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Black Ops: The Life of a CIA Shadow Warrior
The Explosive National Bestseller
A memoir by the highest-ranking covert warrior to lift the veil of secrecy and offer a glimpse into the shadow wars that America has fought since the Vietnam Era.
Enrique Prado found himself in his first firefight at age seven. The son of a middle-class Cuban family caught in the midst of the Castro Revolution, his family fled their war-torn home for the hope of a better life in America. Fifty years later, the Cuban refugee retired from the Central Intelligence Agency as the CIA equivalent of a two-star general. Black Ops is the story of Ric’s legendary career that spanned two eras, the Cold War and the Age of Terrorism. Operating in the shadows, Ric and his fellow CIA officers fought a little-seen and virtually unknown war to keep the USA safe from those who would do it harm.
After duty stations in Central and South America and the Philippines, Black Ops follows Ric into the highest echelons of the CIA’s headquarters at Langley, Virginia. In late 1995, he became Deputy Chief of Station and co-founding member of the Bin Laden Task Force. Three years later, after serving as head of Korean Operations, Ric took on one of the most dangerous missions of his to re-establish a once-abandoned CIA station inside a hostile nation long since considered a front line of the fight against Islamic terrorism. He and his team carried out covert operations and developed assets that proved pivotal in the coming War on Terror.
A harrowing memoir of life in the shadowy world of assassins, terrorists, spies and revolutionaries, Black Ops is a testament to the courage, creativity and dedication of the Agency’s Special Activities Group and its elite shadow warriors.
A memoir by the highest-ranking covert warrior to lift the veil of secrecy and offer a glimpse into the shadow wars that America has fought since the Vietnam Era.
Enrique Prado found himself in his first firefight at age seven. The son of a middle-class Cuban family caught in the midst of the Castro Revolution, his family fled their war-torn home for the hope of a better life in America. Fifty years later, the Cuban refugee retired from the Central Intelligence Agency as the CIA equivalent of a two-star general. Black Ops is the story of Ric’s legendary career that spanned two eras, the Cold War and the Age of Terrorism. Operating in the shadows, Ric and his fellow CIA officers fought a little-seen and virtually unknown war to keep the USA safe from those who would do it harm.
After duty stations in Central and South America and the Philippines, Black Ops follows Ric into the highest echelons of the CIA’s headquarters at Langley, Virginia. In late 1995, he became Deputy Chief of Station and co-founding member of the Bin Laden Task Force. Three years later, after serving as head of Korean Operations, Ric took on one of the most dangerous missions of his to re-establish a once-abandoned CIA station inside a hostile nation long since considered a front line of the fight against Islamic terrorism. He and his team carried out covert operations and developed assets that proved pivotal in the coming War on Terror.
A harrowing memoir of life in the shadowy world of assassins, terrorists, spies and revolutionaries, Black Ops is a testament to the courage, creativity and dedication of the Agency’s Special Activities Group and its elite shadow warriors.
400 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2022
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March 17, 2022This book has a special poignancy for me. My Miami bff's mother died in her sleep age 58 on December 12th leaving a son of 44 and a daughter of 37. She was married to an older man in Cuba when she was 13 and had her first child at 14. They left when she was 18, that is 40 years ago, well within the time of Castro. She never wanted to leave Cuba but he forced her, he said the US was better but, my friend says, there was never a day she didn't talk about Cuba and how much she loved it, life in America didn't make her happy. Luckily her older husband did, very happy.
When I went blind with endophthalamitis the emergency opthamologist I saw was a Cuban doctor. She said she liked worked in different countries but preferred the slower life of Cuba. She said that they were poor compared to the US but all the basics, housing, food, education and health were provided. She said of course there were businesses there, but only small ones, and people were happier than in the US.
I watched a BBC documentary last year on some journalist travelling around Cuba. She stayed with a peasant family in a village in the countryside and learned to do their traditional dances, very Latin American flashing eyes and swaying hips. I doubt their way of life had changed under Castro, had changed much under anyone for centuries, just adding modern things here and there, but still the same slow, agricultural village life.
I dated a handsome Cuban lawyer who lived in Brickell, downtown Miami, a very, very upscale place of skyscrapers and murals and all-night life, they call it the Financial Centre of Latin America, and that's serious, not a joke. He said how terrible Cuba was, how there was no freedom, you couldn't make money, all everyone wanted to do was escape to the US.
Lots of stories. And the book is another one. It starts off with the armed takeover by Castro and the dispossession of the middle classes of their businesses. The author was 10 years old when his parents sent him, alone, to the US having heard that the best and brightest children were being sent to Russia for further education. They were willing to send their only child away to what they saw as freedom without a guarantee of ever seeing him again. Things must have been bad...
When I went blind with endophthalamitis the emergency opthamologist I saw was a Cuban doctor. She said she liked worked in different countries but preferred the slower life of Cuba. She said that they were poor compared to the US but all the basics, housing, food, education and health were provided. She said of course there were businesses there, but only small ones, and people were happier than in the US.
I watched a BBC documentary last year on some journalist travelling around Cuba. She stayed with a peasant family in a village in the countryside and learned to do their traditional dances, very Latin American flashing eyes and swaying hips. I doubt their way of life had changed under Castro, had changed much under anyone for centuries, just adding modern things here and there, but still the same slow, agricultural village life.
I dated a handsome Cuban lawyer who lived in Brickell, downtown Miami, a very, very upscale place of skyscrapers and murals and all-night life, they call it the Financial Centre of Latin America, and that's serious, not a joke. He said how terrible Cuba was, how there was no freedom, you couldn't make money, all everyone wanted to do was escape to the US.
