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The Main Enemy
A thirty-year veteran of the CIA's clandestine services, Milt Bearden was chief of the Soviet/East European Division at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union. As CIA chief in Pakistan, he supplied the Afghan freedom fighters who overthrew the Soviets. He received the Donovan Award and the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the CIA's highest honor. He is featured in the Discovery Channel's "Secret Warriors" and the BBC's "Covert Action." He was born in Oklahoma and spent his childhood in Washington State, where his father worked on the Manhattan Project. He served in the Air Force before joining the CIA in 1964 and currently lives outside Washington, D.C., with his French-born wife.
James Risen covers national security for "The New York Times." He was a member of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting in 2002 for coverage of September 11 and terrorism, and he is coauthor of "Wrath of Angels." He lives outside Washington, D.C., with his wife and three sons. "From the Hardcover edition."
James Risen covers national security for "The New York Times." He was a member of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting in 2002 for coverage of September 11 and terrorism, and he is coauthor of "Wrath of Angels." He lives outside Washington, D.C., with his wife and three sons. "From the Hardcover edition."
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First published May 6, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
April 5, 2013
A well-written and interesting story that flows well.
This book of Bearden and Risen though, is one that both popular historians and casual reader alike can get into. They show that often intelligence services make educated guesses on fragments of information that may or may not be compromised by the enemy. Concerned with a period of global turmoil that was surprisingly governed by understood rules of intelligence gathering and other activities, this book brings the reader into the world of the CIA. Far from the James Bond style killing and counter killing by the Allies and Soviet Empire, it was one of limited violence between the two principal powers. A busted or captured agent was interrogated briefly and put on a plane for home, no killing and seldom more than a mild roughing up.
The dying days of the Soviet Empire were ironically the period that that the KGB (with help from American traitors like Aldrich Ames and Robert Hannsen)had wiped out most of the CIA operatives in Russia. The Americans had been sent home and the Russian agents of the Americans killed. The US had virtually no human intel assets behind the Iron Curtain. This is some of the most interesting parts of the book, seeing how much damage a couple of American traitors did as we blindly tried to understand what was going on. The bewildered KGB agents simply cannot believe their Empire is collapsing while they have gotten the upper hand over their Western enemies.
Bearden makes much of the delivery of the "120mm Spanish mortar" to the Mujahideen in 1987, and elaborates on how teams were trained in applying GPS readings to precisely deliver their ordnance beyond visual range. "It came...with a ranging system worked out by Langley...that fused the low-tech mortar with the high-tech world of satellite guidance." And "Once their exact coordinates had been calibrated, the leader of the team would feed the GPS data into a small computer, add the coordinates of the target, and then query the computer for the precise compass direction and elevation..." This procedure, GPS and all, supposedly led to devastating night attacks on the Spetsnaz battalion at Chagasaray on 28 Nov 1987 and 15 Dec 1987.
Problem: Although initial use of GPS was reported in 1990, it did not become operational until 1993. In 1987 the satellites had not been launched yet (this was during the Challenger stand-down).
This book illustrates a critical period in our history. Depicting intelligence services being blindsided by events is something critics should remember happens far too often. No intel service of any country has a 100% batting average, not even the legendary Mossad of Israel and that is something Congress and the American public too often forget.
This book of Bearden and Risen though, is one that both popular historians and casual reader alike can get into. They show that often intelligence services make educated guesses on fragments of information that may or may not be compromised by the enemy. Concerned with a period of global turmoil that was surprisingly governed by understood rules of intelligence gathering and other activities, this book brings the reader into the world of the CIA. Far from the James Bond style killing and counter killing by the Allies and Soviet Empire, it was one of limited violence between the two principal powers. A busted or captured agent was interrogated briefly and put on a plane for home, no killing and seldom more than a mild roughing up.
The dying days of the Soviet Empire were ironically the period that that the KGB (with help from American traitors like Aldrich Ames and Robert Hannsen)had wiped out most of the CIA operatives in Russia. The Americans had been sent home and the Russian agents of the Americans killed. The US had virtually no human intel assets behind the Iron Curtain. This is some of the most interesting parts of the book, seeing how much damage a couple of American traitors did as we blindly tried to understand what was going on. The bewildered KGB agents simply cannot believe their Empire is collapsing while they have gotten the upper hand over their Western enemies.
Bearden makes much of the delivery of the "120mm Spanish mortar" to the Mujahideen in 1987, and elaborates on how teams were trained in applying GPS readings to precisely deliver their ordnance beyond visual range. "It came...with a ranging system worked out by Langley...that fused the low-tech mortar with the high-tech world of satellite guidance." And "Once their exact coordinates had been calibrated, the leader of the team would feed the GPS data into a small computer, add the coordinates of the target, and then query the computer for the precise compass direction and elevation..." This procedure, GPS and all, supposedly led to devastating night attacks on the Spetsnaz battalion at Chagasaray on 28 Nov 1987 and 15 Dec 1987.
