERICA'S LEGENDARY SPY MASTER ON THE FUNDAMENTALS OF INTELLIGENCE GATHERING FOR A FREE WORLD. Details on how intelligence is collected and processed, and how it contributes to the formation of national policy, makes for a thorough and fine review of the craft and policies of military intelligence efforts, surveying how information is gathered, processed, and used in the formation of national policy. While others could've presented the facts, it's his insider position peppered with personal anecdotes from his intelligence career - he was a high-ranking officer of the CIA's predecessor and served eight years when the CIA was created - which makes CRAFT OF INTELLIGENCE unique.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Core reading requirement for students of intelligence.......2001-10-10
As I began researching the modern intelligence community, several books (e.g. "The Night Watch" by David Atlee Philips) pointed back to "The Craft of Intelligence" as a fundamental starting point. Because this book deals with the basic intelligence methods and objectives, it maintains its relevance well into the present. In some sections Dulles also addresses the ethical implications of deceptive or clandestine intelligence collection, providing valuable thought or discussion material for individuals scrutinizing this unique, and arguably disdainful, function of government. Dulles' writing style is thoughtful, refined, yet straightforward, revealing some of those traits which earned him the moniker "The Gentleman Spy".
One of two required readings on intelligence for anyone.......2000-04-08
This is the other required reading. This gem sits on my desk with my dictionary of difficult words and my synonym dictionary. We still do not have an equal to this book. Since Dulles testified to Congress that 80% of the raw material for finished intelligence came from public sources including diplomatic reporting, this book provides an interesting benchmark for understanding the rather pathological impact of technical collection on the larger process of all-source collection and analysis.
Strategic intelligence for American world policy
Strategic Intelligence & Statecraft: Selected Essays (Brassey's Intelligence and National Security Library)
The New Craft of Intelligence: Personal, Public, & Political--Citizen's Action Handbook for Fighting Terrorism, Genocide, Disease, Toxic Bombs, & Corruption
Customer Reviews:
Best biography I've read in years.......2004-08-26
This is a well-researched, splendidly written biography of a very complex man, a real enigma. Even though the book is a decade old, its subject matter is still relevant today. Highly recommended.
Allen Dulles Committed High Treason.......2004-02-04
Any notion that Allen Dulles was a gentleman is absolutely absurd! He helped Hitler secure funds for his war machine from American and British financial institutions. On behalf of his client, Nelson Rockefeller, Dulles arranged to keep a steady flow of Saudi oil flowing to Nazi Germany throughout the war. He knew about the Holocaust, but didn't lift a finger to help the Jews. Dulles and James Jesus Angleton setup the Nazi Ratline near war's end that smuggled thousands of Nazi war criminals out of Europe to various Middle Eastern states as well as Argentina. After the war, he organized Operation Paperclip to smuggle hundreds of Nazi war criminals from South America into the United States to work for the CIA. He and brother John Foster Dulles committed high treason by providing aid and comfort to the enemy during wartime; crimes for which they should have been executed. Instead, they got an international airport named after John Foster Dulles.
Great Book -- Fantastic life.......2000-12-27
What a great book! If you are a history buff like me, you'll love this book. Allen Dulles, former lawyer, former diplomat, former OSS Operative, former President of the Council on Foreign Relations, for Director of the CIA (under Eisenhower and Kennedy), and brother of the Secretary of State (John Foster Dulles who the airport is named after), and member of the establishment -- this book is quite a treat. It takes us through the post-WWI years and then through WWII where Dulles was stationed for OSS in Bern. It then details the formation and escalation of the Cold War. Grosse does a terrific job detailing Dulles's public and personal lives. Highly recommended.
A well researched American Intelligence history........2000-10-08
I just finished this book and it was an excellent read. The life of Allen Dulles is remarkable and deserves to be known. If you live in the Washington, D.C. area, then this is a required book.
Fascinating look into a fascinating man........1999-05-26
"Gentleman Spy" is more than just the life of one man, Allen Dulles. It's the development of the United States into a super power and of the build-up of a massive intelligence network. At the center or sometimes fringes of all this dwelled Allen Dulles. Dulles' influence on intelligence gathering and covert activities still dominates our country, even though he left the CIA over 35 years ago. His love for the great game of espionage inspired young disciples who in turn became key leaders of the intelligence community. It's easy to praise or blame Dulles for many of the problems that we are still experiencing today due to lack of honest or accurate analysis, or involvment in the affairs of duely elected foreign governments. Peter Grose has mapped Dulles life in this massive biography and has done an excellent job of exploring Dulles' mind as to why he did what he did. The book is never boring. Dulles set the image of the "American Gentleman Spy," as being witty urbane and downright ruthless. Peter Grose has provent hat Dulles blended himself into that image seamlessly.
