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The Recruiter: Spying in the Twilight of American Intelligence
A revealing CIA memoir from a 34-year veteran of the agency who worked as a case officer and recruiter of foreign agents before and after 9/11—full of rich details and sharp assessments—providing an invaluable perspective on the state of modern spycraft, how the CIA has developed, and how it must continue to evolve.
If you've ever wondered what it's like to be a modern-day spy, Douglas London is here to explain. London spent the majority of his 34-year CIA career stationed overseas recruiting foreign spies. His work involved spotting and identifying targets, building those relationships over weeks or months, and then pitching them to work for the CIA—all the while maintaining various identities, a day job, and a very real wife and kids at home.
The Recruiter: Spying in the Twilight of American Intelligence captures the best stories that can be told from London's life as a spy, his insights into the challenges and failures of intelligence work, and the complicated relationships he developed with agents and colleagues. In the end, London presents a highly readable insider's tale about the state of espionage, with a message to readers warning them about the decline of American intelligence since 9/11 and Iraq, and what can be done to recover.
If you've ever wondered what it's like to be a modern-day spy, Douglas London is here to explain. London spent the majority of his 34-year CIA career stationed overseas recruiting foreign spies. His work involved spotting and identifying targets, building those relationships over weeks or months, and then pitching them to work for the CIA—all the while maintaining various identities, a day job, and a very real wife and kids at home.
The Recruiter: Spying in the Twilight of American Intelligence captures the best stories that can be told from London's life as a spy, his insights into the challenges and failures of intelligence work, and the complicated relationships he developed with agents and colleagues. In the end, London presents a highly readable insider's tale about the state of espionage, with a message to readers warning them about the decline of American intelligence since 9/11 and Iraq, and what can be done to recover.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published September 28, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 12, 2022
2.5*s rounded down.
There are some interesting tidbits and anecdotes in this book about the inner workings of the CIA, recruiting and case work. It’s also revealing how similar to a regular business government agencies are run (with the same bureaucratic games and posturing).
However, I feel like most of the grievances and petulant grudges the author holds (there are a lot) would be better shared with a therapist. Additionally, this was less a “this is how I/we did it” and more of a “this is how I think it should be done” op-ed.
I feel a bit bait and switched from the blurb.
There are some interesting tidbits and anecdotes in this book about the inner workings of the CIA, recruiting and case work. It’s also revealing how similar to a regular business government agencies are run (with the same bureaucratic games and posturing).
However, I feel like most of the grievances and petulant grudges the author holds (there are a lot) would be better shared with a therapist. Additionally, this was less a “this is how I/we did it” and more of a “this is how I think it should be done” op-ed.
I feel a bit bait and switched from the blurb.
June 2, 2025
Predominantly focused on the author’s personal experience working for the CIA, despite the back-cover blurb claiming that the subject of the book was changes to the CIA in the post-9/11 era. The latter was discussed for maybe 50 pages in a rather haphazard and partially developed manner.
There was certainly potential, but the execution did not live up to expectations.
There was certainly potential, but the execution did not live up to expectations.
October 10, 2021
The Recruiter by Douglas London I thoroughly enjoyed this book. So let me point out my one fault with the writing. In spite of Mr. London’s editor to remove much of the CIA “jargon” there were still far too many acronyms of titles and positions of CIA staff members. (DO’s DDCIA’s, DCIA’s, COS’s, DDO’s…..) I suppose since the book was vetted by the CIA it was not possible to include an organization chart to help some. Nonetheless, this was my only fault with the book.
Mr. London served our country 1st in the Marines and then 34 years in the CIA. Thank you.
The book tells two different stories he wishes to convey: (1) how the CIA changed- in his opinion for the worse- after 9/11 and (2) his interaction and recruitment of spies in many very difficult regions of the world. As he says, the region he was involved in over his career was from Marrakesh to Bangladesh. For the most part not a friendly region especially for a New Your City Jew like himself.