Lots of stories. And the book is another one. It starts off with the armed takeover by Castro and the dispossession of the middle classes of their businesses. The author was 10 years old when his parents sent him, alone, to the US having heard that the best and brightest children were being sent to Russia for further education. They were willing to send their only child away to what they saw as freedom without a guarantee of ever seeing him again. Things must have been bad...
March 18, 2022
This book was terrible. I would give it 1/2 a star if I could. I couldn't even finish half of it before my annoyance evolved into anger. For anyone who has any basic level of understanding of international relations, I doubt you'll be able to get through much of this without throwing the book across the room.
Overall, the author fails to accurately describe any of the geopolitical situations he found himself in while working in CIA. I believe that any author writing a book of this nature has a duty to properly contextualize the situations being described. I don't begrudge the author for his wildly overly simplistic political viewpoints. He is entitled to that. I do, however, begrudge him for painting a picture that is absurd in declaring everything the United States Government does as heroic, pure, and just. At the same time, every adversary the U.S. faces are unequivocally barbaric and evil (he even had the audacity to speak in favor of torturing terrorist suspects in the wake of 9/11). The lack of nuance paints a deeply dishonest portrayal of history.
In addition, the arrogance and self-aggrandizing is truly over the top. If this were a work of fiction, I would find it over the top. I admit, I did not complete the book. But what I did read was a portrayal of someone who thinks of himself as Rambo, incapable of feelings and devoid of any character flaws (with the exception of some youthful mistakes). And he always, always saves the day wherever he goes.
If you typically enjoy well researched books on international relations and U.S. national security, this book is not for you.
Overall, the author fails to accurately describe any of the geopolitical situations he found himself in while working in CIA. I believe that any author writing a book of this nature has a duty to properly contextualize the situations being described. I don't begrudge the author for his wildly overly simplistic political viewpoints. He is entitled to that. I do, however, begrudge him for painting a picture that is absurd in declaring everything the United States Government does as heroic, pure, and just. At the same time, every adversary the U.S. faces are unequivocally barbaric and evil (he even had the audacity to speak in favor of torturing terrorist suspects in the wake of 9/11). The lack of nuance paints a deeply dishonest portrayal of history.
In addition, the arrogance and self-aggrandizing is truly over the top. If this were a work of fiction, I would find it over the top. I admit, I did not complete the book. But what I did read was a portrayal of someone who thinks of himself as Rambo, incapable of feelings and devoid of any character flaws (with the exception of some youthful mistakes). And he always, always saves the day wherever he goes.
If you typically enjoy well researched books on international relations and U.S. national security, this book is not for you.
March 10, 2022
Save Your Money
Once again I got sucked in by the publisher's hype and wasted fifteen bucks and about twenty hours of my life. This boring tome isn't about CIA black ops, it's a maddening paean about Prado by Prado, the smartest, bravest, handsomest, toughest mother fucker that ever came to America. The end should have been the beginning, and the rest should have been shit-canned. I had to force myself to finish this sophomoric, self righteous, egotistical bullshit. One star is one too many!
Once again I got sucked in by the publisher's hype and wasted fifteen bucks and about twenty hours of my life. This boring tome isn't about CIA black ops, it's a maddening paean about Prado by Prado, the smartest, bravest, handsomest, toughest mother fucker that ever came to America. The end should have been the beginning, and the rest should have been shit-canned. I had to force myself to finish this sophomoric, self righteous, egotistical bullshit. One star is one too many!
May 30, 2022
A little torn on this one. I picked it up at the library not knowing anything about the author or what the book would entail.
The main "pro" is that, at times, it did give a very interesting perspective on the inner workings of the CIA (far different from how Hollywood portrays it, as the author says multiple times). I especially liked getting the "inside scoop" on certain foreign events like Communist uprisings in South America and the Philippines the 80s, the rise of a North Korean threat in the 90s, and intel and events leading up to and immediately after 9/11. It is beyond clear that the author, Ric Prado, loves our country.
The main "con" was that the book was layered with braggadocio throughout. I understand that these are tough CIA operatives who literally put their lives on the line, but reading it kind of felt like a 400 page boast of how tough and badass the author and his closest CIA pals were. It was story after story of how they could do no wrong, and anyone who wasn't as gung-ho as them was basically dismissed.
There are also some redactions throughout the book, some of which seemed unnecessary (particularly those related to two of his foreign posts), as it was pretty easy to figure out where he was stationed. For example, they redacted any direct identifiers of a Latin American location, but did keep in the description of it as a country in South America battling a Communist rebellion led by a Maoist former philosophy professor, who was eventually captured in the city's capital. AKA: Lima, Peru (google Abimael Guzman).
The second station also had all direct identifiers redacted, but left in enough secondary descriptions to guess the location. Nicknamed "Shangrila," it was described as the capital of a lawless eastern African nation, Arabic-speaking, a mecca for terrorist groups, and in a country which in 2000 had been independent for about 40 years. If anyone can make a case for anywhere other than Mogadishu, do tell!
Anyway, I hope I don't get a knock on the door for this review :) And I fully understand the redactions related to military equipment or methods of operation that would potentially allow our adversaries to understand how the CIA approaches certain situations or what kind of technology we have.
All in all, I didn't love the book but would still recommend it to anyone interested in the subject matter as I think you'll glean some interesting facts and insights.
