The Wolf and the Watchman: A Father, a Son, and the CIA

by Scott C. Johnson

Growing up, Scott C. Johnson always suspected that his father was different. Only as a teenager did he discover the truth: his father was a spy, one of the CIA's most trusted officers. At first the secret was thrilling. But over time Scott began to have doubts. How could a man so rigorously trained to deceive and manipulate simply turn off those skills at home? His father had been living a double life for so long that his lies were hard to separate from the truth. When Scott embarked on a career as a foreign correspondent, he found himself returning to many of the troubled countries of his youth. In the dusty streets of Pakistan and Afghanistan, amid the cold urbanity of Yugoslavia, and down the mysterious alleys of Mexico City, he came face to face with his father's murky past—and his own complicity in it. Scott learned that his chosen profession was not so different from his father's: they both worked to gain people's trust and to uncover their secrets. The only difference was what they did with that information.

In the aftermath of 9/11, father and son found themselves on assignment in Afghanistan and the Middle East, one as a CIA contractor, the other as a reporter for Newsweek. Suddenly, an unsettled Scott was forced to keep his father's secret all over again. As their professional lives collided, Scott and his father inched toward a personal reckoning, struggling to overcome a lifetime of suspicion and deception.

The Wolf and the Watchman is a provocative, meditative account of truth and duplicity, of manipulation and loyalty. It is also a moving, intensely personal portrait of a bond between father and son that endured in the shadow of one of the world's most secretive and unforgiving institutions.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, History, Biography, Politics, Book Club, American History

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 6, 2012

About the author

Scott C. Johnson was a Newsweek foreign correspondent for twelve years, often providing exclusive war reporting from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other fronts in the Middle East. He also served as Newsweek’s bureau chief in Mexico, Baghdad, and Africa; was part of the team that won the 2003 National Magazine Award for reportage of the Iraq War; and received a 2004 Overseas Press Club Honorable Mention for his reporting from Latin America. He is now a freelance journalist and writer living in Santa Monica, California.

Reviews

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book drew me in at the beginning, as any charismatic spy should. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Scott Johnson's childhood. But as he grew into a conflicted, confused, depressed adult, the charm dissolved. I felt I was reading the story of a whiny, obnoxious, immature little boy. His palpable resentment of his father, who suddenly he considered a liar and a con man, was disturbing. He provided no evidence that his father had acted with anything but integrity, yet he felt he was withholding something from him all the time. There are portions of his own story, especially a couple narrow escapes from death while Scott worked as a journalist in war zones, which may explain his paranoia. He most certainly suffered from post-traumatic stress, but although his father suggested he seek treatment for it, the younger Johnson scoffs at the notion. Unfortunately, this colors their relationship to the end of the story, and it never recovers its early luster.

[Rebecca Applewhite]

There were some fascinating stories hidden in here, but it needed a good edit - far too much self indulgent analysis

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

i really wanted to like this more. i am obsessed with the show "the americans" and couldn't wait to read about the true story of a son and his "spy" father. maybe i had too high of expectations. i definitely anticipated more action and crazy stories than what i got. honestly, it read more like johnson's journal or inner monologue and unresolved issues, not just with his father's career but with his own. while i think some of it was quite interesting, in my opinion, it wasn't worthy of 300+ pages but would've been better suited as an article.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Agree with the reviewer below who wrote there is no narrative here, definitely no through line. I read it because I heard an interview with the author, and he was very interesting, but I had a hard time getting through the book itself.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful

[Lillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea how close to home this book would range when I started it. New Delhi, Belgrade, and Islamabad are a long ways from eastern Washington, but St. Maries, ID, Colville WA, and the tent city in Petersburg, AK? Those are places I know and don't associate with the CIA.

Scott Johnson's memoir closely follows his relationship with his father whom he always suspected had hidden secrets. Scott is a teenager when he learns his father is a spy and begins to question the life they have lived, trying to sort out the truth of his feelings for his father from the lies he comes to understand have been told.