Problem: Although initial use of GPS was reported in 1990, it did not become operational until 1993. In 1987 the satellites had not been launched yet (this was during the Challenger stand-down).
This book illustrates a critical period in our history. Depicting intelligence services being blindsided by events is something critics should remember happens far too often. No intel service of any country has a 100% batting average, not even the legendary Mossad of Israel and that is something Congress and the American public too often forget.
June 3, 2018
I had mixed feelings about this book. Bearden was a CIA operative of long-standing and well placed, and these are his reminiscences, joined with research (oral and written). It is very well informed. I found the first part fascinating -- dealing the mole hunts from Angleton to Aldrich Ames. Part II (the book was published in 2003) was a triumphalist view of Charlie Wilson's War -- the American support for the Mujahadeen in the Soviet-Afghan war -- which looks like a catastrophic blunder in hindsight. Yet Bearden, who was on the ground there, takes credit for thus winning the Cold War. Part III deals with the collapse of the Soviet Union -- has much interesting detail, but again missed the dangers inherent in the collapse of Gorbachev's regime.
Because of these complaints I found the book somewhat of a slog at time, despite the crisp writing and wealth of detail. Those who can overlook these faults will enjoy this book enormously. Those, like myself, who cannot, well...
Because of these complaints I found the book somewhat of a slog at time, despite the crisp writing and wealth of detail. Those who can overlook these faults will enjoy this book enormously. Those, like myself, who cannot, well...
October 14, 2023
A very entertaining story showing how CIA battles KGB throughout the latter part of Cold War. Both side would have spies defecting to the other side and both side would dangle fake defectors just to mess with the other side. Sometimes spies would even have a personal friendship without actual defection. There were many characters involved and their specific stories aren’t that interesting. But there are many unexpected tidbits that I found very interesting.
When a CIA case officer finally retired from field work in the Soviet bloc, he may even left some gifts for the KGB guys surveilling him.
Beardon worked with Mujahideen during Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and supplied them with stinger missiles that shot down many soviet helicopters. After the Soviet withdrawal, CIA and KGB wanted to work together on common interests such as drug trafficking. Beardon would ride in one of those helicopters close to the soviet boarder with Pakistan and Afghanistan. The pilot would tell KGB colonel traveling with Beardon to explain to the guest why they were flying so low (to avoid the Afghan bandit from shooting them down using stingers). Beardon asked the colonel what he said back to the pilot. The answer: “he already knew about that”.
In 1990, many Soviet tourists visiting Berlin would want to seek asylum at the US embassy there. CIA spies would spend time vetting each one and it became quite boring until a fighter pilot showed up and almost treated as yet another tourist. But this pilot turns out to have a lot of info to share.
Günter Schabowski (a politbureau member) is not well prepared about East Germany’s new supposedly less heavy-handed travel control. At a televised press conference, he vastly simplified the rules and to reporters present, it sound like anybody can travel to West Germany. Pressed about timing from the reporters, he said “immediately”. That understandably confused boarder control guards and some East Germans tested the new rule at the boarder and did get through. Amplified by TV reports from West Germany, soon thousands knew and started to cross the border.
Combined, these tidbits portray a picture: spies or country leaders, these are in some sense just jobs. Seen from distance, there are plenty materials for a sitcom.
When a CIA case officer finally retired from field work in the Soviet bloc, he may even left some gifts for the KGB guys surveilling him.
Beardon worked with Mujahideen during Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and supplied them with stinger missiles that shot down many soviet helicopters. After the Soviet withdrawal, CIA and KGB wanted to work together on common interests such as drug trafficking. Beardon would ride in one of those helicopters close to the soviet boarder with Pakistan and Afghanistan. The pilot would tell KGB colonel traveling with Beardon to explain to the guest why they were flying so low (to avoid the Afghan bandit from shooting them down using stingers). Beardon asked the colonel what he said back to the pilot. The answer: “he already knew about that”.
In 1990, many Soviet tourists visiting Berlin would want to seek asylum at the US embassy there. CIA spies would spend time vetting each one and it became quite boring until a fighter pilot showed up and almost treated as yet another tourist. But this pilot turns out to have a lot of info to share.
Günter Schabowski (a politbureau member) is not well prepared about East Germany’s new supposedly less heavy-handed travel control. At a televised press conference, he vastly simplified the rules and to reporters present, it sound like anybody can travel to West Germany. Pressed about timing from the reporters, he said “immediately”. That understandably confused boarder control guards and some East Germans tested the new rule at the boarder and did get through. Amplified by TV reports from West Germany, soon thousands knew and started to cross the border.
Combined, these tidbits portray a picture: spies or country leaders, these are in some sense just jobs. Seen from distance, there are plenty materials for a sitcom.
October 24, 2020
This memoir of retired CIA employee Bearden was vetted by the agency and so may not be entirely accurate. Still, that being said, it was an engrossing read.