In the case of the how the CIA changed, Mr. London’s career is nearly equally split pre and post 9/11. He states that post 9/11 the role of targeting and managing agents had reduced importance and the role of desk people in Langley increased in the day-to-day operations as well as who was promoted. He compared this to the movie Hopscotch filmed in 1980. In the movie, Walter Matthau plays head of German station. As the movie begins in a beer hall in Munich Matthau’s character watches as a female German spy passes on information in a pack of cigarettes to another German, who then passes it on in a brush pass to a Russian (played by Herbert Lom). Matthau signals to his agents to arrest the two German spies. He himself approaches the Russian who he knows well and asks him to handover the cigarette pack which he does. The movie then forwards to Langley where Matthau’s boss demotes him for not arresting the Russian. What Matthau’s character then says is he has known the Russian for 20 years, how he thinks and what he tries to do. To remove him would mean losing time trying to figure out who his replacement is and what are the spy traits of the guy. Langley does care. This more or less represents what Mr. London sees as the new way in management and who is employed in the CIA. The highest field value seems to be a “wack a mole” concept rather than follow lower-level terrorists up their chain of command. I believe he is correct in this belief. Of course, I think as a filed guy he may be overestimating the importance of the field versus HQ in some ways. This occurs not only in the CIA but many business fields as well. No field salesman will have any respect for the paper pushers in their company HQ’s.
Regarding the day-to-day operation in the field and how to lure and pull in a loyal agent spy, I found these stories very interesting. It can’t be easy to convince someone to risk their life to assist the enemy in this case the US. He presents many different examples and these are much different than a James Bond or even a George Smiley scenario. What he does not explain is how in a hostile land he and other CAI agents are able to identify who might have access to information whether within a foreign government or in a terrorist group and why any one of them could be a potential spy for the US. To guess wrong probably means being asked to leave the country at a minimum or in the case of trying to turn a terrorist might lead to a car bomb up your backside.
So, all in all I certainly found this book interesting and informative of how the field game is played out in espionage.
Mr. London served our country 1st in the Marines and then 34 years in the CIA. Thank you.
The book tells two different stories he wishes to convey: (1) how the CIA changed- in his opinion for the worse- after 9/11 and (2) his interaction and recruitment of spies in many very difficult regions of the world. As he says, the region he was involved in over his career was from Marrakesh to Bangladesh. For the most part not a friendly region especially for a New Your City Jew like himself.
In the case of the how the CIA changed, Mr. London’s career is nearly equally split pre and post 9/11. He states that post 9/11 the role of targeting and managing agents had reduced importance and the role of desk people in Langley increased in the day-to-day operations as well as who was promoted. He compared this to the movie Hopscotch filmed in 1980. In the movie, Walter Matthau plays head of German station. As the movie begins in a beer hall in Munich Matthau’s character watches as a female German spy passes on information in a pack of cigarettes to another German, who then passes it on in a brush pass to a Russian (played by Herbert Lom). Matthau signals to his agents to arrest the two German spies. He himself approaches the Russian who he knows well and asks him to handover the cigarette pack which he does. The movie then forwards to Langley where Matthau’s boss demotes him for not arresting the Russian. What Matthau’s character then says is he has known the Russian for 20 years, how he thinks and what he tries to do. To remove him would mean losing time trying to figure out who his replacement is and what are the spy traits of the guy. Langley does care. This more or less represents what Mr. London sees as the new way in management and who is employed in the CIA. The highest field value seems to be a “wack a mole” concept rather than follow lower-level terrorists up their chain of command. I believe he is correct in this belief. Of course, I think as a filed guy he may be overestimating the importance of the field versus HQ in some ways. This occurs not only in the CIA but many business fields as well. No field salesman will have any respect for the paper pushers in their company HQ’s.
Regarding the day-to-day operation in the field and how to lure and pull in a loyal agent spy, I found these stories very interesting. It can’t be easy to convince someone to risk their life to assist the enemy in this case the US. He presents many different examples and these are much different than a James Bond or even a George Smiley scenario. What he does not explain is how in a hostile land he and other CAI agents are able to identify who might have access to information whether within a foreign government or in a terrorist group and why any one of them could be a potential spy for the US. To guess wrong probably means being asked to leave the country at a minimum or in the case of trying to turn a terrorist might lead to a car bomb up your backside.
