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The Determined Spy: The Turbulent Life and Times of CIA Pioneer Frank Wisner
From Douglas Waller, New York Times bestselling author of Wild Bill Donovan, an intimate and expertly researched biography of little-known early CIA leader Frank Wisner, whose behind-the-scenes influence on Cold War policy--and hundreds of highly secret anti-Soviet missions--resonates with the international crises we see today.
Frank Wisner was one of the most powerful men in 1950s Washington, though few knew it. Reporting directly to senior U.S. officials--his work largely hidden from Congress and the public-- Wisner masterminded some of the CIA’s most daring and controversial operations in the early years of the Cold War, commanding thousands of clandestine agents around the world.
Following an early career marked by exciting escapades as a key World War II spy under General William “Wild Bill” Donovan, Wisner quickly rose through the postwar intelligence ranks to lead a newly created top-secret unit tasked--under little oversight--with overseeing massive propaganda, economic warfare, sabotage, subversion, and guerrilla operations all over the world, including such daring initiatives as the CIA-backed coups in Iran and Guatemala.
But simultaneously, Wisner faced a demon few at the time bipolar disorder. When this debilitating disease resulted in his breakdown and transfer to a mental hospital, the repercussions were felt throughout Washington’s highest levels of power.
Waller’s sensitive and exhaustively researched biography is the riveting story of both Frank Wisner as a national figure who inspired a cadre of future CIA secret warriors, and also an intimate and empathetic portrait of a man whose harrowing struggle with bipolar disorder makes his impressive accomplishments on the world stage even more remarkable.
Frank Wisner was one of the most powerful men in 1950s Washington, though few knew it. Reporting directly to senior U.S. officials--his work largely hidden from Congress and the public-- Wisner masterminded some of the CIA’s most daring and controversial operations in the early years of the Cold War, commanding thousands of clandestine agents around the world.
Following an early career marked by exciting escapades as a key World War II spy under General William “Wild Bill” Donovan, Wisner quickly rose through the postwar intelligence ranks to lead a newly created top-secret unit tasked--under little oversight--with overseeing massive propaganda, economic warfare, sabotage, subversion, and guerrilla operations all over the world, including such daring initiatives as the CIA-backed coups in Iran and Guatemala.
But simultaneously, Wisner faced a demon few at the time bipolar disorder. When this debilitating disease resulted in his breakdown and transfer to a mental hospital, the repercussions were felt throughout Washington’s highest levels of power.
Waller’s sensitive and exhaustively researched biography is the riveting story of both Frank Wisner as a national figure who inspired a cadre of future CIA secret warriors, and also an intimate and empathetic portrait of a man whose harrowing struggle with bipolar disorder makes his impressive accomplishments on the world stage even more remarkable.
655 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 8, 2025
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May 28, 2025
Who was Frank Wisner? He was a shadowy figure who helped to shape the Central Intelligence Agency after World War II. His legend is lost to the mists of history and the deniability of his secret exploits. The only time we get a glimpse of the man himself is when his sanity dissolves into a tragic personal drama.
Most of the book details some infamous CIA capers now superficially known as "regime change". In 1954 the Central American nation of Guatemala finally had a democratically elected President not beholden to the United Fruit Company. Jacobo Arbenz was engaged in land reform, setting a minimum wage, encouragement of labor unions. He was a Centrist with the administrative skill and the competence to carry out these ambitious reforms in a country where two percent of the population owned fifty percent of the land. The CIA, powered by the anti-communist zeal of Frank Wisner, found this reform to be evidence of an imminent Communist takeover. And land reform was a step too far for United Fruit which seemed to claim Guatemala as a colony. A revolution against Arbenz was meticulously plotted and despite clumsy setbacks, it succeeded. No good came of it. A few years later Guatemala was engaged in a decades long, bloody civil war.
After reading the book I was left with a basic question. In 1945, celebrating victory in World War II, the United States instantly turned against the Soviet Union, a former ally. Each country was engaged in ruthlessly identifying a sphere of influence. Why did both countries become hysterical in a race to claim dominance and act as though World War III was looming? Don't tell me the US wanted to bring democracy to Eastern Europe. Fomenting democracy was never in the picture.