The main "pro" is that, at times, it did give a very interesting perspective on the inner workings of the CIA (far different from how Hollywood portrays it, as the author says multiple times). I especially liked getting the "inside scoop" on certain foreign events like Communist uprisings in South America and the Philippines the 80s, the rise of a North Korean threat in the 90s, and intel and events leading up to and immediately after 9/11. It is beyond clear that the author, Ric Prado, loves our country.
The main "con" was that the book was layered with braggadocio throughout. I understand that these are tough CIA operatives who literally put their lives on the line, but reading it kind of felt like a 400 page boast of how tough and badass the author and his closest CIA pals were. It was story after story of how they could do no wrong, and anyone who wasn't as gung-ho as them was basically dismissed.
There are also some redactions throughout the book, some of which seemed unnecessary (particularly those related to two of his foreign posts), as it was pretty easy to figure out where he was stationed. For example, they redacted any direct identifiers of a Latin American location, but did keep in the description of it as a country in South America battling a Communist rebellion led by a Maoist former philosophy professor, who was eventually captured in the city's capital. AKA: Lima, Peru (google Abimael Guzman).
The second station also had all direct identifiers redacted, but left in enough secondary descriptions to guess the location. Nicknamed "Shangrila," it was described as the capital of a lawless eastern African nation, Arabic-speaking, a mecca for terrorist groups, and in a country which in 2000 had been independent for about 40 years. If anyone can make a case for anywhere other than Mogadishu, do tell!
Anyway, I hope I don't get a knock on the door for this review :) And I fully understand the redactions related to military equipment or methods of operation that would potentially allow our adversaries to understand how the CIA approaches certain situations or what kind of technology we have.
All in all, I didn't love the book but would still recommend it to anyone interested in the subject matter as I think you'll glean some interesting facts and insights.
January 31, 2023
A readable and well-written memoir.
Prado describes his time as an Air Force pararescueman, a contractor at CIA’s SAD (“the more kinetic stuff”), and his paramilitary assignments in Honduras, the Philippines, Alec Station (as Michael Scheuer’s deputy and senior operations officer), and eventually chief of operations at CTC. Some readers may have first heard of Prado from press reporting on “Project Cannonball”; Prado does describe this, though he doesn’t ever use that name, and much of that section of the book is redacted. After leaving the Agency he worked for Blackwater in Iraq (not under CIA contract, and “at cost” rather than “for profit”, he stresses), to do whatever it is that falls under the heading “Fucking with the bad guys,” to use Prado’s words. Why couldn’t he have made that the title of the book?
He writes of being “a blunt instrument, at ease with a weapon in hand and a target to take out.” The reader is left wondering whether he actually took anyone out while at CIA, but, of course, he doesn’t say. Among his tutors he mentions officers like Duane Clarridge (“a beloved mentor”) and Jose Rodriguez (“my dear friend…arguably the most beloved leader in my generation of officers at the CIA”). He doesn’t detail any of their more questionable activities, so I wonder what Prado actually thinks about those. Bill Casey is also called “our greatest DCI.”
The book includes a firsthand account of operations alongside the Contras in Nicaragua, and it’s pretty illuminating, and probably different from those in other books you may have read. It also includes an account of Prado leading a team to reach Eugene Hasenfus’s plane, though, of course, the Sandinistas got there first. When describing the contras, he calls them “men and women vilified by the American press, yet who I knew to be patriots,” and “my beloved Contras.” He admits that atrocities took place, but argues that they were mostly exaggerated. Prado also describes working with a Contra commander who hated him enough to try to kill him in a staged “Sandinista” ambush. He does criticize the Argentinian advisers: “To a man, I found them to be useless parasites…men of the basest moral character…To this day, just thinking about the Argentines makes my blood boil.”
Some readers may note his depiction of the Sandinistas as an unpopular dictatorship; they may also note that Prado never mentions that the Sandinistas were in power because they won an election. He also calls the Contra program “definitively successful,” even though the Sandinistas were defeated in an election.
Like many CIA memoirs, the author is vague about certain subjects, even ones you can piece together. Also, like some other Agency memoirs, Prado decided to include the redactions made by CIA PRB officials (sometimes entire pages). And, once again, many of these redactions are actually kind of easy to figure out; one of them is Prado's posting to Peru, and at one point Richard Blee is called “Richard B.” Annoyingly, some of them deal with events that happened decades ago. Strangely, he puts the real first name of one CIA officer in quotes, as if it’s an alias.
The book is a pretty easy read, though at times it feels like a first draft. Usually these types of books will spend some time on the author's childhood, mostly a few pages at most. The section in this one is much longer than usual, about sixty pages, probably way more than the average reader is interested in. Some readers may be annoyed by Prado’s fascination with weaponry. It can also be a bit repetitive, and is written with a certain bravado, almost like he’s aiming for a young audience. Like other memoirs, Prado complains about distortions from spy novels and movies, but his own style actually tries to imitate their tone. When describing Peruvian Marxists, he fumes, “I so wanted to double tap each of them.” He also seems pissed about the consequences of Iran-Contra and how it destroyed the careers of certain CIA officers (even the ones who committed crimes, I wonder?)