So, all in all I certainly found this book interesting and informative of how the field game is played out in espionage.
February 6, 2024
I really liked the book despite the many acronyms and the author's distrust and distaste for some of his former colleagues. Based on the actions he describes, it seems like many of his concerns with the way the CIA is run post-9/11 are justified. His stories about recruitment and retention of agents are engaging, occasionally amusing, and well-written. The fact that he recounts some of his own failures and missteps in these stories adds a level of authenticity; he wasn't out just to settle scores, but to point out how things could be improved, including in his own work, so that catastrophic mistakes that cost lives might be avoided in the future. What comes across clearly, in London's story and those he shares of many of the people he worked with, is that case officers and their agents are often brave, long-suffering, and willing to expend their exceptional intelligence, knowledge, and expertise in the service of the greater goals of our country, in protecting the American people from threats at home and abroad. I loved what book reviewer A.E. Smith said about him in the Jewish Review of Books (Summer 2022): "He captures the joy of intelligence work." His work was not about a boring slog through reams of data, but about real human connection, which he writes about as truthfully as he can given the CIA censors. I kept in mind what my husband (who also read this book) said - that London is a spy at heart and we can't trust everything he says, because spies are unreliable narrators - but I found the book candid, engaging, and persuasive.
October 8, 2022
If you are like me and interested in espionage, intelligence and The C.I.A. you will enjoy this book. Parts of it are redacted for security reasons but it is still a good read.
January 11, 2024
Man, when I retire, I hope I’m not as angry.
I was afraid the sparks from all the axes he was grinding would set off some kindling somewhere.
I was afraid the sparks from all the axes he was grinding would set off some kindling somewhere.
May 19, 2022
If you are looking for a thriller about activities of CIA spooks and ghouls carried out by a James Bond-like hero, you will be disappointed by this book. Rather, it is a detailed but highly sanitized memoir of a retired CIA operations officer, who as a case officer recruited and managed foreign sources of information, called agents. Many of his deeds were fascinating, even if obscured by censorship. The real purpose of London’s memoir is his criticism of CIA’s leadership since 9/11, when its failure was admitted, but the correction of which put it on the wrong track toward the very existential crisis it sought to avoid.
His analysis of current CIA leaders and policies is sharp and believable. Some have argued that he is simply a whiner. While that may seem partially true, he is also occasionally critical of his own actions in the past, even to the point of suggesting his own performance that may have contributed to some agency failure. He emphasizes the weak point that CIA shares with any large bureaucratic human organization: the inclination of subordinates to please superiors at the expense of truth in order to rise in the hierarchy. He also complains about the current trend of avoiding risk to save one’s position, an especially unfortunate characteristic of a clandestine intelligence agency.
He is most entertaining when he writes about essentially holding two jobs – a day job as, say, commercial attaché in an embassy, wearing the requisite suit and tie, and stepping out at night in jeans, dark jacket and backpack to recruit and interview agents on the dark streets of often-hostile cities. His most personal chapter – even endearing – was the one in which he discusses raising five children who until teens really didn’t know what Daddy did for a living.
This is an important book, even sanitized. One hopes that it finds support in the active intelligence community at the highest levels.
His analysis of current CIA leaders and policies is sharp and believable. Some have argued that he is simply a whiner. While that may seem partially true, he is also occasionally critical of his own actions in the past, even to the point of suggesting his own performance that may have contributed to some agency failure. He emphasizes the weak point that CIA shares with any large bureaucratic human organization: the inclination of subordinates to please superiors at the expense of truth in order to rise in the hierarchy. He also complains about the current trend of avoiding risk to save one’s position, an especially unfortunate characteristic of a clandestine intelligence agency.