To what degree can manipulating and deceiving those around you be justified for a greater good, whether on the level of family or country? This memoir gives readers a glimpse into the costs on all sides.

[Mike Keren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. The tale of his childhood, growing up with this big secret, yet surrounded by the secret, was very engrossing. The second part, his travels into the war zone as a reporter were also interesting. Harrowing. His effort to describe the interplay between himself and his father seemed less successful. Too much effort to report and not enough of a critical eye for my satisfaction.. Still, worth a read.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author mentioned his father said "...it was just like James Bond." If only that were true, and maybe that is why I have been gravitating towards fiction. Don't get me wrong, I admire those who serve our country, whether that is covertly, as a soldier, or the people that risk their lives to report on wars.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The imagery of the Colville area highlands is good; the perspective of time growing up with his father in the CIA is interesting, but much of his grappling over that time while an adult is less so. It could have been much condensed to provide the same overall story.

[Ford · Rating 1 out of 5]

low interest...didn't even bother to finish.

[Linda Maxie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it's fair to say that most children have problems with one or both of their parents. Every relationship is different and problematic in its own way. Scott Johnson had a wonderful father who was damaging, in his son's experience, because he served in the CIA.

The book is well-written. Like some of the other reviews I have read, I especially enjoyed reading about Johnson's childhood. As painful as it was, I was also fascinated by his descriptions of Iraq, Baghdad, and other war-torn regions which he covered as a reporter for Newsweek. But I did not enjoy the section beginning with high school up through those chapters before he became a journalist. I think these could have been helped with less detail and more summary.

Still, as I stated above, every parent-child relationship is somewhat fraught. And our experiences are true to us, even if they make no sense to others. What interested me about this most, was the effects the secretiveness had on Johnson. He was devastated by it; he felt compelled to relive his father's deceptions in his own line of work. I've known other children of former CIA employees who did not seem the slightest bit affected by their parent's career or secretiveness. I am not faulting Johnson for his reaction, I just think it was interesting.

[Trina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book never quite sold me on either what it was like growing up with a dad in the CIA or what compelled the son to expose the lies undermining their family life. He reminded me of a lot of kids I grew up with who drifted into the counterculture as a way to get back at parents whose big sin was being uptight or square. You didn’t need a dad in the CIA to experience that. My college roommate’s father worked for the CIA, and she was no different than the rest of us dealing with dysfunctional families, headed by emotionally distant, withholding males. The only tension in the book comes from telling it like it is vs. covering it up. Maybe if the father had come across as more interesting than a stock character - good at spying on the bad guys, bad at being a good dad to his kid - I’d’ve stuck with this longer. As it was, I returned it to the library unfinished.:(

[Bill Conrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolf and the Watchman by Scott C. Johnson is the story of a boy who grows up with a father in the CIA. I have read many historical/fictional spy novels and was expecting much of the same. However, this story surprised me. Essentially, this boy spent his life discovering what his father did as he became a reporter.
I had never considered what it would be like to grow up in the shadow of a secretive person pretending to be expected. My father was a teacher, and our family knew what his job was all about. Scott did a great job of showing what it was like, and I learned a lot about a unique perspective.
This autobiography was quite intriguing and kept my attention. I recommended it to a friend that likes spy novels.

[Liz V. · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is natural, as life progresses, to reflect on decisions and, perhaps, to categorize them as wise or not. The author, however, is not focused on his choices but instead on demanding his father share personal information to be viewed through the son's morally superior prism. It is a painful process about which to read.

The rationale is that his father's employment by the CIA imposed unique burdens--notwithstanding that most if not all professions involve concealment of confidential information and some require concealment of identity.

[Marilyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

A story well written with great characterizations, but could not recommend due to its brutality. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with such horror in it. Maybe, it seems, some people’s, or most people’s cup of tea, but not mine. A lot of high ratings.

Read at your own risk. I finished because I wished to have the loose ends tied up and to see the fate of the protagonist who was one of the more redeeming characters in the book. Did enjoy the twists in the book, but TOO much gratuitous violence.