The period covered ranges from the premiership of Andropov to the dissolution of the USSR, with some forward glances to the date of publication. The focus, however, is on 1985, a year when a host of CIA assets were deactivated by the KGB, and on the efforts to uncover the moles in the CIA and FBI responsible.
Despite this on-going theme, the text is basically chronological, following author Bearden's career during this period, a good deal of which had him in Pakistan, messing with the Soviets. Readers of 'Charlie Wilson's War' will be interested in his take on this (mis)adventure.
The period covered ranges from the premiership of Andropov to the dissolution of the USSR, with some forward glances to the date of publication. The focus, however, is on 1985, a year when a host of CIA assets were deactivated by the KGB, and on the efforts to uncover the moles in the CIA and FBI responsible.
Despite this on-going theme, the text is basically chronological, following author Bearden's career during this period, a good deal of which had him in Pakistan, messing with the Soviets. Readers of 'Charlie Wilson's War' will be interested in his take on this (mis)adventure.
May 10, 2021
Incredibly well researched, the book even includes conversations recovered from Politburo meeting minutes. The time flow gets a bit jumbled - understandable given how much sheer material there is - but the jumble leads to the co-authors accidentally repeating information hundreds of pages apart. Some tighter editing could have helped there.
April 5, 2025
My one qualm with this book is that the title gives the impression that the book focuses on one central event between the CIA and KGB. The reality is that this book is a neat chronology of key events in the CIA-KGB relationship/rivalry across geographical theaters between 1985 and 1991. Otherwise, the book was extremely insightful, in large part due to the author’s inclusion of personal experiences.
November 17, 2021
A great memoir for those who love tales of tradecraft, betrayal and handing agents. This is not a James Bond Novel. If you are looking for vanishing pellets and grappling hooks; look elsewhere.
The real story is just as interesting (and dangerous). The mid-70s to early 90's USSR were a golden-age in terms of the CIA's ability to actually' run' agents in Moscow.
For a long time Moscow was considered not only impossible but also too dangerous for the Soviet spy on the other end. That began to change.
The Moscow section of the book is easily the best; whether dodging KGB radio vans; checking dead drops or gathering intel gold; it's continually gripping.
The author also worked in Afghanistan. However, I was. already very familiar with the role that the CIA, the ISI and the Saudis played in giving Ivan a black eye. As such I haven't covered this as much.
The storytelling is taut; matter of fact and happily devoid of "Up With America!" nonsense or flowery language in general.
Intelligence /Spy Nerds will love this. However, I recommend it to any one with a interest in US/Soviet History.
My only critique is something unavoidable. I listened on Audible and frequently had to rewind in order to figure 'x' operation or what happened to Vlad Vladimirovich Vladimirovichski.
On the other hand that same critique could easily apply to any Military/Diplomatic History ever written; whether listened to or read.
Simply put, I've read quite a few tomes on the intelligence war and this is easily one of the best
The real story is just as interesting (and dangerous). The mid-70s to early 90's USSR were a golden-age in terms of the CIA's ability to actually' run' agents in Moscow.
For a long time Moscow was considered not only impossible but also too dangerous for the Soviet spy on the other end. That began to change.
The Moscow section of the book is easily the best; whether dodging KGB radio vans; checking dead drops or gathering intel gold; it's continually gripping.
The author also worked in Afghanistan. However, I was. already very familiar with the role that the CIA, the ISI and the Saudis played in giving Ivan a black eye. As such I haven't covered this as much.
The storytelling is taut; matter of fact and happily devoid of "Up With America!" nonsense or flowery language in general.
Intelligence /Spy Nerds will love this. However, I recommend it to any one with a interest in US/Soviet History.
My only critique is something unavoidable. I listened on Audible and frequently had to rewind in order to figure 'x' operation or what happened to Vlad Vladimirovich Vladimirovichski.
On the other hand that same critique could easily apply to any Military/Diplomatic History ever written; whether listened to or read.
Simply put, I've read quite a few tomes on the intelligence war and this is easily one of the best
August 31, 2022
This was excellent.
October 12, 2020
An excellent summary of CIA operations in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Detailed accounts of the political machinations behind each spy and counter spy.
I finished each section still interested even though the encounters seemed to blend together after a while.
I recommend it for any readers who want to know more about international spy intrigue.
Highly recommend. 4 solid stars.
I finished each section still interested even though the encounters seemed to blend together after a while.
I recommend it for any readers who want to know more about international spy intrigue.
Highly recommend. 4 solid stars.
December 21, 2019
This is a long account of the public domain information on the intelligence rivalry between the CIA and the KGB in last decade or so before the collapse of the Soviet Union. It is coauthored by a former CIA agent, who was involved in many of the episodes included within the middle and final parts of the book.