He is most entertaining when he writes about essentially holding two jobs – a day job as, say, commercial attaché in an embassy, wearing the requisite suit and tie, and stepping out at night in jeans, dark jacket and backpack to recruit and interview agents on the dark streets of often-hostile cities. His most personal chapter – even endearing – was the one in which he discusses raising five children who until teens really didn’t know what Daddy did for a living.
This is an important book, even sanitized. One hopes that it finds support in the active intelligence community at the highest levels.
May 6, 2022
I picked up the book expecting “CIA stories.” I put the book down with a great insight of the following:
1. The politics of the CIA.
2. A good idea of the author’s political views based on his constant discussion of them (which have nothing to do with espionage).
3. All of the “settled scores” that the author achieved during his 34 year career.
There was little structure to the book. The chapters bounced from one to another. There was little transition. I would LOVE to hear more CIA stories from the author, but they were not aplenty in this book.
1. The politics of the CIA.
2. A good idea of the author’s political views based on his constant discussion of them (which have nothing to do with espionage).
3. All of the “settled scores” that the author achieved during his 34 year career.
There was little structure to the book. The chapters bounced from one to another. There was little transition. I would LOVE to hear more CIA stories from the author, but they were not aplenty in this book.
June 19, 2022
Fascinating!
November 4, 2023
With "The Recruiter", what I thought I'd be consuming was a narrative about the inner workings of the CIA, how the jobs the members of the various areas within the agency are performed, and maybe some perspective on the evolution of the group. Some of all that was definitely there but interspersed with the author's bitching about changes to the role of the CIA (mostly post 9/11), bitching about some of his superiors and peers, bitching about rampant misogyny and racism, and bitching about his treatment in the CIA as a Jew who was focused on an area (mostly Middle East) that doesn't particularly like Jews. It wasn't a giant rant as the complaining was tastefully done and couched mostly in HR-friendly terminology, but to me it seemed like a significant part of the book was rather negative in tone.
The Recruiter is a non-fiction account written by Douglas London, a 34 year veteran of the CIA. In the sections where he wasn't complaining about his treatment or organization, he details how he was recruited by the Agency, his training, descriptions of how the CIA is organized, who does what in his area of expertise, and provides several examples of how he developed foreign agents along with the risks he had to endure in doing so. Frankly, this is the stuff I wanted to glean but there just wasn't enough of it.
The Recruiter turned into a 400 page slog. Maybe it was just me, but it just didn't move along very well. That may have been a function of the writing, which flowed properly but just wasn't colloquial enough to maintain my interest. It was also hampered by the large number of acronyms present and the irritating lack of real names- for example, the author could be explaining the impact of a decision made by his supervisor with an agent 20 years prior and he'd be identified as "Tom". I understand the CIA reviewed and redacted sections and names, but it was still annoying to read about significant changes without knowing the real names of the responsible parties, except, curiously, for when John Brennan and Gina Haspel were involved.
I admit I learned quite a bit about the nuts and bolts of the important work the CIA field agents perform and the risks and danger to which they're exposed. I have nothing but respect for Douglas London's career but The Recruiter was a bit too heavy on grievances.
The Recruiter is a non-fiction account written by Douglas London, a 34 year veteran of the CIA. In the sections where he wasn't complaining about his treatment or organization, he details how he was recruited by the Agency, his training, descriptions of how the CIA is organized, who does what in his area of expertise, and provides several examples of how he developed foreign agents along with the risks he had to endure in doing so. Frankly, this is the stuff I wanted to glean but there just wasn't enough of it.
The Recruiter turned into a 400 page slog. Maybe it was just me, but it just didn't move along very well. That may have been a function of the writing, which flowed properly but just wasn't colloquial enough to maintain my interest. It was also hampered by the large number of acronyms present and the irritating lack of real names- for example, the author could be explaining the impact of a decision made by his supervisor with an agent 20 years prior and he'd be identified as "Tom". I understand the CIA reviewed and redacted sections and names, but it was still annoying to read about significant changes without knowing the real names of the responsible parties, except, curiously, for when John Brennan and Gina Haspel were involved.
