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The CIA: An Imperial History
A celebrated British historian of US intelligence explores how the CIA was born in anti-imperialist idealism but swiftly became an instrument of a new covert empire both in America and overseas.
As World War II ended, the United States stood as the dominant power on the world stage. In 1947, to support its new global status, it created the CIA to analyse foreign intelligence. But within a few years, the Agency was engaged in other bolstering pro-American governments, overthrowing nationalist leaders, and surveilling anti-imperial dissenters in the US.
The Cold War was an obvious reason for this transformation - but not the only one. In The CIA, celebrated intelligence historian Hugh Wilford draws on decades of research to show the Agency as part of a larger picture, the history of Western empire. While young CIA officers imagined themselves as British imperial agents like T. E. Lawrence, successive US presidents used the covert powers of the Agency to hide overseas interventions from postcolonial foreigners and anti-imperial Americans alike. Even the CIA's post-9/11 global hunt for terrorists was haunted by the ghosts of empires past.
Comprehensive, original, and gripping, The CIA is the story of the birth of a new imperial order in the shadows. It offers the most complete account yet of how America adopted unaccountable power and secrecy both at home and abroad.
As World War II ended, the United States stood as the dominant power on the world stage. In 1947, to support its new global status, it created the CIA to analyse foreign intelligence. But within a few years, the Agency was engaged in other bolstering pro-American governments, overthrowing nationalist leaders, and surveilling anti-imperial dissenters in the US.
The Cold War was an obvious reason for this transformation - but not the only one. In The CIA, celebrated intelligence historian Hugh Wilford draws on decades of research to show the Agency as part of a larger picture, the history of Western empire. While young CIA officers imagined themselves as British imperial agents like T. E. Lawrence, successive US presidents used the covert powers of the Agency to hide overseas interventions from postcolonial foreigners and anti-imperial Americans alike. Even the CIA's post-9/11 global hunt for terrorists was haunted by the ghosts of empires past.
Comprehensive, original, and gripping, The CIA is the story of the birth of a new imperial order in the shadows. It offers the most complete account yet of how America adopted unaccountable power and secrecy both at home and abroad.
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 27, 2024
Mr. Wilford does an impressive job of linking the beginning of the CIA with the OSS. However, important areas of concern seem rushed or ignored altogether. The CIA's relationships in Taiwan and Pakistan especially. Also, Mr. Wilford acknowledges the failures of the CIA's intelligence gathering concerning September 11 but brushes over the failure regarding the Ukrainian invasion. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the advance reader copy.
August 20, 2024
Hugh Wilford's The CIA: An Imperial History ably shows the continuities between European imperial intelligence and the Central Intelligence Agency. Through a series of overlapping biographies of some of the CIA's most famous personalities, Wilford demonstrates how the CIA deployed tried and true imperial techniques - ranging from covert operations to overthrow governments to torturing suspected enemy operatives - to impose American values and ideas upon foreign nations. These similarities happened despite American rejection of the European imperial project, the personal support of decolonization by many CIA leaders, and the narrative of American exceptionalism that the US does not have imperial ambitions (a lie which Daniel Immerwahr dismantles in How to Hide an Empire). Making matters worse, many of the worst aspects of the CIA's imperial ideology boomeranged back to the United States harming American citizens and endangering democracy.
Wilford's history is clearly and concisely written. It is peppered with interesting details and compelling personalities (James Angelton, in particular, shines in Wilford's telling). The book is also a showcase of all the wonderful research that has been done on the history of intelligence gathering in the United States over the past two decades. The bibliography is worth exploring for anyone wow'ed by Wilford's account.
The only real flaw is that - by design- there really isn't anything new here. This is a synthesis in its clearest form. Even the arguments are not new - the CIA as an imperial brotherhood has been explored elsewhere as has the boomerang concept. Still, this history is a valuable entry point for those looking to learn more about the CIA and American foreign relations in the 20th century. Its combination of thorough research (albeit into secondary sources), fun details, and clear argumentation could also make this a useful book to teach at the undergraduate level to provide an overview of American Cold War foreign relations.
Wilford's history is clearly and concisely written. It is peppered with interesting details and compelling personalities (James Angelton, in particular, shines in Wilford's telling). The book is also a showcase of all the wonderful research that has been done on the history of intelligence gathering in the United States over the past two decades. The bibliography is worth exploring for anyone wow'ed by Wilford's account.
The only real flaw is that - by design- there really isn't anything new here. This is a synthesis in its clearest form. Even the arguments are not new - the CIA as an imperial brotherhood has been explored elsewhere as has the boomerang concept. Still, this history is a valuable entry point for those looking to learn more about the CIA and American foreign relations in the 20th century. Its combination of thorough research (albeit into secondary sources), fun details, and clear argumentation could also make this a useful book to teach at the undergraduate level to provide an overview of American Cold War foreign relations.
August 18, 2025
2.5 stars really. Just didn’t grab me and felt like a long lecture. Also think the author waves away a lot of the legitimate criticism levelled at the CIA. But the point about how linked the CIA and American imperialism are is a fair one.
February 17, 2025
Makes a compelling case for the CIA being a natural successor to European imperialism. The book’s focus on individual CIA employees is an interesting approach. The CIA’s early officers were somewhat culturally British, inspired by the stories of T.E. Lawrence and Rudyard Kipling. The book warns of the dangers, both domestically and abroad, stemming from intelligence operations morphing into regime change and counterintelligence.
September 9, 2024
This excellent overview of the Central Intelligence Agency proposes that the CIA is a direct offshoot of the old imperial European spy networks of France and, mainly, Great Britain. To back this up, Professor Wilford traces the influence and inspiration the CIA's early leaders had from the writings of Rudyard Kipling, especially his novel KIM, the exploits of legendary Arabist T.E. Lawrence, and the French Marshal Hubert Lyautey, founder of the "progressive occupation" employed by his government in colonial outposts like Vietnam, Algeria, and Morocco.
Having set the stage, Wilford goes into the successes and failures of the Agency since its founding by President Truman in 1947, an organization that grew out of the wartime OSS. Early espionage successes countering Soviet influences in Italy and France led to more direct covert campaigns that included removing government leaders in Guatemala in 1953, Iran in 1954 and sustaining friendly Western leaders in the Philippines and South Vietnam.
The trouble with these success stories is that they hardened anti-American resolve in Southeast Asia, Central America, and the Caribbean (especially Cuba) and, perhaps most damaging of all in the long-term, created an anti-American environment that produced the Vietnam War and led to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the Islamic Revolution.
There is not much new here, nor does there need to be because this book is not one of those "shocking revelations" books about "The Agency" that filled bookstore shelves in the 1970s-90s. This carefully formulated thesis shows that the United States has been a lot more of an old-school empire than our politicians care to admit.