Average customer rating:
- True Stories Explained By a Master Spy
|
Great True Spy Stories
Allen Dulles
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0345345266
Release Date: 1987-05-12 |
Customer Reviews:
True Stories Explained By a Master Spy.......2003-01-18
I recently stumbled across this out-of-print book. In one volume, it brings together centuries of spy stories with an analysis of spycraft by the master himself, Allen Dulles. Modern fiction is nothing compared to this book's compact retellings of true events. The reader can learn much about the drama of intelligence "weapons" like code and double agents, and of the intrigue that swirls around clandestine operations. Out of print or not, this is a fascinating book, and copies are out there for you to find and enjoy.
Book Description
This recently discovered study by Allen Dulles, written in the winter of 1947/48 when the acceptance of the Marshall Plan was still in doubt, not only offers fascinating insights into the early postwar period but may also serve as an inspiration to policy makers at a time when there is much discussion of recovery programmes for Eastern Europe and the Marshall Plan is often evoked as a possible model.
Customer Reviews:
Essential reading for understanding applied social analysis........1998-11-21
It is rare to get an insider's view of an important policy decision written with this much thoroughness and clarity. The Marshall plan is one of the most important things America has ever done in world affairs, and the prototype and foundation of the transformation of international relations that America is presently leading. This is its best account. The authors of the Marshal plan were democratic visionaries solidly grounded in pragmatic realities. Allan Dulles speaks for them. (Do not confuse Allan with his brother).
Essential reading for understanding applied social analysis........1998-11-21
It is rare to get an insiders view of an important policy decision written with this much thoroughness and clarity. The Marshall plan is one of the most important things America has ever done in world affairs, and the prototype and foundation of the transformation of international relations that America is presently leading. This is its best account. We should not confuse Allan Dulles with his brother.
Average customer rating:
- Why Panetta. Prouty & CA Attorney General Support Adamson?
|
The JFK Assassination Timeline Chart
Bruce Campbell Adamson , and
Andrew Amerson
Manufacturer: Bruce Campbell Adamson Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Conspiracy Theories
| Current Events
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
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Communication
| Words & Language
| Reference
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| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
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ASIN: 1892501023 |
Customer Reviews:
Why Panetta. Prouty & CA Attorney General Support Adamson?.......2000-05-26
Oswald's Closest Friend: The George De Mohrenschildt Story
In the last couple of years under the JFK Assassination Records Review Board Act our government has spent millions of dollars into the research of the assassination of our 35th President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. As a former Federal employee, on several occasions I have offered all of my research under the Whistleblowing Act to the Clinton administration without receiving replies. President Clinton's former Chief of Staff, Leon Panetta, in the past (1992), had supported this author's research as a former Congressman for the County of Santa Cruz. This author believes that it was certainly unethical and boardering upon fraud when President George Bush signed into law The JFK Assassination Records Review Board Act and did not disclose that he knew George de Mohrenschildt since 1942. In order to understand the conflict of interest George Bush played in the JFK assassination investigation in 1963 and in 1976, one needs to look at his entire career with the CIA and Zapata Oil industry.
TRACKING THE JFK ASSASSINATION
Santa Monica College Corsair - November 17,1997, by Donna Lynn
As the 34th anniversary of John Fitzgerald Kennedy's assassination approaches, Bruce Campbell Adamson, a self-taught genealogist, historian, author and Santa Monica College graduate says that he is close to solving "the crime of the century." When his father died in 1980, Adamson applied for a job at the Santa Monica Post Office. He says he "wanted to work outdoors" because it seemed to be a "healthy" job with few problems. "It took me five years to get hired," he says "And I retired in five years." Adamson ended up filing a federal lawsuit against the Post Office in a worker's compensation claim. He was the case in 1991 and has used the money to research the JFK assassination. "I started researching it (JFK) because I was tired of the subject, said Adamson. When I began my research Oliver Stone's movie, JFK, had just been released and I was sick and tired of all of the theories generated by the tabloid news agencies." This motivated him to write and publish The JFK Assassination Timeline Chart, and eight volumes (now ten) of Oswald's Closest Friend; The George de Mohrenschildt Story. Each bit of information led to another, and Adamson soon discovered that some of his own family members were coincidentally associated with persons connected to George de Mohrenschildt in one way or another. In the past 14 years, Adamson's research has taken him through the government and the Central Intelligence Agency...In a trail that leads from oil fields to Wall Street to the sales of helicopters used in the Vietnam War, Adamson claims that he exposes evidence that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone. Everything that we are today exists today because of the past, he said "If historians don't get the story right, then our lives today are based upon lies." He also link's "alleged lone assassin" Oswald to de Mohrenschildt, an aristocrat who had ties to the rich and famous. Adamson asserts that these elites may have benefited financially from JFK's death. The wealthy "were also retaliating for their political as well as other motives," said Adamson. "Wealthy individuals having prior knowledge of the plans to kill JFK could sell short on the New York Stock Exchange and buy their company back for half the price after the assassination," Adamson aid. On the day of the assassination, the stock market lost 11 billion in paper." Adamson's main theory focuses on a U.S. oil depletion allowance, which grants oilmen a 27.5 percent tax break when reinvesting in their other corporation. Adamson says that Texas oilmen plotted the assassination of JFK to gain more power, and that the Warren Commission found Oswald guilty without a fair trial. He places de Mohrenschildt with a group of friends -- one of whose grandfather's chartered the oil depletion allowance in the 1920s."