Because documents were used to reconstruct some of the occurrences, it provides a somewhat more broad view of what occurred on both sides of the intelligence conflict. It leaves the reader with a fair, though slightly superficial, understanding of at least one of the primary factors that led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union: the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Milt Bearden was directly involved in the CIA support of the mujahideen through coordination with Pakistani intelligence (ISI), and he provides an interesting perspective of the CIA involvement.
No specific operational details are provided in this account, but it includes enough information for an uninitiated reader to learn general details of the motivations, challenges, and overall strategy of a section of the CIA during the 1980s and early 1990s.
The beginning of the book feels more fragmented, perhaps because it concerns operations that Milt Bearden was not personally involved in. Each chapter has several sub-sections with time and place headings that manage to impart a somewhat dramatic, theatrical atmosphere, but this occasionally fails as a narrative, for there is seemingly haphazard movement from one place to another with many new names presented, and it becomes difficult to see the relevance or importance of events or how they are connected. This makes it hard to follow the overall narrative, but things improve once the action moves from Moscow and Virginia to Afghanistan in the middle part of the book.
I would recommend this book to readers with an interest in the CIA and the history of the final decade of the Cold War, particularly from the point of view of the conflict between the intelligence services.
Because documents were used to reconstruct some of the occurrences, it provides a somewhat more broad view of what occurred on both sides of the intelligence conflict. It leaves the reader with a fair, though slightly superficial, understanding of at least one of the primary factors that led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union: the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Milt Bearden was directly involved in the CIA support of the mujahideen through coordination with Pakistani intelligence (ISI), and he provides an interesting perspective of the CIA involvement.
No specific operational details are provided in this account, but it includes enough information for an uninitiated reader to learn general details of the motivations, challenges, and overall strategy of a section of the CIA during the 1980s and early 1990s.
The beginning of the book feels more fragmented, perhaps because it concerns operations that Milt Bearden was not personally involved in. Each chapter has several sub-sections with time and place headings that manage to impart a somewhat dramatic, theatrical atmosphere, but this occasionally fails as a narrative, for there is seemingly haphazard movement from one place to another with many new names presented, and it becomes difficult to see the relevance or importance of events or how they are connected. This makes it hard to follow the overall narrative, but things improve once the action moves from Moscow and Virginia to Afghanistan in the middle part of the book.
I would recommend this book to readers with an interest in the CIA and the history of the final decade of the Cold War, particularly from the point of view of the conflict between the intelligence services.
August 2, 2008
I have had this book in my collection for a while now. I recently read the book and saw the movie, "Charlie Wilson's War," which peaked my interest. So I picked up this book and began reading. It is divided into two sections. Section one is a reviting insider's look at the Cold War during the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Bearden's "on the front lines" look into the "war" between the CIA and the KGB is detailed but interesting. Especially compelling is his discussion of, "The Year of the Spy." During 1985, almost all of the CIA's spies inside the KGB were rolled up. The Moscow bureau became a virtual storage facility because they were not getting any information. Of course we all now know that it was Robert Hanssen who was betraying the KGB spies as well as American CIA agents in the USSR.
The second half of the book looks at Bearden's time as the Station Chief in Pakistan during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Learning the about the dealings behind the scenes and the people and countries involves is amazing or rather frightening; however, it gives the reader a better insight into the minds of the terrorists who haunt us now.
The second half of the book looks at Bearden's time as the Station Chief in Pakistan during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Learning the about the dealings behind the scenes and the people and countries involves is amazing or rather frightening; however, it gives the reader a better insight into the minds of the terrorists who haunt us now.
September 5, 2019
After a disappointing read of one of Tom Clancy’s later books (Red Rabbit, if you’re morbidly curious), I decided I wanted to read something with a little more bite. I selected this book based on reviews and subject matter.
I probably couldn’t have selected a better book. Not only is this book a “great yarn” (like one Tom Clancy novel was famously called), but it’s also true! Milt does a fantastic job of describing the nail-biting situations and scenarios in which the CIA and KGB fought over the last decade of the Cold War. He chronicles stories that range from high-stakes counter-espionage in Moscow and Washington, DC to teetering diplomatic missions in Central Asia.
If you’re interested in what the CIA really did during some of the tensest years in American history, check this book out.
I probably couldn’t have selected a better book. Not only is this book a “great yarn” (like one Tom Clancy novel was famously called), but it’s also true! Milt does a fantastic job of describing the nail-biting situations and scenarios in which the CIA and KGB fought over the last decade of the Cold War. He chronicles stories that range from high-stakes counter-espionage in Moscow and Washington, DC to teetering diplomatic missions in Central Asia.
If you’re interested in what the CIA really did during some of the tensest years in American history, check this book out.
May 16, 2018
Read this ages ago. It was pretty good, but the only thing I really remember is a story about how the KGB and the CIA in Berlin used to show that they knew each other's secret drop sites by leaving each other beer. They even did this occasionally to say farewell when it was known that a station head or some other higher up in the enemy's service was leaving for another post. It sounded rather good natured - or at least, the impression I got was that the two services had a good deal of sympathy for one another because they alone knew the absurdity of the situation in which they found themselves.
January 22, 2023
Six stars. If this were a very strong fictional novel, it would be good enough. Icing on cake is that these are (supposedly) real events. The thrills and spills are complete and satisfying. Best part is that I saw the activities from a centralized corporate perspective, with narratives starting and ending at different times. Reminded me of the best Op Center books.
August 16, 2022
The best best overview of CIA KGB operations 85-91 I have read, set to a riveting narrative structure.
Very interesting to read After Bobo Baer's 'Fourth Man' with the consideration that Redmond may be a russian spy or we have an unreliable narrator.
Very interesting to read After Bobo Baer's 'Fourth Man' with the consideration that Redmond may be a russian spy or we have an unreliable narrator.
September 21, 2021
Good book
Shows a side of the Cold War not known to many. It also shows the ups and downs faced by the CIA and KGB during that time.
Shows a side of the Cold War not known to many. It also shows the ups and downs faced by the CIA and KGB during that time.
December 16, 2022
An excellent writing on on the end of the Cold War
June 5, 2025
One of the best books I've ever read.
September 22, 2024
# The Main Enemy
---
## The Book in 1 Sentence
The authoritative bible of CIA vs. KGB espionage activity during the last decade of the Cold War.
## Brief Review
I wish I had started with this book for my spy history series that I have stumbled into. It covers so much information with such clarity that there isn't a lot of speculation speaking that the information is from either interviews or memoirs from both sides.
## Why I Read this book
I love spy stories. From my time in the Marines, the number of times I have heard stories about some of these in particular Aldrich Ames, I would like to know more about what lead to the fall of the KGB.
## In-Depth Review
I. Loved. This. Book. The high level narrative story telling in chronological format makes you solely invested into what is going on. The fact that between a CIA agent and a journalist that were active in that time makes you understand and see where things are going. I wish I had read this and only this to start my spy book series. I think it still would have led me to [[The Spy and the Traitor]], but I would have avoided [[A Spy Named Orphan]].
The writing of the book is so well presented that you get to feel the headaches and frustrations as well as the triumphs of each team, both the CIA and KGB. The amount of back and forth that happened with spies and insiders giving information away to one side or the other is crazy.
What I found most interesting is that I feel like the Soviet Union failed more because their internal backstabbing than it did because of CIA involvement. The exception to that I believe is the first domino. The USSR losing in Afghanistan because of CIA provisioning Stinger Missiles to the Mujahideen. The USSR not having a plan on how to win in Afghanistan after the initial invasion is also a contributing factor into the civilian uprising around the Soviet Bloc.
## How my life / behavior / thoughts / ideas have changed as a result of reading the book.
If you have been paying attention to the world for the last couple of years, you will recognize that the words I said just above are an exact match to what happen to the United States with its invasion of Afghanistan. We had the same issue. In the epilogue of the book, the authors talk about their concerns in a one-year post 9/11 world in Afghanistan stating “The CIA will have to rebuild relationships with the Pashtuns and undertake measures to convince the boarder population to take a larger stake in the New Afghanistan, and it's reconstruction, but failure could allow the country to become a haven for terrorism.” Written two decades ago with the prophetic accuracy of the Fates from Greek mythology. The only difference between the US and the USSR for their time in Afghanistan is the amount of time the US took to realize they didn't have the plan to win.
## Rating
This is outstanding. The Afghanistan portion of the book was dry and slow, much like the country in the summer, but was so pivotal it had to be told. I enjoyed and looked forward to listening to the stories presented in the book and thought that for the most part they were not dragged out. Just hits of facts. So for that and well crafted narrative, this is an easy 8. It's a little dry, but still worth the read.
For more reviews go to https://boydsbar.xyz
---
## The Book in 1 Sentence
The authoritative bible of CIA vs. KGB espionage activity during the last decade of the Cold War.
## Brief Review
I wish I had started with this book for my spy history series that I have stumbled into. It covers so much information with such clarity that there isn't a lot of speculation speaking that the information is from either interviews or memoirs from both sides.
## Why I Read this book
I love spy stories. From my time in the Marines, the number of times I have heard stories about some of these in particular Aldrich Ames, I would like to know more about what lead to the fall of the KGB.
## In-Depth Review
I. Loved. This. Book. The high level narrative story telling in chronological format makes you solely invested into what is going on. The fact that between a CIA agent and a journalist that were active in that time makes you understand and see where things are going. I wish I had read this and only this to start my spy book series. I think it still would have led me to [[The Spy and the Traitor]], but I would have avoided [[A Spy Named Orphan]].
The writing of the book is so well presented that you get to feel the headaches and frustrations as well as the triumphs of each team, both the CIA and KGB. The amount of back and forth that happened with spies and insiders giving information away to one side or the other is crazy.