The book also includes some questionable statements. He blames the failure of the Bay of Pigs on “the betrayal and broken promises of the Kennedy administration.” He writes that “the Church Committee hearings had badly damaged the CIA” but doesn’t elaborate. He also mentions the “failures of the 1970s Détente era, which only seemed to encourage Soviet adventurism without an American check.” Bill Donovan is called “the first director of the Central Intelligence Agency.” He also writes the CIA began supporting the contras when Reagan took office (it began under Carter) He also refers to a “NATO exercise called Able Baker 83.” Elsewhere he refers to the “assistant GZ (intelligence officer) for the Philippine Army” (he must mean G2) He refers to a certain “Fred Anderson” as the Near East Division chief, mentioning that he “had led the Afghan task force during the ‘80s.” This was Frank Anderson, not Fred. He also writes that “William Colby and Bill Casey both banned assassinations internally within the CIA in 1972.” Other parts of the book are strange. At one point he discusses a hit team of Filipino Marxists, and recommends a YouTube video to the reader (he even includes the full URL)
Still, an engaging and insightful work.
Prado describes his time as an Air Force pararescueman, a contractor at CIA’s SAD (“the more kinetic stuff”), and his paramilitary assignments in Honduras, the Philippines, Alec Station (as Michael Scheuer’s deputy and senior operations officer), and eventually chief of operations at CTC. Some readers may have first heard of Prado from press reporting on “Project Cannonball”; Prado does describe this, though he doesn’t ever use that name, and much of that section of the book is redacted. After leaving the Agency he worked for Blackwater in Iraq (not under CIA contract, and “at cost” rather than “for profit”, he stresses), to do whatever it is that falls under the heading “Fucking with the bad guys,” to use Prado’s words. Why couldn’t he have made that the title of the book?
He writes of being “a blunt instrument, at ease with a weapon in hand and a target to take out.” The reader is left wondering whether he actually took anyone out while at CIA, but, of course, he doesn’t say. Among his tutors he mentions officers like Duane Clarridge (“a beloved mentor”) and Jose Rodriguez (“my dear friend…arguably the most beloved leader in my generation of officers at the CIA”). He doesn’t detail any of their more questionable activities, so I wonder what Prado actually thinks about those. Bill Casey is also called “our greatest DCI.”
The book includes a firsthand account of operations alongside the Contras in Nicaragua, and it’s pretty illuminating, and probably different from those in other books you may have read. It also includes an account of Prado leading a team to reach Eugene Hasenfus’s plane, though, of course, the Sandinistas got there first. When describing the contras, he calls them “men and women vilified by the American press, yet who I knew to be patriots,” and “my beloved Contras.” He admits that atrocities took place, but argues that they were mostly exaggerated. Prado also describes working with a Contra commander who hated him enough to try to kill him in a staged “Sandinista” ambush. He does criticize the Argentinian advisers: “To a man, I found them to be useless parasites…men of the basest moral character…To this day, just thinking about the Argentines makes my blood boil.”
Some readers may note his depiction of the Sandinistas as an unpopular dictatorship; they may also note that Prado never mentions that the Sandinistas were in power because they won an election. He also calls the Contra program “definitively successful,” even though the Sandinistas were defeated in an election.
Like many CIA memoirs, the author is vague about certain subjects, even ones you can piece together. Also, like some other Agency memoirs, Prado decided to include the redactions made by CIA PRB officials (sometimes entire pages). And, once again, many of these redactions are actually kind of easy to figure out; one of them is Prado's posting to Peru, and at one point Richard Blee is called “Richard B.” Annoyingly, some of them deal with events that happened decades ago. Strangely, he puts the real first name of one CIA officer in quotes, as if it’s an alias.
The book is a pretty easy read, though at times it feels like a first draft. Usually these types of books will spend some time on the author's childhood, mostly a few pages at most. The section in this one is much longer than usual, about sixty pages, probably way more than the average reader is interested in. Some readers may be annoyed by Prado’s fascination with weaponry. It can also be a bit repetitive, and is written with a certain bravado, almost like he’s aiming for a young audience. Like other memoirs, Prado complains about distortions from spy novels and movies, but his own style actually tries to imitate their tone. When describing Peruvian Marxists, he fumes, “I so wanted to double tap each of them.” He also seems pissed about the consequences of Iran-Contra and how it destroyed the careers of certain CIA officers (even the ones who committed crimes, I wonder?)
The book also includes some questionable statements. He blames the failure of the Bay of Pigs on “the betrayal and broken promises of the Kennedy administration.” He writes that “the Church Committee hearings had badly damaged the CIA” but doesn’t elaborate. He also mentions the “failures of the 1970s Détente era, which only seemed to encourage Soviet adventurism without an American check.” Bill Donovan is called “the first director of the Central Intelligence Agency.” He also writes the CIA began supporting the contras when Reagan took office (it began under Carter) He also refers to a “NATO exercise called Able Baker 83.” Elsewhere he refers to the “assistant GZ (intelligence officer) for the Philippine Army” (he must mean G2) He refers to a certain “Fred Anderson” as the Near East Division chief, mentioning that he “had led the Afghan task force during the ‘80s.” This was Frank Anderson, not Fred. He also writes that “William Colby and Bill Casey both banned assassinations internally within the CIA in 1972.” Other parts of the book are strange. At one point he discusses a hit team of Filipino Marxists, and recommends a YouTube video to the reader (he even includes the full URL)
Still, an engaging and insightful work.
July 6, 2022
I can't. This is more of a retelling of world events around the clandestine world mirroring Ric's career. I'm a bit disappointed in the lack of detail with ops and missions throughout the book. The redacted lines throughout the book are disruptive and take away from the story. Be generic and tell the story!!! There is a significant lack of flow to the book and retelling. I was hopeful, but this is disappointed. Perhaps I had hopes too high?