Perhaps a sign today of a great book—-being remembered, staying with you, but not fondly?

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It started very slow for me and I was unsure if this spy-autobiography was going to be any different from the many others I've read. However, as soon as the story segued to the author's adulthood, the writing took on a uniquely honest and deeply introspective tone. I haven't quite encountered anything like it. Some of the author's drive to dissect his father's career and personality got a little singular for me.

[Robert C. Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting examination of individual motive, set against the background of modern espionage and warfare. A rare glimpse of the chilling reality and personal sacrifice required to survive in a world of deception and betrayal.

[Alida Hanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting premise but the relentless focus on Dad and how bad he was, to the exclusion of any kind of self-examination, made this a frustrating and ultimately boring reading experience. I abandoned it about halfway through.

[Howard A. Sinclair]

A wonderful story and an excellent and enjoyable read. The writer takes us on a personal and mysterious journey of attempting to untangle the love of his father from the mysteries surrounding his elusive trade.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

In its favor, this book follows an unusual story line: the relationship between a father and son, in which the father is a career CIA agent and the son, raised within the circle of the CIA and international postings, becomes a journalist. Enjoyable and thoughtful, but not a page-turner.

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the concept of the book is interesting, it was quite bland and had no flavour. Little to no imagery and as some who like to imagine a scene, this was no more than reading words. The story felt quite disconnected.

[Katie Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good moments, but overall not one I would recommend.

[Michelle Pulignani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story.

[Greg Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark and compelling with some crazy, but completely believable twists

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating story of a complex father-son relationship, their love for each other along with uncertainties, set around the world. The one thing that confused me is the title.., 3.6

[Jocelyn (foxonbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

When he was 14, Scott’s father tells him the truth: the secret that explains why the family moved from New Delhi, to Belgrade, to Islamabad, to Williamsburg, Virginia. The reason people always looked a little sceptical when Scott said his father was a diplomat. The why behind his parents’ divorce.

Scott's father, Keith Johnson, was a spy.

Letting Scott in on the secret reinforced the incredibly strong connection between father and son but at the same time sowed a seed of suspicion for Scott – his father’s whole life revolved around manipulating assets, obscuring the truth, subtly working to present the world in a certain way. How much of that manipulation, how many of those lies stopped when he got home?

Scott eventually became an investigative journalist, and that inquiring mind spent a good deal of time asking questions of and about his father – what was his involvement in big political events, how sincere was he in dealing with his friends and family, and how clean were his father’s hands? The one thing that was never really in question was Keith’s devotion to his son.

I was impressed by this book for a number of reasons, especially the incredible writing. Johnson’s journalistic background is evident as he paints a scene so vivid and using language so gorgeous I felt like I was a part of the experience:

“At the reception the band played mariachi and she [Scott's mother] danced on the cool patio tiles with my father. When the clinking of glasses rang across the verandah and the long-leaved plants quietly ushered them along the floor, she was able to think serenely about the future, and the way they both fit together.”

The tale is compelling and the ethical deliberations Johnson conducts as he examines his life then and now in the context of his father’s involvement with the CIA is at once fascinating on a world scale as we, the reader, see the events in their global context and at the same time fiercely, sometimes painfully personal. Johnson doesn’t shy away from the hard questions he wants answered – and crucially, neither does his father, who supported his son in the writing of this book regardless of how confronting it was for both of them.

I took my time with this book because I was completely enthralled by the story and the candid nature of the storytelling. It was incredibly brave, visceral and relevant.

[Rev. Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is lying ever right? Or teaching a child to lie? This book gave me a reason to think for some parents, it might be the only possibility.