What I found most interesting is that I feel like the Soviet Union failed more because their internal backstabbing than it did because of CIA involvement. The exception to that I believe is the first domino. The USSR losing in Afghanistan because of CIA provisioning Stinger Missiles to the Mujahideen. The USSR not having a plan on how to win in Afghanistan after the initial invasion is also a contributing factor into the civilian uprising around the Soviet Bloc.
## How my life / behavior / thoughts / ideas have changed as a result of reading the book.
If you have been paying attention to the world for the last couple of years, you will recognize that the words I said just above are an exact match to what happen to the United States with its invasion of Afghanistan. We had the same issue. In the epilogue of the book, the authors talk about their concerns in a one-year post 9/11 world in Afghanistan stating “The CIA will have to rebuild relationships with the Pashtuns and undertake measures to convince the boarder population to take a larger stake in the New Afghanistan, and it's reconstruction, but failure could allow the country to become a haven for terrorism.” Written two decades ago with the prophetic accuracy of the Fates from Greek mythology. The only difference between the US and the USSR for their time in Afghanistan is the amount of time the US took to realize they didn't have the plan to win.
## Rating
This is outstanding. The Afghanistan portion of the book was dry and slow, much like the country in the summer, but was so pivotal it had to be told. I enjoyed and looked forward to listening to the stories presented in the book and thought that for the most part they were not dragged out. Just hits of facts. So for that and well crafted narrative, this is an easy 8. It's a little dry, but still worth the read.
For more reviews go to https://boydsbar.xyz
November 16, 2024
"The Main Enemy" by Milton Bearden and James Risen is a riveting account of the CIA-KGB spy wars that defined the latter years of the Cold War. This gripping narrative offers readers an unprecedented glimpse into the clandestine world of espionage, told through the eyes of those who lived it. Bearden, a 30-year CIA veteran, and Risen, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, have crafted a masterful blend of firsthand experience and investigative reporting. Their collaboration results in a book that is both deeply informative and intensely thrilling. The authors take us on a global journey, from the sewers of Moscow to the back streets of Baghdad, Cairo, Havana, Prague, and Berlin. However, the heart of the action lies in Washington D.C., beginning with the infamous "Year of the Spy" when CIA agents in Moscow were systematically eliminated. One of the book's most compelling aspects is its focus on the human element of espionage. Readers are granted access to the thoughts and motivations of CIA officers as they navigate dangerous missions, dodge surveillance, and face violent ambushes in hostile territory. Bearden's firsthand account of leading America's covert operations in Afghanistan against the Soviets is particularly fascinating. For the first time, he reveals the strategies employed and the rationale behind America's choices of allies in this secret war. The book is replete with startling revelations, including details about top-secret back channels between the CIA and KGB, the intricate world of double and triple agents, and covert operations in various European cities. The authors' account of the fateful autumn of 1989, which saw the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union, is especially gripping. “The Main Enemy" is more than just a spy thriller; it's a meticulously researched historical document. Based on hundreds of interviews with operatives from both sides, it offers a balanced and nuanced view of this shadowy world. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Cold War history, espionage, or simply those who enjoy a well-crafted, action-packed narrative. Bearden and Risen have succeeded in creating a work that is both enlightening and entertaining, offering readers a front-row seat to one of the most fascinating periods in modern history.
June 30, 2019
Bearden's book is part biographical, part historical account of the CIA and KGB in the late Cold War period. In between Bearden's account of the various positions he held at CIA in the 1980s and 1990s are stories of CIA and KGB case officers and agents who passed secrets between the two sides during the Cold War. Overall, his narrative offers fascinating first-hand insights into the loss of CIA spys in 1985 due to Ames and Hanssen, the CIA's involvement in the Soviet/Afghan War, and of the final days of the Soviet Union. Bearden also does an exceptional job providing the Soviet perspective on the period.
However, the narrative is a little disjointed as Bearden inserts stories of captured spys from both sides into his own biographical narrative. Although Bearden relied on many interviews of CIA and KGB officers to inform his book, it is still necessarily reflective of his own experiences and biases. Lastly, it would have been interesting for Bearden to have reflected more deeply on the after effects of his experiences. Despite this book being written after 9/11, Bearden does not attempt to explain how his actions in the mid-1980s helped shape the Afghanistan that gave rise to the Taliban, haven to bin Laden, and resulted in 9/11. Bearden also does not take the opportunity to look out the mischaracterizations the Soviets and Americans had of each other during the Cold War, and the extraordinary waste of resources and lives in the battlefields of Vietnam, Afghanistan, and among the spys that were the result.