May 15, 2022
Prado offers some interesting insight into some key points in the recent history of the US and the CIA between 1980 and 2005. From working with the Contras in the early 1980s, to the Bin Laden unit in the 90s, and the post 9/11 CIA, Prado's biography contributes personal experience and insight to the understanding of a series of key events. Prado's perspective as a CIA paramilitary officer, later going to The Farm to finish his training as a case officer, is a fresh perspective as many CIA memoirs tend to be written by case officers, often by individuals with much less experience.
However, Prado, in a collection of war stories and personal commentary, does not take the opportunity to attempt to examine a broader perspective of how the CIA fits into the US national security policy. While much of Prado's criticism of CIA and US government bureaucracy is fair to some degree, seeing the US as too often risk averse in confronting national security threats, he does not examine the broader implications of the US adopting riskier tactics to confront terrorists and other adversaries. For example, Prado describes a program that he developed that sounds like extraordinary rendition and his frustration when the program was shut down without being used. However, as Prado, by then a CIA executive, goes through the exciting training to apparently kill or capture people overseas, he does not fully confront the political risks of committing illegal acts in foreign countries or why specialized military units with the same mission cannot be seconded to the CIA, which happened most notably in the 2011 Bin Laden raid. Norway, a country Prado uses as an example, may have strong feelings about the US committing drone strikes or renditions on its highways.
Overall, Prado offers a very narrow perspective considering he rose to the executive ranks of the CIA, as well as a strong bias towards his own experiences. Few reasonable people would argue that the US and the CIA should not have the capability to conduct clandestine operations to capture or kill terrorists that pose an imminent threat to Americans, but, for all his war stories, Prado does not cite any examples of such threats that he, or the CIA prevented. With these scenarios being rare, the US should only resort to these types of operations when all other options have failed and the potential political fallout is acceptable.
Ultimately, operators, like Prado,as career civil servants, are not accountable to elections or to elected officials. Prado had the chance to see dynamic early in his career when he helped arm and train the Contras in their fight against Nicaragua, and even early in his life with the Bay of Pigs in Cuba. In Black Ops Prado often reflects on the sacrifices of his friends and colleagues, including of those who were killed overseas, but he never seems to see how the deaths of Americans in sensitive operations affects the public sentiment or political consequences. Prado acknowledges the crimes of some of the Contras, but defends the program overall (again, in part reflecting a bias towards his actions with the program) while blaming Democrats, then in control of Congress, for being sympathetic to Daniel Ortega. While it is fair to expect a young officer to be committed to their programs and highlight their accomplishments, Prado should have been able to look back on this time from the view of an executive and consider the hard trade offs that politicians, political officials, and bureaucrats make when arming and training an insurgency. How long should be be committed for? How much money can be lost to graft? How do we handle war crimes committed by allies?
At one point Prado is dismissive of Senator Dianne Feinstein when he is asked if and how the CIA can rescue American missionaries captured in the Philippines. Prado is disappointed that Feinstein does not seem to understand the local environment in the Philippines and that the CIA cannot simply operate in enemy territory without the authority of the White House (or, presumably, the Philippines). However, Prado does not say how he would have done the rescue operation if he did have the authorities. A few years later the US did help rescue the missionaries, working with the Philippines in a risky operation. Prado's brief interaction with Senator Feinstein highlights several of the weaknesses of Black Ops, from a failure to see a broader picture to a biased and inflated sense of his own experiences and opinions. In the end, Prado misses the true lesson of his own career and service. If the US sacrifices its values to play by the same rules as terrorists and North Korean/Russian/ and Chinese spys, we are morally no better than our adversaries. Prado, in particular, should have recognized this in his argument that the US take greater risks in confronting its adversaries.
However, Prado, in a collection of war stories and personal commentary, does not take the opportunity to attempt to examine a broader perspective of how the CIA fits into the US national security policy. While much of Prado's criticism of CIA and US government bureaucracy is fair to some degree, seeing the US as too often risk averse in confronting national security threats, he does not examine the broader implications of the US adopting riskier tactics to confront terrorists and other adversaries. For example, Prado describes a program that he developed that sounds like extraordinary rendition and his frustration when the program was shut down without being used. However, as Prado, by then a CIA executive, goes through the exciting training to apparently kill or capture people overseas, he does not fully confront the political risks of committing illegal acts in foreign countries or why specialized military units with the same mission cannot be seconded to the CIA, which happened most notably in the 2011 Bin Laden raid. Norway, a country Prado uses as an example, may have strong feelings about the US committing drone strikes or renditions on its highways.
Overall, Prado offers a very narrow perspective considering he rose to the executive ranks of the CIA, as well as a strong bias towards his own experiences. Few reasonable people would argue that the US and the CIA should not have the capability to conduct clandestine operations to capture or kill terrorists that pose an imminent threat to Americans, but, for all his war stories, Prado does not cite any examples of such threats that he, or the CIA prevented. With these scenarios being rare, the US should only resort to these types of operations when all other options have failed and the potential political fallout is acceptable.
Ultimately, operators, like Prado,as career civil servants, are not accountable to elections or to elected officials. Prado had the chance to see dynamic early in his career when he helped arm and train the Contras in their fight against Nicaragua, and even early in his life with the Bay of Pigs in Cuba. In Black Ops Prado often reflects on the sacrifices of his friends and colleagues, including of those who were killed overseas, but he never seems to see how the deaths of Americans in sensitive operations affects the public sentiment or political consequences. Prado acknowledges the crimes of some of the Contras, but defends the program overall (again, in part reflecting a bias towards his actions with the program) while blaming Democrats, then in control of Congress, for being sympathetic to Daniel Ortega. While it is fair to expect a young officer to be committed to their programs and highlight their accomplishments, Prado should have been able to look back on this time from the view of an executive and consider the hard trade offs that politicians, political officials, and bureaucrats make when arming and training an insurgency. How long should be be committed for? How much money can be lost to graft? How do we handle war crimes committed by allies?