Most of the book details some infamous CIA capers now superficially known as "regime change". In 1954 the Central American nation of Guatemala finally had a democratically elected President not beholden to the United Fruit Company. Jacobo Arbenz was engaged in land reform, setting a minimum wage, encouragement of labor unions. He was a Centrist with the administrative skill and the competence to carry out these ambitious reforms in a country where two percent of the population owned fifty percent of the land. The CIA, powered by the anti-communist zeal of Frank Wisner, found this reform to be evidence of an imminent Communist takeover. And land reform was a step too far for United Fruit which seemed to claim Guatemala as a colony. A revolution against Arbenz was meticulously plotted and despite clumsy setbacks, it succeeded. No good came of it. A few years later Guatemala was engaged in a decades long, bloody civil war.
After reading the book I was left with a basic question. In 1945, celebrating victory in World War II, the United States instantly turned against the Soviet Union, a former ally. Each country was engaged in ruthlessly identifying a sphere of influence. Why did both countries become hysterical in a race to claim dominance and act as though World War III was looming? Don't tell me the US wanted to bring democracy to Eastern Europe. Fomenting democracy was never in the picture.
August 19, 2025
I thought it was an interesting perspective on a number of different historical activities, which shed new light on how the organization the subject evolved came to be.
Recommended if it looks interesting - relatively circumspect without coming across as overly supportive or critical.
Recommended if it looks interesting - relatively circumspect without coming across as overly supportive or critical.
August 20, 2025
A fast-paced, balanced, and engaging biography of Wisner.
Waller succeeds at recreating the atmosphere of the Cold War and in crafting three-dimensional portraits of all the players. His take on the subject is nuanced and thoughtful, and Waller mostly leaves it up to the reader to form their own conclusions. His portrait of Wisner is human and the drama of his story really keeps the reader going. He also covers Wisner’s mood swings and institutionalizations, and how these affected his family. He also provides a solid human portrait of the world of the “Georgetown set” in which Wisner operated. The story of Wisner’s mental breakdown and suicide are some of the most gripping parts of the book.
The story is compelling and Waller’s coverage is pretty comprehensive, and, although there’s lots of previous books about Wisner, you’ll likely still find new material here. Some readers may still wish for more detail on a few select subjects, such as Wisner’s reaction to Kim Philby’s betrayal.
The prose is clear, though occasionally, there’s some breezy writing like describing someone as an “action-oriented sort of guy.” Some readers may also wish for more of Waller’s own thoughts or interpretations of some parts of Wisner’s story. The book is also focused heavily on covert action, and there is very little description of Wisner’s involvement in actual intelligence work at CIA.
Also, at one point, when describing Edward Lansdale’s activities in the Philippines, Waller writes that Lansdale would have two holes punctured into a “captured” Huk guerrilla’s throat to spread rumors of vampire attacks. If you’ve read books about Lansdale, you’re probably familiar with this story, but I was under the impression that these guerrillas had been killed beforehand in firefights. Also, in the epilogue, Waller writes that the CIA overthrew Mossadegh’s “democratic regime” in Iran, although his actual coverage of this event in the narrative is more nuanced.
A nuanced, well-researched and well-written work.
Waller succeeds at recreating the atmosphere of the Cold War and in crafting three-dimensional portraits of all the players. His take on the subject is nuanced and thoughtful, and Waller mostly leaves it up to the reader to form their own conclusions. His portrait of Wisner is human and the drama of his story really keeps the reader going. He also covers Wisner’s mood swings and institutionalizations, and how these affected his family. He also provides a solid human portrait of the world of the “Georgetown set” in which Wisner operated. The story of Wisner’s mental breakdown and suicide are some of the most gripping parts of the book.
The story is compelling and Waller’s coverage is pretty comprehensive, and, although there’s lots of previous books about Wisner, you’ll likely still find new material here. Some readers may still wish for more detail on a few select subjects, such as Wisner’s reaction to Kim Philby’s betrayal.
The prose is clear, though occasionally, there’s some breezy writing like describing someone as an “action-oriented sort of guy.” Some readers may also wish for more of Waller’s own thoughts or interpretations of some parts of Wisner’s story. The book is also focused heavily on covert action, and there is very little description of Wisner’s involvement in actual intelligence work at CIA.
Also, at one point, when describing Edward Lansdale’s activities in the Philippines, Waller writes that Lansdale would have two holes punctured into a “captured” Huk guerrilla’s throat to spread rumors of vampire attacks. If you’ve read books about Lansdale, you’re probably familiar with this story, but I was under the impression that these guerrillas had been killed beforehand in firefights. Also, in the epilogue, Waller writes that the CIA overthrew Mossadegh’s “democratic regime” in Iran, although his actual coverage of this event in the narrative is more nuanced.