However, the narrative is a little disjointed as Bearden inserts stories of captured spys from both sides into his own biographical narrative. Although Bearden relied on many interviews of CIA and KGB officers to inform his book, it is still necessarily reflective of his own experiences and biases. Lastly, it would have been interesting for Bearden to have reflected more deeply on the after effects of his experiences. Despite this book being written after 9/11, Bearden does not attempt to explain how his actions in the mid-1980s helped shape the Afghanistan that gave rise to the Taliban, haven to bin Laden, and resulted in 9/11. Bearden also does not take the opportunity to look out the mischaracterizations the Soviets and Americans had of each other during the Cold War, and the extraordinary waste of resources and lives in the battlefields of Vietnam, Afghanistan, and among the spys that were the result.
March 12, 2021
More of a memoir by Milton Bearden of his Soviet and Afghanistan postings - less any sort of history of the 'final showdown' - or much of a history at all.
The style used is short, action-oriented sections which jump around in time and space - akin to books about combat or covert action in the first person. The problem with this style is the narrative - to the extent there is one - doesn't really match to the subject. It's not any kind of comprehensive story and without any real scholarship - just Bearden's recollection of his role in the CIA impacting the fall of the Soviet Union.
There's some value in learning about mid-level management and activities in the CIA in the 1980s. But, nothing particularly new or insightful.
I did find Bearden's POV interesting as it related to politics and personalities. Bearden is a clear Reagan conservative and fan of William Casey. His views on the Carter administration and the grand sweep of American, Soviet, Afghan, and Pakistani history 1950 to the present are an interesting insight into how someone from that camp sees the world. Bearden doesn't bother justifying any of those views - just reports them as fact - which is probably another interesting insight.
If you're deep into CIA history and want the perspective of a mid-level manager at the CIA 1980-2000 it's worth a read. But, not useful as an entry point to the CIA, fall of the Soviet Union, or geopolitics during the period.
The style used is short, action-oriented sections which jump around in time and space - akin to books about combat or covert action in the first person. The problem with this style is the narrative - to the extent there is one - doesn't really match to the subject. It's not any kind of comprehensive story and without any real scholarship - just Bearden's recollection of his role in the CIA impacting the fall of the Soviet Union.
There's some value in learning about mid-level management and activities in the CIA in the 1980s. But, nothing particularly new or insightful.
I did find Bearden's POV interesting as it related to politics and personalities. Bearden is a clear Reagan conservative and fan of William Casey. His views on the Carter administration and the grand sweep of American, Soviet, Afghan, and Pakistani history 1950 to the present are an interesting insight into how someone from that camp sees the world. Bearden doesn't bother justifying any of those views - just reports them as fact - which is probably another interesting insight.
If you're deep into CIA history and want the perspective of a mid-level manager at the CIA 1980-2000 it's worth a read. But, not useful as an entry point to the CIA, fall of the Soviet Union, or geopolitics during the period.
November 19, 2022
What do we remember from the Cold War except constant paranoia? Nuclear weapons threaten to rain from the sky, proxy wars break out across the globe, and as an open society whose fetishistic intellectuals adored Communism in the 1920s onward, we found ourselves constantly looking under every pillow for fifth columnists of various types. Sure, there were the fellow travelers in the unions and progressive orgs who thought that Communism was cognitively the clear answer, the poseurs smoking dope in their cold-water flats and talking Utopia, and the theorists who wanted a bipartisan "third way" that hopefully was not as abusive as Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Robespierre, Hitler, and Mussolini, but there were also Moscow Centre hoods cruising around, buying secrets, and worst of all, pretending to be patriots. This book concerns the double- and triple-agents who swarmed the CIA in an effort to drive it insane while carrying out subversion of the West even as the parabolic arc of the Communist balistic process turned toward Earth and forgot the stars. It is hard to view subsequent history as anything but confusion when the depth of the permeation is revealed. If you are a Cambridge Five scholar, or just a Whittaker Chambers weekend reader, this book will stoke your paranoia and make it more grounded at the same time.
August 30, 2020
A fascinating and readable first person tale of historical world events that were big news daily in the late eighties/early nineties. Theses sometimes anecdotal and mildly self serving stories serve to go behind what was in the public domain at the time.
Spy/counterspy aspects of the efforts of CIA and KGB are humanized and sanitized, but the outcomes were too often fatal. Mistakes were made, plans were revealed to the other side by insiders and turncoats on both sides variously for money or or revenge or liberty, and the result was arrest, incarceration interrogation (often enhanced by what we now know is torture) and sometimes execution by the KGB. My guess is that all involved know and did things yet to be disclosed, but my overwhelming impression is that what is revealed it true, accurate and enlightening. Besides being a captivating read it is well worth the time. The characters are named and known to anyone who followed these events. They are interesting and important historical actors brought to life in these pages.
Glad I read this one. James Risen helped Milt Bearden make it easy to follow the events in which he participated. Well worth the time to read it.
Spy/counterspy aspects of the efforts of CIA and KGB are humanized and sanitized, but the outcomes were too often fatal. Mistakes were made, plans were revealed to the other side by insiders and turncoats on both sides variously for money or or revenge or liberty, and the result was arrest, incarceration interrogation (often enhanced by what we now know is torture) and sometimes execution by the KGB. My guess is that all involved know and did things yet to be disclosed, but my overwhelming impression is that what is revealed it true, accurate and enlightening. Besides being a captivating read it is well worth the time. The characters are named and known to anyone who followed these events. They are interesting and important historical actors brought to life in these pages.