I admit I learned quite a bit about the nuts and bolts of the important work the CIA field agents perform and the risks and danger to which they're exposed. I have nothing but respect for Douglas London's career but The Recruiter was a bit too heavy on grievances.
April 15, 2022
London's account of service as a CIA case officer is engaging and interesting, but has several flaws that weaken and distract from the author's otherwise excellent insight.
London covers much old ground, compared to other CIA case officer memoirs, and some new ground in his account of being a case officer from about 1984 to 2018. London does a very good job of simplifying and explaining the process of human intelligence without presenting an inflated or sensational view of himself or his experiences, an easy fault of CIA memoirs by officers who left with perhaps 5-10 years of service.
London's insight into the bureaucracy of the CIA is fascinating, and reveals that case officers and CIA employees are just as human as those of any other agency. London is apparently honest with himself and the reader about his successes and failures as a case officer, leader, and manager throughout his career and this level of candor helps illuminate the lessons of each chapter.
In revealing the human side of the agency, it is too bad that London comes across as settling scores with former bosses and colleagues. London's accounts of unprofessionalism and incompetence seem credible and not unlike examples of poor leadership or undisciplined colleagues that most people have probably experienced (unless, of course, you are the unprofessional one). Considering the major controversies of the post-9/11 era that the CIA still has not confronted publicly, such as 9/11 itself, extraordinary rendition, enhanced interrogation, the invasion of Iraq, the rise of ISIS, the fall of Afghanistan, etc., London's account of pockets of very poor leadership at CIA fits CIA leadership fits in with the public understanding of the last 20 years.
London's narrative is also, unfortunately, disjointed. Rather than a strictly chronological narrative, London's chapters each address a different aspect of life as a case officer, he arranges his chapters by themes that appear to pick from different parts of his career.
London covers much old ground, compared to other CIA case officer memoirs, and some new ground in his account of being a case officer from about 1984 to 2018. London does a very good job of simplifying and explaining the process of human intelligence without presenting an inflated or sensational view of himself or his experiences, an easy fault of CIA memoirs by officers who left with perhaps 5-10 years of service.
London's insight into the bureaucracy of the CIA is fascinating, and reveals that case officers and CIA employees are just as human as those of any other agency. London is apparently honest with himself and the reader about his successes and failures as a case officer, leader, and manager throughout his career and this level of candor helps illuminate the lessons of each chapter.
In revealing the human side of the agency, it is too bad that London comes across as settling scores with former bosses and colleagues. London's accounts of unprofessionalism and incompetence seem credible and not unlike examples of poor leadership or undisciplined colleagues that most people have probably experienced (unless, of course, you are the unprofessional one). Considering the major controversies of the post-9/11 era that the CIA still has not confronted publicly, such as 9/11 itself, extraordinary rendition, enhanced interrogation, the invasion of Iraq, the rise of ISIS, the fall of Afghanistan, etc., London's account of pockets of very poor leadership at CIA fits CIA leadership fits in with the public understanding of the last 20 years.
London's narrative is also, unfortunately, disjointed. Rather than a strictly chronological narrative, London's chapters each address a different aspect of life as a case officer, he arranges his chapters by themes that appear to pick from different parts of his career.
November 17, 2024
So, maybe my own curiosity bias is coming through here, but unlike a previous review for a book written by a different former CIA officer (and later key player in defense intelligence), the gripes and complaints captured here are offset by a fair amount of humanizing and interesting perspective.
That doesn’t excuse the rants or personal attacks, but by the time they come, you’ve developed a pretty decent sense for how “personality centric” the author’s line of work is and can generally realize that for every hot take on whoever he advances there are probably 2-3 other flavors (and more than a few about him).
The stories about his kids and the way he characterizes various aspects of the journey he took over decades really does strike me as being a unique contribution, at least from other similar books I’ve read. The picture of a large, bureaucratic machine (albeit much smaller and more nimble than much of the USG) emerges in a way that feels accurate, even if not all that inspiring.
Take my ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ with a grain of salt if none of that resonates, but if it does, would love to hear what you think.