A nuanced, well-researched and well-written work.
November 23, 2025
Quite an interesting nonfiction book about the CIA and Frank Wisner. Although it promises a lot about the tragic ending of his life, it is primarily about his work and the early days of the CIA.
June 12, 2025
Great book. Best read of 2025 so far.
June 4, 2025
The mastermind behind the CIA coups in Iran and Guatemala
Throughout its eight-decade history, the Central Intelligence Agency has racked up an extraordinary number of clandestine operations gone wrong. Of course, the agency’s defenders assert we don’t know about the many successes that have never seen the light of day as well as a few that have. One, for example, was the 1953 coup in Iran that overthrew the elected government of Mohammad Mosaddegh. Regime change there brought pro-American Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi back to power. A year later, CIA operatives engineered the coup in Guatemala that replaced “Communist” President Jacobo Árbenz with pro-American Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas.
But there’s a problem with this slanted view of history. In both cases, regime change led to long-term catastrophe. And the man behind both operations as head of the CIA’s Clandestine Service was CIA pioneer Frank Wisner (1909-65). He’s the subject of The Determined Spy, an unsparing new biography by Douglas Waller.
A key figure in US foreign policy circles in the 1950s
If you Google the name Frank Wisner, you’re more likely to end up at a page for Frank G. Wisner. His New York Times obituary describes him as “a veteran American diplomat, Washington insider and foreign affairs specialist who relished the prestige of ambassadorial life as much as the back-channel cajoling and arm-twisting of less public influence.”
Although much of that description also applies well to the subject of Waller’s biography, Frank G. Wisner was actually his son, described as Frank Jr. in the book. And it’s no accident that the son is better known today than the father, who died a tragic death at his own hand.
Frank Wisner, Senior, suffered from bipolar disease throughout much of his life, which it ended in 1965. And revisionist histories of the CIA have tended to downplay his role in the Agency’s most notorious operations, which have attracted widespread condemnation. Frank Wisner and his work have fallen out of favor.
But in the 1940s and 50s, when he operated at the highest levels in the OSS and the CIA, he was widely regarded as brilliant and a key figure in US foreign policy circles. Without question, his reach extended far further than that of his son in a later era.
Granular detail about the operations in Iran and Guatemala
Waller devotes a great deal of detail to Wisner’s experiences in the OSS in World War II. They were instrumental in instilling in him the fierce anti-Communism that motivated so much of what he did in later years. But he also dwells in granular detail on the operations in Iran and Guatemala. Readers who are familiar with them in a general way, as I was, will no doubt be surprised by some of the detail in this biography. For example, Waller describes how the CIA’s man on the scene in Tehran, Kermit Roosevelt Jr., failed again and again to pull off the coup. The operation’s “success” in the end had at least as much to do with homegrown efforts in Iran and masterminding by British intelligence as it did with Roosevelt.
Wisner did pull strings in Washington to set the operation in motion. But he only did so at the direction of President Dwight Eisenhower and the Dulles brothers, Foster (Secretary of State) and Allen (CIA Director). Of course, few of us need any reminder of the operation’s doleful consequences, as it led to the Iranian Revolution of 1979 that brought Islamist hardliners into power. And they’re still in place nearly half a century later.
A case study in bipolar disorder
In a sense, Waller’s biography of Frank Wisner is a case study of bipolar disorder. Formerly called manic depression, it’s a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings. Most often, the syndrome is diagnosed in the teens or early 20s. In Frank Wisner’s case as Waller describes it, the symptoms didn’t become evident until much later in life.
There were hints in the 1940s, when he was in his 30s, but the most extreme symptoms didn’t emerge until the following decade, when he was director of the CIA’s Clandestine Service and under immense and unrelenting pressure. When Wisner did eventually kill himself in 1965, his wife Polly was devastated but not surprised. The man’s profound depression had been obvious for some time.
About the author
Douglas Waller is the author of six nonfiction books about American espionage and military affairs, including an excellent biography of Wild Bill Donovan. Donovan ran the CIA’s forerunner, the Office of Strategic Services, which employed Frank Wisner early in his career in espionage. For long periods he woriked as a reporter for Newsweek and later TIME.