Glad I read this one. James Risen helped Milt Bearden make it easy to follow the events in which he participated. Well worth the time to read it.
December 30, 2021
Partly autobiographical, partly history and backed by extensive interviews with Russian sources as well as CIA communications cleared for public consumption.
The author stays within his lane, so we get a long journey through Afghanistan and not really enough on the sequence of economic problems slowly throttling the last years of the Soviet Union.
Don't read this book if you'd like to know much more about the role of Reagan, Thatcher, Bill Casey and Pope John Paul II in setting the stage for the uprising in Eastern Europe. If you're interested in the Ames and Hanssen cases, again, look elsewhere for the play by play of unmasking them, even though the problems they created overhang much of this work.
Do read it for part of a story which hasn't been told often enough, the death throes of the Evil Empire.
The author stays within his lane, so we get a long journey through Afghanistan and not really enough on the sequence of economic problems slowly throttling the last years of the Soviet Union.
Don't read this book if you'd like to know much more about the role of Reagan, Thatcher, Bill Casey and Pope John Paul II in setting the stage for the uprising in Eastern Europe. If you're interested in the Ames and Hanssen cases, again, look elsewhere for the play by play of unmasking them, even though the problems they created overhang much of this work.
Do read it for part of a story which hasn't been told often enough, the death throes of the Evil Empire.
January 28, 2019
Rarely can an autobiographic author get out of their own way and accept some help. It is also rare that a co-author, even a knowledgeable one can preserve the authenticity of the stories participants. The authors were able to accomplish both in this story. They used good judgement as to the right level of detail to promote understanding without becoming tedious. I am not in the intelligence field, but I was able to appreciate the characters and stories. The authors seemed to resist the urge to sensationalize, be too proud or too humble in a way that would reduce their credibility. If the topic is of interest, I highly recommend this book. I would liken it to a Michael Shaara work in the sense that it is factual, but reads like a novel.
July 10, 2019
It took me about 80% of this book to figure out that it was written in 2003. Silly me. Many of the stories are familiar but this is one for the spy shelf. A lot of excellent details attending things I understood from the perspective of the British side as written by the ever excellent Ben Macintyre. So as the book progressed, I wondered when they were going to get to busting Aldrich Ames and it didn't happen until very close to the end. Nor was there any mention of the effect of Chernobyl on the fall of the USSR. So other than those two and a half small disappointments, this filled in some excellent gaps and also provided a touch of insight as to how, after the death of Casey, the Agency went through a load of directors.
Still, I need something closer to now.
Still, I need something closer to now.
April 11, 2021
A well - written narrative about how the Cold War conflict between the Superpowers was ended.
The authors discussed this at length as well as the duplicity of both Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen. Each of these men are serving life terms in Federal prison because they committed treason by selling classified information to the Soviet Union. One of the more fascinating discussions in the book is related to Yevgeny Yerchenko, the KGB General who defected to the United States then re-defected back to the Soviet Union. Even today he is regarded by members of the Russian intelligence community as a traitor because of his actions.
It is a solid history lesson which is worth learning about.
The authors discussed this at length as well as the duplicity of both Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen. Each of these men are serving life terms in Federal prison because they committed treason by selling classified information to the Soviet Union. One of the more fascinating discussions in the book is related to Yevgeny Yerchenko, the KGB General who defected to the United States then re-defected back to the Soviet Union. Even today he is regarded by members of the Russian intelligence community as a traitor because of his actions.
It is a solid history lesson which is worth learning about.
December 23, 2019
Reads like a spy novel and not a historical recollection. Great read
I really enjoyed this book as it is written very well and flies by. The stories of the spy war between the Soviet Union and the US were fascinating to read about, especially the CIA involvement in Afghanistan and the ineffectiveness of the CIA in the mid 80s. unlike a novel however there are dangling unanswered questions left open at the end of the reading that leave a thirst for more, but those questions will probably never be publicly answered. Highly recommended.
I really enjoyed this book as it is written very well and flies by. The stories of the spy war between the Soviet Union and the US were fascinating to read about, especially the CIA involvement in Afghanistan and the ineffectiveness of the CIA in the mid 80s. unlike a novel however there are dangling unanswered questions left open at the end of the reading that leave a thirst for more, but those questions will probably never be publicly answered. Highly recommended.
August 27, 2019
Written in a collaboration between veteran CIA officer Milton Bearden and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist James Risen, this fascinating look behind the scenes of the rivalry between the CIA and the KGB in Cold War espionage (specifically the last years thereof, from 1985 to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991) makes for an absolutely engrossing and insightful read. If the subject interests you, this book is not to be missed.
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