At one point Prado is dismissive of Senator Dianne Feinstein when he is asked if and how the CIA can rescue American missionaries captured in the Philippines. Prado is disappointed that Feinstein does not seem to understand the local environment in the Philippines and that the CIA cannot simply operate in enemy territory without the authority of the White House (or, presumably, the Philippines). However, Prado does not say how he would have done the rescue operation if he did have the authorities. A few years later the US did help rescue the missionaries, working with the Philippines in a risky operation. Prado's brief interaction with Senator Feinstein highlights several of the weaknesses of Black Ops, from a failure to see a broader picture to a biased and inflated sense of his own experiences and opinions. In the end, Prado misses the true lesson of his own career and service. If the US sacrifices its values to play by the same rules as terrorists and North Korean/Russian/ and Chinese spys, we are morally no better than our adversaries. Prado, in particular, should have recognized this in his argument that the US take greater risks in confronting its adversaries.
August 5, 2023
This was a really insightful read and definitely didn't have any drab parts, everything flowed smoothly at a good pace. The stories were cool, Ric was a great narrator and considering how shadowy the CIA still is it was really exciting seeing all the parts of the book that the CIA censored. It made you feel like you were part of the mission and privvy to top secret information. My only criticism of the book was the fact that Prado really liked to emphasise how he was the orphaned Cuban kid and how far he had risen. I see why this was such a unique place for him to be in but at the same time the way he worded it just got repetitive. I think Nina might enjoy this book if she likes war books
March 19, 2024
Half this book was really good. Articulate, exciting and fast paced. The second half was filled with a bunch of [redacted], including the chapter titles. Dude, we get it. Maybe just don’t include that part or find a different way to summarize events.
April 2, 2024
I liked the book and thought Prado came across well; he seemed humbler than some reviewers thought, particularly in respect to his background and his sense of good fortune at having risen from an impoverished childhood as a refugee from communist Cuba to a career at the CIA. After all, someone whose career is this active and full of risk must have some bravado and daring to his personality to accomplish all of the missions he describes. I couldn't always wrap my head around his persona, but I feel certain that, despite the adrenaline-junkie feel of much of this book, Prado is a deep thinker who understands a lot about current affairs, history, politics, and America's place in the world. The stories he tells about 9/11 and its aftermath were among the most poignant.
Having read Doug London's The Recruiter: Spying and the Lost Art of American Intelligence a few months back, I'm certain that the two worked at the agency at the same time and had different, nuanced opinions about the CIA's mission in the world and how to accomplish its goals.
I definitely recommend the audio, narrated by Scott Brick. Brick frequently narrates adventure novels and thrillers, like those of Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler, and his style enhanced the stories Prado tells. I read along as I listened to the narration.
Having read Doug London's The Recruiter: Spying and the Lost Art of American Intelligence a few months back, I'm certain that the two worked at the agency at the same time and had different, nuanced opinions about the CIA's mission in the world and how to accomplish its goals.
I definitely recommend the audio, narrated by Scott Brick. Brick frequently narrates adventure novels and thrillers, like those of Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler, and his style enhanced the stories Prado tells. I read along as I listened to the narration.
March 26, 2022
A really entertaining look at one mans experience in the CIA. Mr Prado is a diehard patriot. He plays out like a James Bond character. The book is exciting and covers his time growing up to the end of the CIA. Full of life and pride, he gives glimpses into the clandestine lifestyle of a shadow warrior. His stated purpose is to revitalize the organization that Hollywood can't stop hating. The book does have swearing, so if that bothers you, I would avoid.
April 16, 2022
I enjoyed this book for the most part. I especially enjoyed reading about Ric's time in Peru, the Philippines and Africa (Mogadishu?). He seemed to be a down-to-earth person. However, towards the end of the book when he went to work for Erik Prince of Blackwater, it left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I thought Ric had more integrity than to work for such an objectionable character as Prince.
July 28, 2022
Great book! Full of action that is better than movies. Provides a perspective of America from an immigrant from Cuba who came here as a child and gained his citizenship and served his country both in the military and the CIA.
July 7, 2022
I read this book because a friend, whose reviews I trust, had rated it highly. I read a lot of CIA assassin/anti-terror novels - and the reason we do that is the adrenaline rush. I got that same adrenaline rush from reading this real-life narrative. Even though Ric Prada devotes the book to telling you how the Hollywood and book-fiction versions of CIA work are all wrong and trying to tell you how it really is - you still get excited and you still greatly admire the world they operate in. Ric Prada is not the greatest author, but his passion and his story is compelling. A fair amount of his narrative has been visibly redacted (blacked out) because subsequent edits have made it confidential. He refers.a lot to the fight against Bin Laden, yet he never refers to the operation which brought Bin Laden down - maybe he wasn’t involved with that one. I’m glad I read this - a factual balance to all the fictional versions I like to read. Also, it helps in just reading the daily news. I’d recommend this short book to anyone.