Waller was born in 1949 in Norfolk, Virginia. He holds a degree in English from Wake Forest University and a master’s in Urban Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He and his wife live in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Throughout its eight-decade history, the Central Intelligence Agency has racked up an extraordinary number of clandestine operations gone wrong. Of course, the agency’s defenders assert we don’t know about the many successes that have never seen the light of day as well as a few that have. One, for example, was the 1953 coup in Iran that overthrew the elected government of Mohammad Mosaddegh. Regime change there brought pro-American Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi back to power. A year later, CIA operatives engineered the coup in Guatemala that replaced “Communist” President Jacobo Árbenz with pro-American Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas.
But there’s a problem with this slanted view of history. In both cases, regime change led to long-term catastrophe. And the man behind both operations as head of the CIA’s Clandestine Service was CIA pioneer Frank Wisner (1909-65). He’s the subject of The Determined Spy, an unsparing new biography by Douglas Waller.
A key figure in US foreign policy circles in the 1950s
If you Google the name Frank Wisner, you’re more likely to end up at a page for Frank G. Wisner. His New York Times obituary describes him as “a veteran American diplomat, Washington insider and foreign affairs specialist who relished the prestige of ambassadorial life as much as the back-channel cajoling and arm-twisting of less public influence.”
Although much of that description also applies well to the subject of Waller’s biography, Frank G. Wisner was actually his son, described as Frank Jr. in the book. And it’s no accident that the son is better known today than the father, who died a tragic death at his own hand.
Frank Wisner, Senior, suffered from bipolar disease throughout much of his life, which it ended in 1965. And revisionist histories of the CIA have tended to downplay his role in the Agency’s most notorious operations, which have attracted widespread condemnation. Frank Wisner and his work have fallen out of favor.
But in the 1940s and 50s, when he operated at the highest levels in the OSS and the CIA, he was widely regarded as brilliant and a key figure in US foreign policy circles. Without question, his reach extended far further than that of his son in a later era.
Granular detail about the operations in Iran and Guatemala
Waller devotes a great deal of detail to Wisner’s experiences in the OSS in World War II. They were instrumental in instilling in him the fierce anti-Communism that motivated so much of what he did in later years. But he also dwells in granular detail on the operations in Iran and Guatemala. Readers who are familiar with them in a general way, as I was, will no doubt be surprised by some of the detail in this biography. For example, Waller describes how the CIA’s man on the scene in Tehran, Kermit Roosevelt Jr., failed again and again to pull off the coup. The operation’s “success” in the end had at least as much to do with homegrown efforts in Iran and masterminding by British intelligence as it did with Roosevelt.
Wisner did pull strings in Washington to set the operation in motion. But he only did so at the direction of President Dwight Eisenhower and the Dulles brothers, Foster (Secretary of State) and Allen (CIA Director). Of course, few of us need any reminder of the operation’s doleful consequences, as it led to the Iranian Revolution of 1979 that brought Islamist hardliners into power. And they’re still in place nearly half a century later.
A case study in bipolar disorder
In a sense, Waller’s biography of Frank Wisner is a case study of bipolar disorder. Formerly called manic depression, it’s a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings. Most often, the syndrome is diagnosed in the teens or early 20s. In Frank Wisner’s case as Waller describes it, the symptoms didn’t become evident until much later in life.
There were hints in the 1940s, when he was in his 30s, but the most extreme symptoms didn’t emerge until the following decade, when he was director of the CIA’s Clandestine Service and under immense and unrelenting pressure. When Wisner did eventually kill himself in 1965, his wife Polly was devastated but not surprised. The man’s profound depression had been obvious for some time.
About the author
Douglas Waller is the author of six nonfiction books about American espionage and military affairs, including an excellent biography of Wild Bill Donovan. Donovan ran the CIA’s forerunner, the Office of Strategic Services, which employed Frank Wisner early in his career in espionage. For long periods he woriked as a reporter for Newsweek and later TIME.
Waller was born in 1949 in Norfolk, Virginia. He holds a degree in English from Wake Forest University and a master’s in Urban Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He and his wife live in Raleigh, North Carolina.
June 6, 2025
You know those folks who just thrive on chaos? The ones who look at "impossible" and think, "Challenge accepted, plus I'll do it secretly"? Well, meet Frank Wisner, and then dive into The Determined Spy: The Turbulent Life and Times of CIA Pioneer Frank Wisner. Because if you thought your job had high stress, let's just say Wisner's daily commute probably involved a lot more covert parachuting and psychological warfare.