The last chapters of Wilford's book take us up to the 21st Century where the reaction of fear to the 9/11 Attacks brought us CIA-run torture centers, the long-term failure of the Afghanistan War, and the foolhardy neo-isolationism among average Americans that put us dangerously back to the 1930s isolationism that triggered World War II and, ironically, gave us the need for the CIA in the first place. "The CIA: An Imperial History" connects the dots very well and offers us a bracing reminder that with great power comes the need for careful, circumspect action in places like the Global South, the South China Sea and hotspots like the Russia/Ukraine War. .
Having set the stage, Wilford goes into the successes and failures of the Agency since its founding by President Truman in 1947, an organization that grew out of the wartime OSS. Early espionage successes countering Soviet influences in Italy and France led to more direct covert campaigns that included removing government leaders in Guatemala in 1953, Iran in 1954 and sustaining friendly Western leaders in the Philippines and South Vietnam.
The trouble with these success stories is that they hardened anti-American resolve in Southeast Asia, Central America, and the Caribbean (especially Cuba) and, perhaps most damaging of all in the long-term, created an anti-American environment that produced the Vietnam War and led to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the Islamic Revolution.
There is not much new here, nor does there need to be because this book is not one of those "shocking revelations" books about "The Agency" that filled bookstore shelves in the 1970s-90s. This carefully formulated thesis shows that the United States has been a lot more of an old-school empire than our politicians care to admit.
The last chapters of Wilford's book take us up to the 21st Century where the reaction of fear to the 9/11 Attacks brought us CIA-run torture centers, the long-term failure of the Afghanistan War, and the foolhardy neo-isolationism among average Americans that put us dangerously back to the 1930s isolationism that triggered World War II and, ironically, gave us the need for the CIA in the first place. "The CIA: An Imperial History" connects the dots very well and offers us a bracing reminder that with great power comes the need for careful, circumspect action in places like the Global South, the South China Sea and hotspots like the Russia/Ukraine War. .
March 11, 2025
A generally insightful and well-argued history of the CIA, contending that for all of its distinctive elements, the agency ultimately is a part of a longer history of imperial intelligence institutions. The organization isn’t chronological, which leads to some confusion at first but makes sense in its topical approach. I also had qualms about the focus on specific figures in CIA history, but Wilford argues that because so much of its history is centered on human emotions and personalities, a biographical approach is essential (I was fairly convinced). Overall interesting and worth my time.
June 9, 2024
*Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this book*
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing style is engaging and the material is fascinating.
Wilford looks at the history of the CIA through several of its notable founders and explores how the backgrounds of these (mostly) men dictated how the CIA developed and interacted with the world. As someone who is very fond of calling the American empire exactly what it is, this history of the CIA shows just how imperial the US has acted around the world since World War II.
Wilford does an excellent job of not only telling the story of the CIA, but also highlighting the people that made the CIA what it is. His reconstructions of the characters are vivid and easy to read in a way that feels unique. Most histories of this kind get bogged down in the terminology and the historical facts, but this is a true work of narrative history that highlights human agency in a compelling way.
At times infuriating and fascinating, The CIA: An Imperial History, is a testament to the writing skills of its author while also providing a new and interesting method of examining the history and impact of the CIA in the modern era. This is a must read for anyone interested in how American became and maintains its empire both at home and abroad.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing style is engaging and the material is fascinating.
Wilford looks at the history of the CIA through several of its notable founders and explores how the backgrounds of these (mostly) men dictated how the CIA developed and interacted with the world. As someone who is very fond of calling the American empire exactly what it is, this history of the CIA shows just how imperial the US has acted around the world since World War II.
Wilford does an excellent job of not only telling the story of the CIA, but also highlighting the people that made the CIA what it is. His reconstructions of the characters are vivid and easy to read in a way that feels unique. Most histories of this kind get bogged down in the terminology and the historical facts, but this is a true work of narrative history that highlights human agency in a compelling way.
At times infuriating and fascinating, The CIA: An Imperial History, is a testament to the writing skills of its author while also providing a new and interesting method of examining the history and impact of the CIA in the modern era. This is a must read for anyone interested in how American became and maintains its empire both at home and abroad.
July 17, 2024
THE CIA AND THE "AMERICAN EMPIRE"
A century ago the United States government shut down the fledgling spy service the Wilson Administration had established to help wage the Great War. And America was out of the espionage business until 1942, when FDR authorized the formation of the OSS. Today, the American intelligence community consists of eighteen separate agencies which boast a total annual budget of more than $100 billion. That’s one million dollars 100,000 times over. But those eighteen agencies are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
3,000 ORGANIZATIONS MOST CALL “THE CIA”
As The Washington Post reported in 2010, there were 1,271 government organizations and 1,931 private companies in 10,000 locations in the United States that were working on counterterrorism, homeland security, and intelligence. The intelligence community as a whole, the Post noted, would include 854,000 people holding top-secret clearances. Surely now, fourteen years later, the whole operation is even larger. Thus, what Dwight Eisenhower famously called the military-industrial complex is now often termed the military-industrial-intelligence complex. But for most Americans, it all rolls up into a single, three-letter agency: the CIA. Which is the focus, although not the exclusive territory, explored in Hugh Wilford’s The CIA: An Imperial History.
PROTECTING THE “AMERICAN EMPIRE”
Wilford’s central thesis is that the CIA continued the practices of the colonial intelligence services of the British and French (though mostly the British). That the agency simply represented the face of a new empire. And that, despite the fact that many of the men who held key positions in the early years of the American intelligence community considered themselves to be anti-imperialist. Clearly, the thesis holds water. The CIA did inherit a set of attitudes, beliefs, and techniques from the Europeans. Fair enough. But that emphasis misses the point. Because the central question is whether today’s “American Empire”—assuming the term applies—is simply a continuation of the British and French colonial empires of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. There are many who think so. And many who don’t. The point is debatable.
For example, Wilford goes into considerable detail about the CIA’s illegal domestic operations in the 1960s and 70s. During those years, the Agency collaborated closely with the FBI in efforts to undermine the New Left and Black Nationalists. And the author notes that this activity, which was extensive and stretched over several years, resembled that of MI5’s campaign against the Left in Britain during and between the two world wars. But so what? The comparison proves little more than that intelligence agencies in every nation are prone to meddling in domestic affairs even if doing so is illegal. It’s easy to find excuses to do so. Mission creep is common in the world of bureaucracy.
FOUR ICONIC FIGURES IN THE AGENCY’S HISTORY
Wilford draws a straight line from the conduct of British intelligence in the colonies to the later efforts of the Central Intelligence Agency in the Third World after decolonization. In his view, the CIA inherited not just a set of common techniques and practices but the ideology and culture of the British Empire. He may exaggerate for effect. But there’s no denying that Rudyard Kipling’s novels of imperial derring-do, especially his iconic story, Kim, inspired many adventurous young men to enlist in the OSS and, later, the CIA. So did the story of Lawrence of Arabia.
RUDYARD KIPLING
He won the Nobel Prize for Literature. But for the men who were instrumental in establishing the CIA Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was best known for a single novel, Kim. That book, which is invariably listed among the greatest spy novels, captured the imagination of many in the American intelligence community when they read it as children. Some cited it as a reason they sought out careers in intelligence.
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
T. E. Lawrence (1888-1935) is best known to posterity as “Lawrence of Arabia.” An army colonel who operated among the Bedouin tribes of the Middle East during World War I, he helped the British drive the Ottoman Turks out of the region. Many members of the American intelligence establishment cited Lawrence as an early influence in their lives and careers.
KIM ROOSEVELT
Kermit “Kim” Roosevelt Jr. (1916-2000) was an adventurer despite his scholarly image. He led the joint US-British operation to overthrow the Iranian government in 1953. The exploit made him an iconic figure in CIA history. And he spoke of what he had learned from the British colonial intelligence community as pivotal in his education.
EDWARD LANSDALE
Edward Lansdale (1908-87) was a pioneer in counterinsurgency and psychological warfare. Working on behalf of the CIA most of the time, Lansdale famously crafted the techniques that defeated the Huk guerrilla rebellion in the Philippines following World War II. Believing he had a magic touch, the Eisenhower Administration assigned him to do the same in South Vietnam for President Ngo Dinh Diem. He failed. But Lansdale is still widely regarded as one of the key figures in the Agency’s history.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hugh Wilford has been a professor of History at California State University, Long Beach since 2006. He previously taught at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, where he trained as an intellectual historian. Wilford holds a BA from Bristol University and a PhD from Exeter University. He specializes in the history of the CIA, having published five major books on the subject. He was born in 1965.
A century ago the United States government shut down the fledgling spy service the Wilson Administration had established to help wage the Great War. And America was out of the espionage business until 1942, when FDR authorized the formation of the OSS. Today, the American intelligence community consists of eighteen separate agencies which boast a total annual budget of more than $100 billion. That’s one million dollars 100,000 times over. But those eighteen agencies are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
3,000 ORGANIZATIONS MOST CALL “THE CIA”
As The Washington Post reported in 2010, there were 1,271 government organizations and 1,931 private companies in 10,000 locations in the United States that were working on counterterrorism, homeland security, and intelligence. The intelligence community as a whole, the Post noted, would include 854,000 people holding top-secret clearances. Surely now, fourteen years later, the whole operation is even larger. Thus, what Dwight Eisenhower famously called the military-industrial complex is now often termed the military-industrial-intelligence complex. But for most Americans, it all rolls up into a single, three-letter agency: the CIA. Which is the focus, although not the exclusive territory, explored in Hugh Wilford’s The CIA: An Imperial History.
PROTECTING THE “AMERICAN EMPIRE”
Wilford’s central thesis is that the CIA continued the practices of the colonial intelligence services of the British and French (though mostly the British). That the agency simply represented the face of a new empire. And that, despite the fact that many of the men who held key positions in the early years of the American intelligence community considered themselves to be anti-imperialist. Clearly, the thesis holds water. The CIA did inherit a set of attitudes, beliefs, and techniques from the Europeans. Fair enough. But that emphasis misses the point. Because the central question is whether today’s “American Empire”—assuming the term applies—is simply a continuation of the British and French colonial empires of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. There are many who think so. And many who don’t. The point is debatable.
For example, Wilford goes into considerable detail about the CIA’s illegal domestic operations in the 1960s and 70s. During those years, the Agency collaborated closely with the FBI in efforts to undermine the New Left and Black Nationalists. And the author notes that this activity, which was extensive and stretched over several years, resembled that of MI5’s campaign against the Left in Britain during and between the two world wars. But so what? The comparison proves little more than that intelligence agencies in every nation are prone to meddling in domestic affairs even if doing so is illegal. It’s easy to find excuses to do so. Mission creep is common in the world of bureaucracy.
FOUR ICONIC FIGURES IN THE AGENCY’S HISTORY
Wilford draws a straight line from the conduct of British intelligence in the colonies to the later efforts of the Central Intelligence Agency in the Third World after decolonization. In his view, the CIA inherited not just a set of common techniques and practices but the ideology and culture of the British Empire. He may exaggerate for effect. But there’s no denying that Rudyard Kipling’s novels of imperial derring-do, especially his iconic story, Kim, inspired many adventurous young men to enlist in the OSS and, later, the CIA. So did the story of Lawrence of Arabia.
RUDYARD KIPLING
He won the Nobel Prize for Literature. But for the men who were instrumental in establishing the CIA Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was best known for a single novel, Kim. That book, which is invariably listed among the greatest spy novels, captured the imagination of many in the American intelligence community when they read it as children. Some cited it as a reason they sought out careers in intelligence.
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
T. E. Lawrence (1888-1935) is best known to posterity as “Lawrence of Arabia.” An army colonel who operated among the Bedouin tribes of the Middle East during World War I, he helped the British drive the Ottoman Turks out of the region. Many members of the American intelligence establishment cited Lawrence as an early influence in their lives and careers.
KIM ROOSEVELT
Kermit “Kim” Roosevelt Jr. (1916-2000) was an adventurer despite his scholarly image. He led the joint US-British operation to overthrow the Iranian government in 1953. The exploit made him an iconic figure in CIA history. And he spoke of what he had learned from the British colonial intelligence community as pivotal in his education.
EDWARD LANSDALE
Edward Lansdale (1908-87) was a pioneer in counterinsurgency and psychological warfare. Working on behalf of the CIA most of the time, Lansdale famously crafted the techniques that defeated the Huk guerrilla rebellion in the Philippines following World War II. Believing he had a magic touch, the Eisenhower Administration assigned him to do the same in South Vietnam for President Ngo Dinh Diem. He failed. But Lansdale is still widely regarded as one of the key figures in the Agency’s history.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hugh Wilford has been a professor of History at California State University, Long Beach since 2006. He previously taught at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, where he trained as an intellectual historian. Wilford holds a BA from Bristol University and a PhD from Exeter University. He specializes in the history of the CIA, having published five major books on the subject. He was born in 1965.
October 6, 2025
Esta é uma revisão brutalmente honesta da CIA: Incrível, cheio de detalhes. Triste de certa forma
Neste trabalho acessível e autoritário, o historiador britânico Hugh Wilford examina algumas das figuras e fracassos mais importantes da CIA desde que foi fundada no brilho vitorioso da 2ª Guerra Mundial. Todos os americanos estariam bem servidos para entender como a cultura do serviço de inteligência estrangeira exacerbou conflitos com governos nascentes na África, Ásia e América Latina desde o início da Guerra Fria.
Este é o livro a ser lido para entender o papel da CIA no mundo
"The CIA: An Imperial History", de Hugh Wilford, é uma exploração convincente do papel da Agência Central de Inteligência na formação da política global. Com uma narrativa rica e pesquisa completa, Wilford fornece aos leitores uma compreensão abrangente das operações, estratégias e impacto da CIA nos eventos mundiais.
Uma das características de destaque do livro é sua capacidade de equilibrar relatos históricos detalhados com narrativas envolventes. O estilo de escrita de Wilford é acessível e cativante, tornando mais fácil para os leitores acompanhar desenvolvimentos geopolíticos complexos. Ele efetivamente entrelaça anedotas, documentos desclassificados e entrevistas para apresentar uma visão diferenciada das atividades da CIA.
O livro cobre uma ampla gama de tópicos, desde o envolvimento da agência na Guerra Fria até suas operações secretas em várias regiões. Wilford faz um excelente trabalho ao destacar momentos-chave da história da CIA, como a invasão da Baía dos Porcos e o caso Irã-Contras. Sua análise é completa e equilibrada, oferecendo insights sobre os sucessos e fracassos da agência.
Um dos pontos fortes de "The CIA: An Imperial History" é seu foco no elemento humano do trabalho de inteligência. Wilford investiga a vida e as motivações dos indivíduos que moldaram a CIA, fornecendo aos leitores uma compreensão mais profunda da cultura e do ethos da agência. Essa abordagem humanizadora adiciona profundidade à narrativa e permite que os leitores se conectem com o material em um nível mais pessoal.
O livro também se destaca em seu exame crítico das implicações éticas das ações da CIA. Wilford não se esquiva de abordar as complexidades morais do trabalho de inteligência, levando os leitores a considerar as consequências mais amplas das intervenções da agência. Essa perspectiva equilibrada é uma das razões pelas quais o livro ressoa com um público amplo.
CONTRAS: Nada sobre Sullivan & Cromwell, o escritório de advocacia que representou a CIA desde o início e também representa a Microsoft e Donald Trump! Nada sobre o Projeto Paperclip, que trouxe toda a inteligência alemã de volta aos EUA através do oleoduto do Vaticano após a 2ª Guerra Mundial e, finalmente, transformou o OSS na CIA.
No geral, "The CIA: An Imperial History" é uma leitura perspicaz e instigante. A pesquisa meticulosa, a narrativa envolvente e a análise equilibrada de Wilford o tornam um trabalho de destaque no campo da história da inteligência. É uma leitura obrigatória para qualquer pessoa interessada em entender os meandros da CIA e seu impacto nos assuntos globais.
PS: Há muitas histórias da Agência, e eu li dezenas delas. Todos eles contam variações da mesma história - os mesmos episódios, os mesmos personagens, a mesma sequência de eventos. Você continua lendo, você meio que conhece todos eles.
A maioria também segue um previsível: a CIA não é boa, terrivelmente ruim e geralmente má. O livro Legacy of Ashes de Tim Weiner é um exemplo fantástico. Ótimo livro, argumento convincente, divertido de ler, muitos detalhes bons ... Mas, no final, isso realmente não nos ajuda muito a entender a agência.
E aqui está o grande problema: a maioria das histórias apenas trata a agência como sua própria besta separada, desconectada da política externa americana em geral. A CIA é sempre um show à parte.
O último livro de Hugh Wilford inverte esse roteiro. Ele coloca a agência firmemente na tradição das táticas imperiais para manter o controle sobre seus impérios e mostra como e por que devemos entender a agência dessa maneira. Não é um elefante desonesto andando por todo o mundo. É parte integrante, de certa forma a parte mais impactante, da política externa americana em grande escala.
Este livro também é muito perspicaz sobre como a agência funciona. Quem são seus povos, como eles chegam lá, etc. É bem organizado em torno de temas e fácil de ler. Assim que comecei, reconheci imediatamente: esta não é apenas mais uma velha história da CIA.
Tem muito a dizer e vale a pena o seu tempo.
Neste trabalho acessível e autoritário, o historiador britânico Hugh Wilford examina algumas das figuras e fracassos mais importantes da CIA desde que foi fundada no brilho vitorioso da 2ª Guerra Mundial. Todos os americanos estariam bem servidos para entender como a cultura do serviço de inteligência estrangeira exacerbou conflitos com governos nascentes na África, Ásia e América Latina desde o início da Guerra Fria.
Este é o livro a ser lido para entender o papel da CIA no mundo
"The CIA: An Imperial History", de Hugh Wilford, é uma exploração convincente do papel da Agência Central de Inteligência na formação da política global. Com uma narrativa rica e pesquisa completa, Wilford fornece aos leitores uma compreensão abrangente das operações, estratégias e impacto da CIA nos eventos mundiais.
Uma das características de destaque do livro é sua capacidade de equilibrar relatos históricos detalhados com narrativas envolventes. O estilo de escrita de Wilford é acessível e cativante, tornando mais fácil para os leitores acompanhar desenvolvimentos geopolíticos complexos. Ele efetivamente entrelaça anedotas, documentos desclassificados e entrevistas para apresentar uma visão diferenciada das atividades da CIA.
O livro cobre uma ampla gama de tópicos, desde o envolvimento da agência na Guerra Fria até suas operações secretas em várias regiões. Wilford faz um excelente trabalho ao destacar momentos-chave da história da CIA, como a invasão da Baía dos Porcos e o caso Irã-Contras. Sua análise é completa e equilibrada, oferecendo insights sobre os sucessos e fracassos da agência.
Um dos pontos fortes de "The CIA: An Imperial History" é seu foco no elemento humano do trabalho de inteligência. Wilford investiga a vida e as motivações dos indivíduos que moldaram a CIA, fornecendo aos leitores uma compreensão mais profunda da cultura e do ethos da agência. Essa abordagem humanizadora adiciona profundidade à narrativa e permite que os leitores se conectem com o material em um nível mais pessoal.
O livro também se destaca em seu exame crítico das implicações éticas das ações da CIA. Wilford não se esquiva de abordar as complexidades morais do trabalho de inteligência, levando os leitores a considerar as consequências mais amplas das intervenções da agência. Essa perspectiva equilibrada é uma das razões pelas quais o livro ressoa com um público amplo.
CONTRAS: Nada sobre Sullivan & Cromwell, o escritório de advocacia que representou a CIA desde o início e também representa a Microsoft e Donald Trump! Nada sobre o Projeto Paperclip, que trouxe toda a inteligência alemã de volta aos EUA através do oleoduto do Vaticano após a 2ª Guerra Mundial e, finalmente, transformou o OSS na CIA.
No geral, "The CIA: An Imperial History" é uma leitura perspicaz e instigante. A pesquisa meticulosa, a narrativa envolvente e a análise equilibrada de Wilford o tornam um trabalho de destaque no campo da história da inteligência. É uma leitura obrigatória para qualquer pessoa interessada em entender os meandros da CIA e seu impacto nos assuntos globais.
PS: Há muitas histórias da Agência, e eu li dezenas delas. Todos eles contam variações da mesma história - os mesmos episódios, os mesmos personagens, a mesma sequência de eventos. Você continua lendo, você meio que conhece todos eles.
A maioria também segue um previsível: a CIA não é boa, terrivelmente ruim e geralmente má. O livro Legacy of Ashes de Tim Weiner é um exemplo fantástico. Ótimo livro, argumento convincente, divertido de ler, muitos detalhes bons ... Mas, no final, isso realmente não nos ajuda muito a entender a agência.
E aqui está o grande problema: a maioria das histórias apenas trata a agência como sua própria besta separada, desconectada da política externa americana em geral. A CIA é sempre um show à parte.
O último livro de Hugh Wilford inverte esse roteiro. Ele coloca a agência firmemente na tradição das táticas imperiais para manter o controle sobre seus impérios e mostra como e por que devemos entender a agência dessa maneira. Não é um elefante desonesto andando por todo o mundo. É parte integrante, de certa forma a parte mais impactante, da política externa americana em grande escala.
Este livro também é muito perspicaz sobre como a agência funciona. Quem são seus povos, como eles chegam lá, etc. É bem organizado em torno de temas e fácil de ler. Assim que comecei, reconheci imediatamente: esta não é apenas mais uma velha história da CIA.
Tem muito a dizer e vale a pena o seu tempo.
April 20, 2024
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Basic Books for an advanced copy of this history of the Central Intelligence Agency that is told through the careers of some of its most famous and sometimes infamous players highlighting the mindset and attitudes that colored many of the actions and activities, activities that are still reverberating today.
There is a phrase that started appearing in American media during the 90's probably said by military sources to friendly journalists, a phrase that was used to describe why certain actions seemed to be getting bigger and bigger. Mission creep. Where a certain program or military operations seems to just get larger, a six month operation becomes a year, than a decade, more forces are needed, more, more and more. Mission creep is a good phrase for the history of the Central Intelligence Agency. Formed after the war as a organization to gather and analyze intelligence, soon the Agency was arming various groups, working to overthrow or prop up governments, and spying on people inside America for dangerous thinking. The Red Scare and the paranoia of the era explains some of it, but much of the mission creep can be explained on the people brought into the Agency, and their attitudes and thoughts about the world. Even people who once thought that the idea of a one world government was the only solution, soon began to see the threat of communism in everything, and these lofty ideas went to the wayside. Hugh Wilford, a Professor at California State University, Long Beach and writer of many books on espionage has in The CIA: An Imperial History, written about the ideas, attitudes, mistakes and even a few successes that the agency has had, while furthering the dreams of an American empire, dreams that are still haunting us today.
The book is broken into six chapters, with one person being the focus and explaining different actions that the Central Intelligence Agency has undertaken. Many of the names. James Jesus Angelton, Kermit Roosevelt, and even recent former Director Gina Haspel will be familiar, some are a little deeper cut, but their actions might be known. Wilford looks at these people and there backgrounds, the Eastern aristocracy, clubs and schools they shared, with a mix of Old World we know better than most ideas. In the case of Edward Lansdale the missionary zeal he took in bringing people into line with the American ideal. Each chapter has a theme Regime change, or bolstering, publicity of propaganda, counter intelligence, and even the gathering of intelligence. Wilford uses this to show how the simple act of gathering intelligence as planned led to targeted assassinations, an industrial complex based on keeping secrets, failures and blow backs and much more.
I have read a lot of books on espionage, fiction, fictional histories, and nonfiction, but this one of the better ones that I have read as Wilford, is not afraid to point out internal logic problems in people's thinking, and why certain actions were allowed. One can see the world changing as Wilford writes, leading to the rise of conspiracies, Kennedy and the all-powerful threat of the CIA, and even the rise of the police state that is modern America. Wilford is a very good writer who knows his stuff, and though a lot of what is presented is not new, Wilford uses this information to back up his claims of America making a world not in our image, but as one that America could lord over.
Recommended for history fans, especially espionage fans. I can see a lot of people being upset by the conclusions that Wilford comes to, but it is very hard to argue with facts, and one only has to look out the window at the world right now and see that maybe if these guys with their great ideas hadn't been able to muck about the world, things might not be as bad.
There is a phrase that started appearing in American media during the 90's probably said by military sources to friendly journalists, a phrase that was used to describe why certain actions seemed to be getting bigger and bigger. Mission creep. Where a certain program or military operations seems to just get larger, a six month operation becomes a year, than a decade, more forces are needed, more, more and more. Mission creep is a good phrase for the history of the Central Intelligence Agency. Formed after the war as a organization to gather and analyze intelligence, soon the Agency was arming various groups, working to overthrow or prop up governments, and spying on people inside America for dangerous thinking. The Red Scare and the paranoia of the era explains some of it, but much of the mission creep can be explained on the people brought into the Agency, and their attitudes and thoughts about the world. Even people who once thought that the idea of a one world government was the only solution, soon began to see the threat of communism in everything, and these lofty ideas went to the wayside. Hugh Wilford, a Professor at California State University, Long Beach and writer of many books on espionage has in The CIA: An Imperial History, written about the ideas, attitudes, mistakes and even a few successes that the agency has had, while furthering the dreams of an American empire, dreams that are still haunting us today.
The book is broken into six chapters, with one person being the focus and explaining different actions that the Central Intelligence Agency has undertaken. Many of the names. James Jesus Angelton, Kermit Roosevelt, and even recent former Director Gina Haspel will be familiar, some are a little deeper cut, but their actions might be known. Wilford looks at these people and there backgrounds, the Eastern aristocracy, clubs and schools they shared, with a mix of Old World we know better than most ideas. In the case of Edward Lansdale the missionary zeal he took in bringing people into line with the American ideal. Each chapter has a theme Regime change, or bolstering, publicity of propaganda, counter intelligence, and even the gathering of intelligence. Wilford uses this to show how the simple act of gathering intelligence as planned led to targeted assassinations, an industrial complex based on keeping secrets, failures and blow backs and much more.
I have read a lot of books on espionage, fiction, fictional histories, and nonfiction, but this one of the better ones that I have read as Wilford, is not afraid to point out internal logic problems in people's thinking, and why certain actions were allowed. One can see the world changing as Wilford writes, leading to the rise of conspiracies, Kennedy and the all-powerful threat of the CIA, and even the rise of the police state that is modern America. Wilford is a very good writer who knows his stuff, and though a lot of what is presented is not new, Wilford uses this information to back up his claims of America making a world not in our image, but as one that America could lord over.
Recommended for history fans, especially espionage fans. I can see a lot of people being upset by the conclusions that Wilford comes to, but it is very hard to argue with facts, and one only has to look out the window at the world right now and see that maybe if these guys with their great ideas hadn't been able to muck about the world, things might not be as bad.
February 9, 2025
"The CIA: An Imperial History" by Hugh Wilford is a compelling exploration of the Central Intelligence Agency's role in shaping global politics. With a rich narrative and thorough research, Wilford provides readers with a comprehensive understanding of the CIA's operations, strategies, and impact on world events.
One of the book's standout features is its ability to balance detailed historical accounts with engaging storytelling. Wilford's writing style is accessible and captivating, making it easy for readers to follow complex geopolitical developments. He effectively weaves together anecdotes, declassified documents, and interviews to present a nuanced view of the CIA's activities.
The book covers a broad range of topics, from the agency's involvement in the Cold War to its covert operations in various regions. Wilford does an excellent job of highlighting key moments in the CIA's history, such as the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Iran-Contra affair. His analysis is thorough and balanced, offering insights into both the successes and failures of the agency.
One of the strengths of "The CIA: An Imperial History" is its focus on the human element of intelligence work. Wilford delves into the lives and motivations of the individuals who shaped the CIA, providing readers with a deeper understanding of the agency's culture and ethos. This humanizing approach adds depth to the narrative and allows readers to connect with the material on a more personal level.
The book also excels in its critical examination of the ethical implications of the CIA's actions. Wilford doesn't shy away from addressing the moral complexities of intelligence work, prompting readers to consider the broader consequences of the agency's interventions. This balanced perspective is one of the reasons why the book resonates with a wide audience.
Overall, "The CIA: An Imperial History" is an insightful and thought-provoking read. Wilford's meticulous research, engaging narrative, and balanced analysis make it a standout work in the field of intelligence history. It's a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the intricacies of the CIA and its impact on global affairs.
One of the book's standout features is its ability to balance detailed historical accounts with engaging storytelling. Wilford's writing style is accessible and captivating, making it easy for readers to follow complex geopolitical developments. He effectively weaves together anecdotes, declassified documents, and interviews to present a nuanced view of the CIA's activities.
The book covers a broad range of topics, from the agency's involvement in the Cold War to its covert operations in various regions. Wilford does an excellent job of highlighting key moments in the CIA's history, such as the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Iran-Contra affair. His analysis is thorough and balanced, offering insights into both the successes and failures of the agency.
One of the strengths of "The CIA: An Imperial History" is its focus on the human element of intelligence work. Wilford delves into the lives and motivations of the individuals who shaped the CIA, providing readers with a deeper understanding of the agency's culture and ethos. This humanizing approach adds depth to the narrative and allows readers to connect with the material on a more personal level.
The book also excels in its critical examination of the ethical implications of the CIA's actions. Wilford doesn't shy away from addressing the moral complexities of intelligence work, prompting readers to consider the broader consequences of the agency's interventions. This balanced perspective is one of the reasons why the book resonates with a wide audience.
Overall, "The CIA: An Imperial History" is an insightful and thought-provoking read. Wilford's meticulous research, engaging narrative, and balanced analysis make it a standout work in the field of intelligence history. It's a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the intricacies of the CIA and its impact on global affairs.
December 19, 2024
The CIA, the US’s storied intelligence agency, is known to most of us through breathless, we’re-saving-the-world fictional portrayals which contrast with real-life ugliness (Gitmo, various regime change plots, possible and attempted assassinations). I picked up this book to learn a bit more about it, to see if I could separate fact from myth, and because I’ve become much more curious about the CIA’s direct and deliberate role in shaping culture around the world in the 1960s (-1980s). Well, this wasn’t really the book for that: that part, barely a section, is a very slim one somewhere in the middle.
What this is is really a bio of the great founding men of the CIA, an explanation of the mythos that drove them (mainly Rudolph Kipling’s adventurism in imperialism), and a review of the agency’s role as it gradually shifted from intelligence-gathering to covert actions—very much driven by US presidents, and much accelerated post 9/11. *The CIA* is very heavy on these personalities, how it was their personal beliefs that created the agency’s culture, with juicy stories about them and how they made their way in the world. And it makes that the whole story of the CIA, more or less, even as it describes the agency’s role as the US took its place post-WWII as the new secret imperialist while Britain and France withdrew: the US—either unwillingly or unwittingly—fit itself into the holes left behind by these old-world imperialists, and the CIA played a large part in that. It’s a compelling argument, and one that Wilford makes well.
But, like I say, this is a book about a particular class of US men, and if that’s the story of the CIA, this feels very narrow to me, positioned as I am outside of the country and culture. While an interesting read for what it is, it’s not relevant to my questions about the CIA (as outlined above). That’s only my view; this book will obviously make great reading for those who *are* keen to learn more about these men.
Thank you to Basic Books and NetGalley for early access to a DRC.
What this is is really a bio of the great founding men of the CIA, an explanation of the mythos that drove them (mainly Rudolph Kipling’s adventurism in imperialism), and a review of the agency’s role as it gradually shifted from intelligence-gathering to covert actions—very much driven by US presidents, and much accelerated post 9/11. *The CIA* is very heavy on these personalities, how it was their personal beliefs that created the agency’s culture, with juicy stories about them and how they made their way in the world. And it makes that the whole story of the CIA, more or less, even as it describes the agency’s role as the US took its place post-WWII as the new secret imperialist while Britain and France withdrew: the US—either unwillingly or unwittingly—fit itself into the holes left behind by these old-world imperialists, and the CIA played a large part in that. It’s a compelling argument, and one that Wilford makes well.
But, like I say, this is a book about a particular class of US men, and if that’s the story of the CIA, this feels very narrow to me, positioned as I am outside of the country and culture. While an interesting read for what it is, it’s not relevant to my questions about the CIA (as outlined above). That’s only my view; this book will obviously make great reading for those who *are* keen to learn more about these men.
Thank you to Basic Books and NetGalley for early access to a DRC.
January 12, 2025
Hugh Wilford’s “The CIA, An Imperial History.” is inane. As a secret agency, the CIA is a boogeyman for the American left; in Wilford’s view it is both omnicompetent and incompetent. Wilford, a professor of history from Cal State Long Beach, has written several books about intelligence services, including “The Mighty Wurlitzer” and “America’s Great Game.”
Wilford believes that the agency was devised to maintain the ideal of an American “empire.” He focuses on the “boomerang effect” that CIA activities initiated in the 1970s and after, most of his critique of the agency echoes the standard media narrative.
Oddly, Wilford, a man who seems to take a perspective of historical determinism, his study focuses mostly on individuals; he notes that the CIA was originally established in 1947 as an office for intelligence gathering and analysis, but fails to engage in any meaningful systems analysis.
Intelligence agencies are often Bipolar. Soviet truculence impelled many in the Company to move toward active operations, a vehicle that fostered Cold War adventurism- efforts to buttress governments in Asia, coups in Iran, Guatemala, and Chile, as well as large scale attempts to influence intellectuals and voters in Europe. In some cases, this meant supporting autocratic governments, a method later rationalized by Dr. Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, in her seminal ”Dictatorships and Double Standards.”
The collapse of the Soviet Union caught some economists and entrenched CIA bureaucrats by surprise. Wilford knows some of the CIA’s family jewels, but his thesis is inchoate. The narrative is often confused- The CIA is elitist and interested in political ascendency and dominance, yet the organization is composed of knaves and bunglers. Moreover, the author is prone to a number of digressions- some entertaining, some long discredited.
Wilford draws a number of historical threads together; however, in sum, his argument is weak, and his case for an Imperial CIA fails.
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June 6, 2025What an annoyingly uncurious and apolitical book! For all the talk of empire, there is no analysis of the imperial nature of the CIA beyond vague gestures towards methodological and ideological similarities to previous intelligence outfits acting in the service of empire. There's not really analysis in this book at all.
Wilford traces a history of the CIA across its various and changing functions; while pointing out wider structural forces at play, much of the emphasis lies on the role of key individuals, their upbringing and their resulting idealogical dispositions. Their fascination with classical imperial figures like T. E. Lawrence and Kim (of Kipling fame) is repeated ad-nauseum and as a stand-in for an actual analysis of why and how the material forces of empire shape the institutions it is constituted by. The so-called anti-imperial impulse of fledgling CIA agents unfailingly wavers in the face of national geopolitical ambitions, something never explored in this "imperial history" of the CIA.
The politics and language of this book are decidedly neutral (for the intended liberal Western audience). While seemingly begrudgingly acknowledging that torture and relentless violations of national sovereignty are a bad thing, many characters and operations of the CIA are described in fawning, breathless tones. And maybe this asking too much, but at least a single mention of capitalism would have been nice - instead, the CIA was of course fighting a battle of freedom and democracy against the forces of communism.
In the end, this book is little more than a detailed telling of the lives of key historical figures in the CIA, loosely contextualised in the wider historical arc of empires but without ever really asking what an empire is and how it operates.
Wilford traces a history of the CIA across its various and changing functions; while pointing out wider structural forces at play, much of the emphasis lies on the role of key individuals, their upbringing and their resulting idealogical dispositions. Their fascination with classical imperial figures like T. E. Lawrence and Kim (of Kipling fame) is repeated ad-nauseum and as a stand-in for an actual analysis of why and how the material forces of empire shape the institutions it is constituted by. The so-called anti-imperial impulse of fledgling CIA agents unfailingly wavers in the face of national geopolitical ambitions, something never explored in this "imperial history" of the CIA.
The politics and language of this book are decidedly neutral (for the intended liberal Western audience). While seemingly begrudgingly acknowledging that torture and relentless violations of national sovereignty are a bad thing, many characters and operations of the CIA are described in fawning, breathless tones. And maybe this asking too much, but at least a single mention of capitalism would have been nice - instead, the CIA was of course fighting a battle of freedom and democracy against the forces of communism.
In the end, this book is little more than a detailed telling of the lives of key historical figures in the CIA, loosely contextualised in the wider historical arc of empires but without ever really asking what an empire is and how it operates.
November 4, 2025
This book is a well-researched, though dry, history of the Central Intelligence Agency through the lens of imperialism. Wilford argues that the early leaders of the CIA were inspired by tales of adventure, worked with British and French intelligence officers, and took a similar approach to overseas work. From covert coups to propping up regimes to Iran-Contra, the more the CIA undertook to CHANGE things overseas, rather than simply gather information, the more it acted similarly to the British and French colonial empires of old. Sometimes its efforts worked; more often, they failed. In all cases, there was "blowback" - effects that reached back to the homeland (terrorism, conspiracy theories, etc).
Rather than a pure chronological history, Wilford organizes the book into thematic chapters: intelligence, regime change, regime maintenance, etc. Each chapter features one or more key figures in Agency history. While this structure works for his goals as author, it makes the book less accessible to someone with only a casual knowledge of the CIA's history. Wilford writing is pretty academic in tone, as well - while this is written for a general audience, there's still a sort of stuffiness to the prose that made it challenging for me to get into, and required more concentration than usual to read. I think this book would be best suited for someone who has already read a bit on the history of the CIA and was interested in contextualizing it, rather than using this book as a starting point. As evidence of this, the epilogue, which covers the Global War on Terror and takes us up to the first Trump presidency, was much easier to follow since I already knew the background history quite well.
Rather than a pure chronological history, Wilford organizes the book into thematic chapters: intelligence, regime change, regime maintenance, etc. Each chapter features one or more key figures in Agency history. While this structure works for his goals as author, it makes the book less accessible to someone with only a casual knowledge of the CIA's history. Wilford writing is pretty academic in tone, as well - while this is written for a general audience, there's still a sort of stuffiness to the prose that made it challenging for me to get into, and required more concentration than usual to read. I think this book would be best suited for someone who has already read a bit on the history of the CIA and was interested in contextualizing it, rather than using this book as a starting point. As evidence of this, the epilogue, which covers the Global War on Terror and takes us up to the first Trump presidency, was much easier to follow since I already knew the background history quite well.
September 14, 2025
Clearly written and concise but the book doesn’t go down so easy if you don’t really buy the author’s contention that America is an empire to begin with.
(Indeed, the primary book he cites as evidence for the idea of an American empire, Daniel Immerwahr’s How to Hide an Empire, actually concludes that America had an empire in the late 19th and early 20th century but largely abandoned it in the period in which the events of this book largely take place, to be replaced with America exercising “imperial” soft power through things like the International Organization for Standardization.)
The author marinated too long in academia and never seriously considers alternatives to the “empire” frame at the core of this book like maybe the CIA was driven by basic realpolitik or, a misguided understanding of the USSR and the worldwide communist threat, etc. The author also repeatedly cites primary historical sources that refute his empire thesis (such as CIA officers clearly explaining their worldview or why they did certain actions) only to then breezily dismiss them based on a preconceived worldview.
Ultimately a clumsy attempt to shoehorn the CIA into a larger ideological narrative, one that is a bit dubious, if you ask me. It’s lively and worth considering many of the ideas the author raises, but it’s ultimately unconvincing as a way of looking at the agency.
(Indeed, the primary book he cites as evidence for the idea of an American empire, Daniel Immerwahr’s How to Hide an Empire, actually concludes that America had an empire in the late 19th and early 20th century but largely abandoned it in the period in which the events of this book largely take place, to be replaced with America exercising “imperial” soft power through things like the International Organization for Standardization.)
The author marinated too long in academia and never seriously considers alternatives to the “empire” frame at the core of this book like maybe the CIA was driven by basic realpolitik or, a misguided understanding of the USSR and the worldwide communist threat, etc. The author also repeatedly cites primary historical sources that refute his empire thesis (such as CIA officers clearly explaining their worldview or why they did certain actions) only to then breezily dismiss them based on a preconceived worldview.
Ultimately a clumsy attempt to shoehorn the CIA into a larger ideological narrative, one that is a bit dubious, if you ask me. It’s lively and worth considering many of the ideas the author raises, but it’s ultimately unconvincing as a way of looking at the agency.
May 15, 2025
2 out of 5 stars
I had high hopes for The CIA: An American Story, expecting a gripping, in-depth look at one of the most secretive organizations in U.S. history. Unfortunately, the book left me more frustrated than informed. While Hugh Wilford clearly did his homework and provides a wealth of historical context, the narrative often feels dense, disjointed, and overly academic. The pacing drags, and at times the book reads more like a textbook than an engaging history.
Wilford seems hesitant to take strong stances or offer deeper analysis, which makes the story feel oddly flat given the dramatic subject matter. Key moments in CIA history—covert coups, Cold War espionage, post-9/11 operations—are covered, but without the urgency or insight that might make them come alive for readers.
This book might appeal to scholars or readers already deeply familiar with U.S. intelligence history, but for a general audience, it’s a slog. If you’re looking for a compelling account of the CIA’s legacy, there are more accessible and engaging options out there.
I had high hopes for The CIA: An American Story, expecting a gripping, in-depth look at one of the most secretive organizations in U.S. history. Unfortunately, the book left me more frustrated than informed. While Hugh Wilford clearly did his homework and provides a wealth of historical context, the narrative often feels dense, disjointed, and overly academic. The pacing drags, and at times the book reads more like a textbook than an engaging history.
Wilford seems hesitant to take strong stances or offer deeper analysis, which makes the story feel oddly flat given the dramatic subject matter. Key moments in CIA history—covert coups, Cold War espionage, post-9/11 operations—are covered, but without the urgency or insight that might make them come alive for readers.
This book might appeal to scholars or readers already deeply familiar with U.S. intelligence history, but for a general audience, it’s a slog. If you’re looking for a compelling account of the CIA’s legacy, there are more accessible and engaging options out there.
July 4, 2025
This book is a little hard to read. it's not the fault of the author but the subject. the CIA is such a scattered topic that ties into so much of American history.
Often when you look at the CIA in terms of any particular incident you sort of wonder why an organization so incompetent and apparently immoral has continued to exist down the years. The author delivers example after example of bumbling error. Parachuting presumptive rebels against the Soviet republics in central Asia directly into the hands of the regime to be executed. Profoundly misunderstanding the motives of successive Vietnamese governments. Entirely missing the decline of the Soviet Union. The CIA led the United States into error after error; it's an astonishing list.
Whose interest does it serve? Why do American governments continue to pay for non-existent or self-defeating results?
I think that's what this book answers. the CIA is very much an ongoing dream of imperialism. It has shifted with the times but like other past imperialistic dreams, it feeds on itself, producing only confusion and misery.
Often when you look at the CIA in terms of any particular incident you sort of wonder why an organization so incompetent and apparently immoral has continued to exist down the years. The author delivers example after example of bumbling error. Parachuting presumptive rebels against the Soviet republics in central Asia directly into the hands of the regime to be executed. Profoundly misunderstanding the motives of successive Vietnamese governments. Entirely missing the decline of the Soviet Union. The CIA led the United States into error after error; it's an astonishing list.
Whose interest does it serve? Why do American governments continue to pay for non-existent or self-defeating results?
I think that's what this book answers. the CIA is very much an ongoing dream of imperialism. It has shifted with the times but like other past imperialistic dreams, it feeds on itself, producing only confusion and misery.
January 5, 2025
A good critical but fair minded summary of the history of the CIA and some key characters. I'd recommend it to anyone interested, I haven't yet found a better general account.
But as interesting as I found it and what I learnt, I found the central argument a little weak, reluctantly docking a stare. The thesis is that the CIA was and is "imperial". I felt throughout that he says too little about what this actually means and how the CIA fits into other structures and interests of US imperialism. There's a lot about psychology and aesthetics (spy stories, masculine adventures, cultural linkages with Europe and colonialism) which is interesting. What exactly makes this imperial? The argument almost ends up being that these aspects were as important as geo and political economics. But I wanted more about that aspect, which is surely what ultimately matters. If the CIA is imperial, what is the empire it serves?
But as interesting as I found it and what I learnt, I found the central argument a little weak, reluctantly docking a stare. The thesis is that the CIA was and is "imperial". I felt throughout that he says too little about what this actually means and how the CIA fits into other structures and interests of US imperialism. There's a lot about psychology and aesthetics (spy stories, masculine adventures, cultural linkages with Europe and colonialism) which is interesting. What exactly makes this imperial? The argument almost ends up being that these aspects were as important as geo and political economics. But I wanted more about that aspect, which is surely what ultimately matters. If the CIA is imperial, what is the empire it serves?
February 16, 2025
maybe I'm too lost in the sauce of the history of US imperialism, but i didn't feel like I learned much beyond the names of a few important CIA dudes. it was too specific a topic to use such general language. i don't think anyone is coming to this book without the ability to google "cia coups," and for that reason i'm not sure it served its purpose. it was super accessible, so if you in fact have never googled "cia coups,' maybe check this out. some of the discussion around CIA characters and aesthetics reminded me of Jesus and John Wayne
April 13, 2025
Wilford makes his case well, linking the modern CIA to imperial intelligence networks with a midway point of the OSS putting various operatives and case officers at the centre of the tale. But I do think that the purposeful focus on this particular argument has made for a relatively narrow book which at times left me wanting more.
June 4, 2025
A good, thorough book about how the CIA was founded, how it has been both an initiator and a resolver of major conflicts, and what successes it has achieved.
It was interesting to read how extensive the cooperation with the British has been, as their global experience in various countries and their agent network were much stronger, at least in the early years.
It was interesting to read how extensive the cooperation with the British has been, as their global experience in various countries and their agent network were much stronger, at least in the early years.
October 13, 2024
A well researched history of the CIA that connects its overseas and domestic actions with the long history of imperialism while digging into some of the key actors, may of whom did not set out to be agents of imperialism.
August 20, 2024
Different take on CIA history. Using the British imperial mindset as a basis, book compares CIA actions with similar British activities. Well worth the read.
December 25, 2024
just occasionally throwing in the adjective "imperial" isn't a substitute for a convincing argument
January 29, 2025
Different view of how the CIA developed.
March 9, 2025
Every page has a laundry list of random names.
July 17, 2025
super interesting even tho i was lowkey falling asleep through some of it. should be required reading for all international studies students esp at AU
September 16, 2025
A really interesting deep dive into the history of the CIA but something is missing...
September 22, 2025
An excellently written and enlightening book.
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