That doesn’t excuse the rants or personal attacks, but by the time they come, you’ve developed a pretty decent sense for how “personality centric” the author’s line of work is and can generally realize that for every hot take on whoever he advances there are probably 2-3 other flavors (and more than a few about him).
The stories about his kids and the way he characterizes various aspects of the journey he took over decades really does strike me as being a unique contribution, at least from other similar books I’ve read. The picture of a large, bureaucratic machine (albeit much smaller and more nimble than much of the USG) emerges in a way that feels accurate, even if not all that inspiring.
Take my ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ with a grain of salt if none of that resonates, but if it does, would love to hear what you think.
October 15, 2021
I have to admit upfront that I also worked for the CIA during the same time as the author, although I retired a few years earlier after 31 years there. I was one of the dreaded "targeters"--a profession which supposedly had too much power over operations--which the author despises so much. It seems to me that the author had a big axe to grind with former colleagues and supervisors. I had to stop reading the book for a week or so because the whining got a bit too much. But the author's egregious mistake of calling the former DCIA George TENANT instead of his correct name TENET completely destroyed any credibility the author and his editors had. Did the author dislike TENET so much that he intentionally misspelled his name? Or was this a very big and careless mistake that he and his editors should have caught easily? I hope the author is not calling him TENANT in front of his students at Georgetown.
October 6, 2021
This was an eye opener. It was very interesting. It explained the inner machinations of the CIA and how they’ve evolved over the years. It describes spycraft before 9/11 and after and how the CIA has moved from being apolitical to political. According to the author there is still true spycraft but the people at the top are maneuvering in political ways. What I enjoyed about this book was the explanation of how things work in the intelligence community today and in the past. Even though the author claims that the manuscript was highly redacted by the CIA, I think there is a lot of enlightening information for average laypeople. I liked this book but I like spy novels and movies so it’s a no brainer. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
January 23, 2024
This is an extraordinary book by a very experienced case officer who served in denied Middle Eastern environments for extended periods of time. His discussion on the recruitment of foreign spies is at a level that gives the reader a real feel for the process that is rarely to never seen elsewhere. The reader also gets rather extensive observations respecting the lifestyles of both the case officers and their targets from legacy era "spook time" to the conflicts and concerns of the recruited foreign spies. This is a very valuable book exploring the human side of espionage and London concludes with the lesson that intelligence organizations need to relearn every generation which is that their foundation remains the recruitment of foreign spies.
November 14, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. The amount of “tradecraft” and technical knowledge of handling sources in this book is astounding. I’m shocked the CIA allowed as much to be included in the final release. The only thing that kept me from giving The Recruiter five stars was the the lack of flow throughout the book, compared to other espionage memoirs I’ve read. It seems to jump around a little more than I like, however, this is a memoir and not a fictional story so I can see why. If you look at this memoir more of a collection of short stories of ones career rather than a fiction novel following a traditional story arc, it’s worth your time.
July 24, 2022
The addition read is titled, The Recruiter: Spying and the Lost Art of American Intelligence, and has 418 pages, not 272.
Not bad. Not great. Understandably, one of the author’s main goals is to grind a few axes. That’s not a criticism, just an observation. Good insight in many areas with plenty to think about in terms of policy. The stories are interesting and keep the book moving in between observations about operational and political critiques. They also help establish the author’s credibility.
Not bad. Not great. Understandably, one of the author’s main goals is to grind a few axes. That’s not a criticism, just an observation. Good insight in many areas with plenty to think about in terms of policy. The stories are interesting and keep the book moving in between observations about operational and political critiques. They also help establish the author’s credibility.
February 26, 2023
Given there is only so much a former CIA officer can tell, Mr. London does a fine job of presenting the day-to-day life of case officer. The book is full of tales about handling agents that drive the importance their relationship and built trust. The author is also vocal about the post 9/11 working environment where gathering information from recruited nationals was replaced by hi-tech sources.
The fascinating portrayal of the CIA as an organization, has me wondering just how do they measure success and failure?
The fascinating portrayal of the CIA as an organization, has me wondering just how do they measure success and failure?
February 14, 2024
I've always been interested in the CIA, and this book is an in-depth look at how case officers recruit their agents. The author is a retired CIA case officer whose exploits around the world are noteworthy.
It skips around a lot, and there are mini chapters within big chapters. As expected, there are a lot of vague descriptions due to censored or redacted content. I lost interest in the book toward the end, but would recommend for anyone interested in national security or the intelligence community.
It skips around a lot, and there are mini chapters within big chapters. As expected, there are a lot of vague descriptions due to censored or redacted content. I lost interest in the book toward the end, but would recommend for anyone interested in national security or the intelligence community.
January 27, 2025
4.5/5 London is a wealth of first-hand knowledge involving the evolution of the CIA since 1984. His insight and wit are second to none. A significant detraction of the book, however, is London spends a significant amount of time airing grievances about the pathologies and general incompetence of his co-workers and superiors. While his heart is in the right place --especially in the final chapters-- a legitimate complaint can be leveled that part of this book comes from a place of disgruntlement. Even still, his surprising wit and humor make for a good, fun, and informative read.
February 6, 2022
The book presented a fascinating look into the reality of a world that is far too often obscured by films and TV. London's clear respect and love for his work really come through. However it's hard not to feel like this could have benefited from another edit. There didn't seem to be much overall structure to the book, which is a shame because they were interesting stories. It was kind of organized by time, but there was still much bouncing around.
August 23, 2024
This is not a book about cool CIA stories. This is a book about someone humble bragging the entire time about how amazing they are, how great the CIA is, how all the other intelligence agencies are garbage, and how easy it is for the younger generation. Wayyyyyy too much inside baseball about how the CIA is organized, author’s views on how it SHOULD be run, the agency’s various authorities, procedures, etc. All without telling a single interesting spy story.
August 30, 2021
A thrilling work of non-fiction. One of the best looks into the lives of officers of the CIA and the lives of those they work with. Honest, funny at times, and heartfelt at others. Gave a good look at the structure of the agency and the intelligence community.
October 11, 2022
A compelling glimpse into the life and challenges of a CIA case officer, and the internal power struggles and growing pains, within the CIA, post-9/11. I picked it up every chance I got, engaging the whole way through. My only major complaint is that every time it gets interesting its [REDACTED].
November 24, 2024
Great inside info. It's unfortunate he includes a lot of his "woke" ideology, it doesn't add to the value or entertainment of the story, but I guess he felt it was the "noble" thing to do.
Nevertheless, a great insider look at being a case manager in the CIA.
Nevertheless, a great insider look at being a case manager in the CIA.
July 17, 2025
ɪ ᴀꜱᴋᴇᴅ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴛᴇᴀᴍ ᴛᴏ ᴜɴʟᴏᴄᴋ 2 ꜰɪʟᴇꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴅɪᴅ ɪᴛ ɪɴ 24 ʜᴏᴜʀꜱ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ɪꜱꜱᴜᴇ ɪ ꜰᴀᴄᴇᴅ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛ ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴘᴀʏᴍᴇɴᴛ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ꜱᴇɴᴅ ᴊʙᴇᴇ ꜱᴘʏ ᴛᴇᴀᴍ ᴀ ᴅᴍ ᴏɴ ᴇᴍᴀɪʟ ᴄᴏɴʟᴇʏᴊʙᴇᴇꜱᴘʏ606@ɢᴍᴀɪʟ.ᴄᴏᴍ
November 11, 2025
CIA CO tradecraft and experiences were great. If London had left it at that, I would give the book 4 stars. Unfortunately, his whining about people and CIA leadership made him come across as bitter, and his opinions on political issues and ideology were insufferable.
October 2, 2021
Enjoyed listening to the behind the scenes look at the CIA and the roles of agents and case officers and their superiors and how they intersect and sometimes interrupt…
October 20, 2021
3.5 stars.
January 17, 2022
Overall, I throughly enjoyed it. However, the book got 4 stars instead of 5 because it was a bit too political for me.
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