This book is an absolutely wild ride through the formative years of the CIA, and Frank Wisner is at the center of it all. He was basically the guy who saw a Cold War and thought, "You know what this needs? More secret plots, shadowy organizations, and maybe a few clandestine radio stations." The author does a fantastic job of bringing this intensely driven, brilliant, and ultimately tragic figure to life, alongside all the ambitious, often chaotic, early days of American intelligence.
It's full of "you-can't-make-this-stuff-up" moments that'll have you muttering, "Seriously, they did that?" Wisner was a true believer, throwing himself into every covert operation with a zeal that's both admirable and, frankly, a little terrifying. You'll finish it with a new appreciation for why spy thrillers exist, and possibly a sudden urge to just... go sit quietly in a very un-covert, un-turbulent garden.
For anyone who loves a good historical deep dive into the minds behind the curtains, especially when those minds were running on pure ambition and too little sleep, this is a must-read. It's a gripping, insightful, and subtly humorous look at a guy who quite literally worked himself into a breakdown trying to win the Cold War. Highly recommend, just don't try to replicate his work ethic at home.
This book is an absolutely wild ride through the formative years of the CIA, and Frank Wisner is at the center of it all. He was basically the guy who saw a Cold War and thought, "You know what this needs? More secret plots, shadowy organizations, and maybe a few clandestine radio stations." The author does a fantastic job of bringing this intensely driven, brilliant, and ultimately tragic figure to life, alongside all the ambitious, often chaotic, early days of American intelligence.
It's full of "you-can't-make-this-stuff-up" moments that'll have you muttering, "Seriously, they did that?" Wisner was a true believer, throwing himself into every covert operation with a zeal that's both admirable and, frankly, a little terrifying. You'll finish it with a new appreciation for why spy thrillers exist, and possibly a sudden urge to just... go sit quietly in a very un-covert, un-turbulent garden.
For anyone who loves a good historical deep dive into the minds behind the curtains, especially when those minds were running on pure ambition and too little sleep, this is a must-read. It's a gripping, insightful, and subtly humorous look at a guy who quite literally worked himself into a breakdown trying to win the Cold War. Highly recommend, just don't try to replicate his work ethic at home.
May 24, 2025
Thoroughly researched and utterly engrossing, the story of Frank Wisner, accomplished OSS spy and the first mastermind of CIA covert operations, is a biography of a figure who was largely unknown to the world yet wielded outsized power and influence for one man. An important player in WWII and Cold War intelligence, not to mention multiple presidential administrations, Wisner headed some of the most audacious projects of the early CIA and, for better or worse (mostly worse), was one of those who shaped the agency for the years to come, including into the 21st Century. In addition to these covert battles, Wisner also faced another insidious foe: his own bipolar disorder, a condition which was not fully understood during his lifetime and for which the first generation of targeted psychiatric medications would not be available until after his untimely death. Dominating the latter portion of his life, it ultimately led to Wisner's fall from the heights of power due to his need for effective treatment, which at the time was a combination of electroconvulsive and talk therapies (props to this book for dispelling the popular notions of ECT as we know it from sources like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest). Ultimately, Wisner succumbed to his illness, but not before living a life that greatly impacted the world at large for years to come. As a lover of all things espionage and someone who also deals with bipolar disorder, this book scratched several literary itches for me, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
April 8, 2025
Frank Wisner was one of the most powerful men in 1950s though few knew who he is. Wisner masterminded some of the CIA’s most daring and controversial operations in the early years of the Cold War. The Cold War is not the start of Wisner’s intelligence career, he was a spy under General William “Wild Bill” Donovan in WWII. The stories from his time in Europe are wild! Wisner did face a few demons, including bi-polar disorder that ended up debilitating him.
Douglas Waller shares Frank Widner’s story in a wonderfully narrative way, and is so incredibly well researched (We know I love research!)
Thank you NetGalley and Dutton. #TheDeterminedSpy #NetGalley
Douglas Waller shares Frank Widner’s story in a wonderfully narrative way, and is so incredibly well researched (We know I love research!)
Thank you NetGalley and Dutton. #TheDeterminedSpy #NetGalley
June 28, 2025
Brilliant biography of an early , key member of USA’s intelligence services
Thoroughly enjoyed this extensively researched and highly detailed account of a brilliant but tortured soul who gave his country everything he had to give, in every sense of the word. My only frustration was the style of writing that repeatedly frustrated me, for some grammatical reason. Dangling participles, or split sentence structure popped up on numerous occasions. It’s not a big deal, overall. The contents , the narrative, the history~all solid and engrossing for readers interested in an important and secretive bit of our Cold War story.
