Allen Dulles: Master of Spies

by James Srodes

This biography of the legendary foreign policy figure, drawn from exclusive interviews and newly declassified documents, focuses on how Dulles helped build a U.S. spy service long before World War II and was the driving force behind the CIA.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History

624 pages, Hardcover

First published June 25, 1999

Reviews

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jim Srodes was granted access to the Dulles papers by the family of Allen Dulles & he used these sources to write the kind of biography that Dulles & his family would have approved. Dulles led an interesting life & participated in many critical situations for the US from the WWI years thru a major part of the Cold War. He probably did more to shape our secret government operations than any other person. Yet Srodes' Dulles is not half as interesting as David Talbot's Dulles. Srodes says little or nothing about Dulles' willingness to overlook Nazi backgrounds in his haste to establish an anticommunist European intelligence network nor his possibly unthinkable role in the assassination & coverup of JFK. Srodes' Dulles was on balance a heroic figure in American history unlike the Allen Dulles presented by Talbot who was clearly villainous.

[JerryDeanHalleck · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK book about Allen Dulles one of the founders of the CIA. There's a strange overemphasis on antisemtism and the Holcaust in the section on WW II. Don't know why, Prince Max's views on the Jews were of any relevance to Allen Dulles' life, but I'm sure someone will find it of interest.

Otherwise, the biography was informative and objective. Solid.

[aldo zirsov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biografi mantan direktur CIA zaman Presiden Eisenhower dan John F. Kennedy, yang bersama saudaranya, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles dan persetujuan Eisenhower melancarkan provokasi yang menimbulkan perang saudara di Indonesia yang dikenal dengan Pemberontakan PRRI Permesta. Biografi yang sangat penting dalam sejarah Indonesia, yang memperlihatkan peranan CIA dalam peristiwa yang menimbulkan korban yang banyak di pihak sipil maupun tentara serta kerusakan persenjataan TNI khususnya Angkatan Udara dan Angkatan Laut.
Penjelasan lebih detil tentang Covert Operation CIA di Indonesia via US Embassy di Jakarta bisa dibaca di Subversion as Foreign Policy The Secret Eisenhower and Dulles Debacle in Indonesia

[Kelle777]

Not exactly what I thought it would be, though extremely detailed. Sometimes fascinating at times a little slow. Overall Im liking it. Stuck in the middle without a strong motivation to finish! Its not riveting. But I am looking to forward to finishing it...someday!

[Armen Chakmakjian · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at the 50s in the latter half of the book.