February 11, 2023
This is quite possibly the most boring book ever written about the CIA or covert operations. It is 60% personal anecdotes about growing up as an immigrant, how awesome the author is, how awesome the authors' friends are, and how terrible everyone else is. Basically, the author has a perfect understanding of all aspects of military operations and politics while everyone else is either hopelessly naïve or actively sabotaging this country. It's a little scary to know that people in the author's position have such a simplistic view of the world. Another 35% of the book consists in long rants about political ideologies the author doesn't like, especially communism. A small share of the remaining 5% discusses actual operations and what is discussed is so deeply biased, heavily redacted, and stylized to fit the author's ego that I think I may actually know less about the CIA and its work than I did before reading the book. In short, the book is boring, bad, and should be avoided.
March 25, 2022
Ric was from Cuba, spent his life fighting in the shadows. Awesome history of the CIA, look back to anti communist ops in S America. Offered unique perspective of how s american communism differed and still does vs China. Training, background, cool bio's on many of his colleagues.
June 6, 2024
A long review ahead—I made myself read every page.
At first, I approached this book with an open mind, assuming that the thoughts I had about how the CIA acted were stereotypical and ill informed. That I didn’t know enough to pass judgment. Like, I had once had a very negative view of the FBI, and then became very well acquainted with their anti white terrorism work.
Nope. This is every bit as awful, immoral, macho, and blinkered as I suspected.
At the very beginning, it became clear Prado has no understanding or interest in the constitution when he instigated a physical attack on people burning flags with his street gang.
He views any restrictions on methods, like banning political assassination, indefensible as on page 247. He does not have the slightest idea of what a slippery slope is, because he’s completely fallen off of it. If we don’t follow our own moral and legal codes, how are we the good guys?
Prado truly seems to believe that no tool should be off-limits to the CIA. I don’t know how to argue that we are “good” if we have no morals, no laws, no boundaries, or even basic decency.
This is a life unexamined, totally without doubt or questions, and hatred for those who might harbor doubt or even ask a good question.
Example: page 71, supplying Soviet weaponry to the Contras to fight communists. Why did the CIA provide Soviet weapons? How were they procured in the first place? What does this say about the relationship about the US and the fight against communism? Prado never thinks to ask.
As a natively hierarchical fascist, he is obsessed with people being in their rightful “places,” low places, people being “slapped” into their places.
He contradicts himself regularly, when it comes to morality. On page 92 he says the contras are painted unfairly as armed killers who commit atrocities. And yet a paragraph later, he admits explicitly that the Contras committed a few “atrocities”-his word.
Another contradiction, and the most important one throughout the book—the CIA is good because it has morals and yet is hamstrung by being made to abide by them.
Informants (agents) for example: he makes a big point that the CIA is good because they recruit informants from “strengths”— p137. Informants are people who are trying to make things better. We were “the good guys,” as opposed to our communist adversaries who engage in blackmail.
And yet on page 170, the first time we hear about the recruitment of an informant in detail, he’s being blackmailed for smoking pot. More egregiously, on 228, we get staged photo blackmail, putting someone in danger of being sent to a gulag and implied death, in order to force someone to become an informant. In fact we are never given a single example of these “strength based idealistic” agents.
He complains that the US didn’t want agents with “morally questionable” backgrounds, in defense of an agent whose crimes are so bad that even Prado won’t mention them. The agent is “a man so notorious for his violent streak that it alarmed official Washington.”
He calls all restrictions for moral decency damage and problematic. He calls those who have these morals effete.
He is jingoistic. Misogynistic. Hypocritical. Racist.
He heaps abuse on journalists, academics, politicians, historians…anyone who might think critically about his work or ask questions.
He won’t use their help to examine past errors because he can’t admit any were made. On p238, for example, he acknowledges that the Afghan mujahideen were the most avid, able, and ideologically committed Islamic terrorists. But earlier throughout the book he says the CIA supported them in the Soviet-Afghan war. He encounters no internal conflict or doubt here.
At no point does Prado acknowledge that we trained and equipped these eventual terrorists. He just completely glosses over what was clearly an enormous judgment error—made on our part for apparently ideological, not strategic reasons.
He even criticizes Bush and other CIA officers (p255) as not ideologically pure enough—a situation he previously decried as evidence of the weakness and bad nature of his political opponents.
He’s full of unwarranted bile and resentment. On pages 258-9, he insults other CIA officers as “posers” and “pencil-dicks” he wants to “de-ball.” He adds in this anecdote for literally no reason. It has no narrative value, contains no characters we have heard about and offers no useful commentary other than to indicate Prado’s general sense that he is better and tougher than everyone.
Prado becomes more full of himself as the book goes along. As though in the process of writing his memoirs, he decided, “wow, I really AM the greatest gift to the CIA.”
He has a firm political center. Not a moral one.
In the end, he is vague about a capability he developed for the CIA which is so repugnant to the leaders of the CIA and even Dick Cheney that he is forced to retire.
Eventually in the postscript, he specifically decries moral boundaries. I have to say, I am glad there are some leaders in the CIA strong enough to deny such heinous motivations.
At first, I approached this book with an open mind, assuming that the thoughts I had about how the CIA acted were stereotypical and ill informed. That I didn’t know enough to pass judgment. Like, I had once had a very negative view of the FBI, and then became very well acquainted with their anti white terrorism work.
Nope. This is every bit as awful, immoral, macho, and blinkered as I suspected.
At the very beginning, it became clear Prado has no understanding or interest in the constitution when he instigated a physical attack on people burning flags with his street gang.
He views any restrictions on methods, like banning political assassination, indefensible as on page 247. He does not have the slightest idea of what a slippery slope is, because he’s completely fallen off of it. If we don’t follow our own moral and legal codes, how are we the good guys?