Thoroughly enjoyed this extensively researched and highly detailed account of a brilliant but tortured soul who gave his country everything he had to give, in every sense of the word. My only frustration was the style of writing that repeatedly frustrated me, for some grammatical reason. Dangling participles, or split sentence structure popped up on numerous occasions. It’s not a big deal, overall. The contents , the narrative, the history~all solid and engrossing for readers interested in an important and secretive bit of our Cold War story.
October 11, 2025
This is about a person whom I had never heard of. Frank Wisner is introduced and his life through military service and his introduction to spying techniques is developed. There is an initial hint of his eventual struggles with bipolar disorder.
This is mainly a history of his experience in the CIA and his personal animosity with Russia and the Soviet Union. He spearheaded the creation of a huge unit of the CIA that developed covert practices to counter communist threats in Europe and other countries.
Later in the book, Frank's struggles with his disease are documented. How this affected his wife and children is also described.
Good book, a long one, but very interesting read.
This is mainly a history of his experience in the CIA and his personal animosity with Russia and the Soviet Union. He spearheaded the creation of a huge unit of the CIA that developed covert practices to counter communist threats in Europe and other countries.
Later in the book, Frank's struggles with his disease are documented. How this affected his wife and children is also described.
Good book, a long one, but very interesting read.
May 15, 2025
A thoroughly researched book, an engrossing read. Seemed to me more about the 2nd World War and the Cold War (and the making of the CIA) than the history of Wisner. A very sad and terrifying story - not only because of Wisner's mental illness but even more about the way governments (Iran, Guatemala) were rather casually - overturned with terribly lasting damage.
May 23, 2025
This book is very well researched and you can tell how passionate the author is about the subject. The information you learn is very detailed. This book is about WWII and the Cold War as well as Wisner’s rise and eventual tragic fall.
It wasn’t something I normally read but Wisner was an interesting person.
I won this book through Goodreads giveaways.
It wasn’t something I normally read but Wisner was an interesting person.
I won this book through Goodreads giveaways.
July 10, 2025
A great book about a great man, whose end was out of his control. I enjoyed Waller’s writing and he fleshed out Wisner’s life. I had encountered Wisner in The Quiet Americans, which dealt with Wisner, Michael Burke and two other operatives in WW2 and the Cold War. For anyone who enjoys the history of the OSS and CIA, flaws and all, this is a must read.
October 9, 2025
Solid 4 stars, excellent history of a troubled CIA ghoul named Frank Wisner, who helped to topple (against international law) two democratically elected leaders in 2 other countries!
Oh and he had severe bipolar disorder.
Still, it is an excellent and insightful history of Wisener’s activities and the CIA, mostly focusing on in the immediate 13 or so years right after World War Two.
Oh and he had severe bipolar disorder.
Still, it is an excellent and insightful history of Wisener’s activities and the CIA, mostly focusing on in the immediate 13 or so years right after World War Two.
November 28, 2025
skip this one. It is a pedantic recitation of the voluminous reference materials used to compile this book. Sometimes biographies drift in this direction, but this one reads like a senior thesis rather than any sort of pleasure reading.
May 1, 2025
Good book
June 23, 2025
Revealing details of CIA history during the Dulles years. Helps the reader understand what the National Security Council is and how the CIA is governed.
October 27, 2025
This book is so well researched. This book is also incredibly long. I enjoyed the content, but it took me a while to get through.
December 27, 2025
The author does a good job conveying the anguish of Wisner's mental illness but otherwise the book is a pedestrian effort.
August 9, 2025
Very thorough and extensive story of a secretive and complicated figure in history. Chonker of a book with lots of details, some fascinating, some that feel long. Interesting to read but took me a long time to get through. Great for spy readers looking for more stories after the WWII icons, as this tackles the next era of spying with all kinds of international Cold War stories.
July 7, 2025
Frank Wisner's early association with American intelligence operations during WWII established the standard for clandestine operations by the CIA. In this exhaustive biography, Douglas Waller describes Wisner's rise from a junior Navy officer detailed to the OSS to heading the CIA's clandestine operations during the early days of the cold war. Assignments in Cairo, Istanbul, Bucharest, and Berlin prepared him to oversee worldwide operations in the fifties. He stepped own in 1958 after suffering from manic depression which led to his suicide in 1965. On his death one newspaper editorial said "there has passed the greatest cold war soldier in American history."
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews