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National Security Intelligence
National security intelligence is a vast, complicated, and important topic, made doubly hard for citizens to understand because of the thick veils of secrecy that surround it.
This definitive introduction to the field guides readers skillfully through this hidden side of government. It not only explains the three primary missions of intelligence – information collection and analysis, counterintelligence, and covert action – it also explores the wider dilemmas posed by the existence of secret government organizations in 'open' societies. With over thirty-five years of experience studying intelligence agencies and their activities, Loch Johnson illuminates difficult questions such as why intelligence organizations make mistakes in assessing world events; why some intelligence officers decide to work against their own country on behalf of foreign regimes; and how agencies succumb to scandals, including spying on the very citizens they are meant to protect.
National Security Intelligence is tailor-made to meet the interests of students and general readers who care about how nations protect themselves against threats through the establishment of intelligence organizations - and how they continue to strive for safeguards to prevent the misuse of this secret power.
This definitive introduction to the field guides readers skillfully through this hidden side of government. It not only explains the three primary missions of intelligence – information collection and analysis, counterintelligence, and covert action – it also explores the wider dilemmas posed by the existence of secret government organizations in 'open' societies. With over thirty-five years of experience studying intelligence agencies and their activities, Loch Johnson illuminates difficult questions such as why intelligence organizations make mistakes in assessing world events; why some intelligence officers decide to work against their own country on behalf of foreign regimes; and how agencies succumb to scandals, including spying on the very citizens they are meant to protect.
National Security Intelligence is tailor-made to meet the interests of students and general readers who care about how nations protect themselves against threats through the establishment of intelligence organizations - and how they continue to strive for safeguards to prevent the misuse of this secret power.
249 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
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December 14, 2015
This is an excellent introduction to the concept and application of national security intelligence. It concisely highlights the methodologies and complexities of the intelligence entities in the United States, and provides many key examples of failures and the occasional success. It also highlights the abuses of the intelligence agencies and in the end posits was in which these failures and abuses could have, and in the future could be, avoided.
I loved that this book had a list of acronyms. It made the book easier to follow. I used the work copier to print them out making it even easier. I liked the structure of the book and examples provided. The last book I read was Michael Weiss's book on ISIS, which was hard to follow because it lacks a list of acronyms and often only spelled them out once. This book actually makes a habit of using acronyms but occasionally refreshing you by spelling them out.
Overall this was an excellent read. Initially it seemed it was going to be more complex than it ended up being. It started with the complexities of agencies and their hierarchy's but quickly became much more readable thereafter, so do not be dissuaded!
If you want to know about the processes involved in intelligence gathering, read this. Simple as that. Read it twice even.
Having studied Spying and International Politics, and several other courses offered by the same professor during my time in university, I can say that this book ranks high. I somehow found it for 26 dollars in hardcover form, yet everywhere I look now, it's 76 or so. I believe it is meant for academic studies, as I've read many such books.
I loved that this book had a list of acronyms. It made the book easier to follow. I used the work copier to print them out making it even easier. I liked the structure of the book and examples provided. The last book I read was Michael Weiss's book on ISIS, which was hard to follow because it lacks a list of acronyms and often only spelled them out once. This book actually makes a habit of using acronyms but occasionally refreshing you by spelling them out.
Overall this was an excellent read. Initially it seemed it was going to be more complex than it ended up being. It started with the complexities of agencies and their hierarchy's but quickly became much more readable thereafter, so do not be dissuaded!
If you want to know about the processes involved in intelligence gathering, read this. Simple as that. Read it twice even.
Having studied Spying and International Politics, and several other courses offered by the same professor during my time in university, I can say that this book ranks high. I somehow found it for 26 dollars in hardcover form, yet everywhere I look now, it's 76 or so. I believe it is meant for academic studies, as I've read many such books.
Displaying 1 of 1 review