What a wonderful read....here is the review from Amazon:

"Growing up, Scott C. Johnson always suspected that his father was different. Only as a teenager did he discover the truth: his father was a spy, one of the CIA’s most trusted officers. At first the secret was thrilling. But over time Scott began to have doubts. How could a man so rigorously trained to deceive and manipulate simply turn off those skills at home? His father had been living a double life for so long that his lies were hard to separate from the truth. When Scott embarked on a career as a foreign correspondent, he found himself returning to many of the troubled countries of his youth. In the dusty streets of Pakistan and Afghanistan, amid the cold urbanity of Yugoslavia, and down the mysterious alleys of Mexico City, he came face to face with his father’s murky past—and his own complicity in it. Scott learned that his chosen profession was not so different from his father’s: they both worked to gain people’s trust and to uncover their secrets. The only difference was what they did with that information. In the aftermath of 9/11, father and son found themselves on assignment in Afghanistan and the Middle East, one as a CIA contractor, the other as a reporter for Newsweek. Suddenly, an unsettled Scott was forced to keep his father’s secret all over again. As their professional lives collided, Scott and his father inched toward a personal reckoning, struggling to overcome a lifetime of suspicion and deception. The Wolf and the Watchman is a provocative, meditative account of truth and duplicity, of manipulation and loyalty. It is also a moving, intensely personal portrait of a bond between father and son that endured in the shadow of one of the world’s most secretive and unforgiving institutions."

Don't start this one the night before an early work day...it is a definite page turner.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was all over the place. I am fascinated by the CIA and the sneaky things we do on a global scale, all the while pretending we’re all above it and staunchly Puritan-esque. But this had no clear narrative throughput, at least from my vantage point. In this, we have the memoir of a man who found out at age twelve his dad was a spy. I’m a little surprised he told him, as it is a big burden to keep, though I guess it speaks to how much dad trusted his son. As a child and an adult, the narrator struggles with the knowledge as well as his relationship with his father.

The writer is a journalist, and that much is clear in his crisp writing. Still, I couldn’t get into this. I wanted a little more meat, I suppose. Clandestine meetings and such. Though I thought it was fascinating when his father says, after a long career in the CIA, that it was oddly unfulfilling. His job/the information supplied was always a piece of the puzzle but never the critical piece – no one’s information was. That kind of blew my mind. I cannot imagine being such a small cog in a huge machine, and at great personal expense.

As to his own career, the writer also makes a point about how most journalists go into the business to allegedly “discover the truth” but it was an impossible endeavor. “There were only stories, one after another, these overwhelming stories.” And that right there is the news as we have it. Depressing. Brilliantly put but depressing nonetheless.

I did enjoy the Colonial Williamsburg escapades, having lived there in college and speculated about Camp Peary. I had a weird encounter with a guy from there, which was forgotten about until reading this. In any case, nothing wrong with this book. I just expected more, especially as this is a 2013 National Book Award nominee.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was disturbing in its portrayal of both the relationship of the son (the journalist) and father (the CIA agent) and the larger picture of the CIA's action on behalf of the USA in Mexico, Iraq, India, and other places. We learn more than we want or need to know about the son's emotional disturbances and his ambivalent feelings toward his father. He ends up saying how much he loves and respects his father, but I am not totally convinced!

One Goodreads reviewer said the book needed a better editor. It is confusing in its going back and forth from one time to another and from one place to another--not necessarily in any order. I wonder how much this book hurt those he says he cares about--his mother, father, and step-mother. He says at one point that he'll leave his mother's story for another book. I don't think I'll look for it.

Yet I read the whole book and read it with interest if not sadness and sometimes horror.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is often incredibly interesting. But it was often boring as well. Scott Johnson grew up with a father who essentially worked as a spy for the CIA. Because of this, Scott grew up extremely well-traveled, but also almost incapable of fulling trusting his father, who had to lead a sort of double life constantly in order to earn a living. And while it bothers him that he can't trust his father, it bothers him even more that he may be much more like him than he thought. If this book stuck to the premise of growing up with a parent who was a part of the CIA, then I would have given this book a much higher rating. Instead there are flashbacks and much talk about Johnson's career as a journalist, specifically during the war with Iraq. Even so, it was still interesting and educational.