... De Mohrenschildt died on March 29, 1977, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Adamson, however, says de Mohrenschildt could have been murdered, since the CIA was on his back about his knowledge of the assassination. Adamson asserts that de Mohrenschildt, prior to his death, told a close friend that a number of oilmen, FBI and CIA agents were behind the JFK assassination. "De Mohrenschildt had complained to his friend, CIA Director George Bush in September of 1976 about being harassed," Adamson wrote. "Shortly thereafter, Bush contacted the FBI Director and it was not long after that de Mohrenschildt would find himself in Parkland Hospital receiving nine shock treatments." Were the shock treatments CIA-sponsored, Adamson asks? While Bush was CIA Director, more than 200 Top Secret documents came up missing, including the letters between de Mohrenschildt and Bush, says Adamson. Like Oswald, de Mohrenschildt went to his grave insisting that Oswald was "just a patsy," and that Oswald was not the assassin, according to Adamson. "That's a dying declaration," Adamson insists. "When someone makes a statement on their deathbed, they're likely telling the truth." Is finding the truth about JFK's murder Bruce Campbell Adamson's destiny? Is Adamson possessed by the genetics of his own distinguished American heritage, driving him to correct an error made in history? Is he driven by Hustler magazine's bounty of $1 million to whoever determines the murderer? "Circumstantial evidence does not lie," says Adamson. "And people should not be afraid to focus and speak of these associations in our society, which allows free speech, nor should they fear retaliation for alienating the rich and famous." "Adamson's fascinating bloodline hasn't gone to his head. He maintains that he's just "a simple guy. I'm nothing special," he says, but "here I am trying to solve the 'crime of the century,'" for which "there is no statute of limitations on murder."
...
Book Description
The amazing true story of the largest surrender in World War II, as told by America's master spy.
Book Description
Karl Arnstein's life was defined by the world wars which shattered Europe. But for these cataclysmic events, his life's work might have been far different. From Zeppelin in Germany to Goodyear in Akron, Ohio, Arnstein participated in the design and development of more airships than any other engineer. His story is in many ways the story of airship building in the early decades of the twentieth century. And his legacy endures in the Goodyear blimps which are the tire company's corporate icons and the symbols of Akron's important airship heritage.
Customer Reviews:
The US Navy's Flying Aircraft Carriers of the 1930s........2007-03-29
Did you know that, during the 1920s, President Franklin D Roosevelt
was Vice President of a Company planning to build or fly
passenger airships such as the Hindenburg?
The book describes the career of the German Zeppelin Engineer,
Dr Arnstein, hired by Goodyear to design the US Navy Akron and Macon,
780 ft long flying aircraft carriers, each with 5 Curtis F9C2 fighters
inside. The man when to 2 different German Universities simultaneously
and got a degree from each in the time most of us get
just one degree at one University.
You can see the N2Y trainer used with the airships in the
National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola, Florida,
and the F9C2 at the Smithsonian.
The Airships themselves are on the bottom of the ocean.
Even today, our ocean-surface Aircraft Carriers operate at maybe
35 knots. The Flying Carriers of the early 1930s operated at 70 knots -
twice the speed of delivery of planes where needed. Their plane operations
were 100% successful - never a plane lost in mid-air
launch or recovery.
My father flew US Navy ASW Airships during WW2, and knew of the
Akron and Macon - the Macon had been flying just 7 years before
he was trained in 1942, and the huge WW2 Blimp hangars still standing,
for example at Lakehurst, NJ and Sunnyvale/Mountain-View, CA,
were built to handle planned WW2 rigids even bigger than the Macon.
When I showed Dad a photo of the Macon's crew, he was astonished
to see almost 100 men. Dad's small K-type airships, enthusiastically
supported by president FDR, flew with a crew of 10.
I wanted to learn more about these airships; the book does a good job.
My father had strong opinions about the fate of these airships.
The book goes into that in some detail.
It looks like military airships may be back. After 45 years with
no airships, the US Navy recently (2006) bought an airship
and is flying it out of NAS Lakehurst, NJ, as a trainer.
Books:
- The Desert Fox in Normandy: Rommel's Defense of Fortress Europe
- The Fool Lieutenant; a Personal Account of D-Day and WWII
- The Man Who Broke Napoleon's Codes
- The Ops Story
- The Pratique Guide, Soho and NoLIta: Shopping Block by Block (Pratique Guides)
- The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II ('The rape of nanking', in traditional Chinese, NOT in English)
- The Simple Sounds of Freedom : The True Story of the Only Soldier to Fight for Both America and the Soviet Union in World War II
- The Spears of Twilight: Life and Death in the Amazon Jungle
- The Technique of Film and Video Editing, Fourth Edition: History, Theory, and Practice
- Thunder Through My Veins: Memories of a Metis Childhood
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