Prado truly seems to believe that no tool should be off-limits to the CIA. I don’t know how to argue that we are “good” if we have no morals, no laws, no boundaries, or even basic decency.
This is a life unexamined, totally without doubt or questions, and hatred for those who might harbor doubt or even ask a good question.
Example: page 71, supplying Soviet weaponry to the Contras to fight communists. Why did the CIA provide Soviet weapons? How were they procured in the first place? What does this say about the relationship about the US and the fight against communism? Prado never thinks to ask.
As a natively hierarchical fascist, he is obsessed with people being in their rightful “places,” low places, people being “slapped” into their places.
He contradicts himself regularly, when it comes to morality. On page 92 he says the contras are painted unfairly as armed killers who commit atrocities. And yet a paragraph later, he admits explicitly that the Contras committed a few “atrocities”-his word.
Another contradiction, and the most important one throughout the book—the CIA is good because it has morals and yet is hamstrung by being made to abide by them.
Informants (agents) for example: he makes a big point that the CIA is good because they recruit informants from “strengths”— p137. Informants are people who are trying to make things better. We were “the good guys,” as opposed to our communist adversaries who engage in blackmail.
And yet on page 170, the first time we hear about the recruitment of an informant in detail, he’s being blackmailed for smoking pot. More egregiously, on 228, we get staged photo blackmail, putting someone in danger of being sent to a gulag and implied death, in order to force someone to become an informant. In fact we are never given a single example of these “strength based idealistic” agents.
He complains that the US didn’t want agents with “morally questionable” backgrounds, in defense of an agent whose crimes are so bad that even Prado won’t mention them. The agent is “a man so notorious for his violent streak that it alarmed official Washington.”
He calls all restrictions for moral decency damage and problematic. He calls those who have these morals effete.
He is jingoistic. Misogynistic. Hypocritical. Racist.
He heaps abuse on journalists, academics, politicians, historians…anyone who might think critically about his work or ask questions.
He won’t use their help to examine past errors because he can’t admit any were made. On p238, for example, he acknowledges that the Afghan mujahideen were the most avid, able, and ideologically committed Islamic terrorists. But earlier throughout the book he says the CIA supported them in the Soviet-Afghan war. He encounters no internal conflict or doubt here.
At no point does Prado acknowledge that we trained and equipped these eventual terrorists. He just completely glosses over what was clearly an enormous judgment error—made on our part for apparently ideological, not strategic reasons.
He even criticizes Bush and other CIA officers (p255) as not ideologically pure enough—a situation he previously decried as evidence of the weakness and bad nature of his political opponents.
He’s full of unwarranted bile and resentment. On pages 258-9, he insults other CIA officers as “posers” and “pencil-dicks” he wants to “de-ball.” He adds in this anecdote for literally no reason. It has no narrative value, contains no characters we have heard about and offers no useful commentary other than to indicate Prado’s general sense that he is better and tougher than everyone.
Prado becomes more full of himself as the book goes along. As though in the process of writing his memoirs, he decided, “wow, I really AM the greatest gift to the CIA.”
He has a firm political center. Not a moral one.
In the end, he is vague about a capability he developed for the CIA which is so repugnant to the leaders of the CIA and even Dick Cheney that he is forced to retire.
Eventually in the postscript, he specifically decries moral boundaries. I have to say, I am glad there are some leaders in the CIA strong enough to deny such heinous motivations.
June 5, 2022
Sworn to secrecy, devoting ones life to something larger than oneself, fierce love of country. One mans attempt to change the public perception of a misunderstood, albeit necessary, aspect of United States diplomacy and protection from those who would wish us harm; the third option.
A first person illustration outlining the mission and the people of the CIA, and its many tentacles. Explaining the difference from the Hollywood (Jason Bourne, 007, American Made) to the reality of patriotic, protective, and high quality people who make up the CIA.
How Beltway politics, careerism, and being risk adverse has not only hamstrung our intelligence efforts since the Kennedy Presidency but, put America at risk. The American cowboy in the white hat, constantly playing by the rules, riding to the rescue with one hand tied behind our back syndrome has played into the enemies hands for decades.
The need for our intelligence posture to return to the aggressive WWII OSS foundations in order to protect our country from the current threat of non-state actors wishing to do America harm is persuasively explained.
A first person illustration outlining the mission and the people of the CIA, and its many tentacles. Explaining the difference from the Hollywood (Jason Bourne, 007, American Made) to the reality of patriotic, protective, and high quality people who make up the CIA.
How Beltway politics, careerism, and being risk adverse has not only hamstrung our intelligence efforts since the Kennedy Presidency but, put America at risk. The American cowboy in the white hat, constantly playing by the rules, riding to the rescue with one hand tied behind our back syndrome has played into the enemies hands for decades.
The need for our intelligence posture to return to the aggressive WWII OSS foundations in order to protect our country from the current threat of non-state actors wishing to do America harm is persuasively explained.
July 1, 2024
This is a good and worthy book to read. Some of the pros are certainly writing style, clarity, and a strong point of view successfully articulated. However, negatively, it is also very clear the author is both an ethical and theological relativist. This is also clear in the writing. While justly taking issue with certain persons and points of view, the author fails to acknowledge that at times he does the same. Also, as is popular with political writing in general, there is a clear disregard for inconvenient history and political behavior on both sides of the aisle. I would recommend reading the book as a good antidote to fictional spy works, but would caution a reader to read more widely about the history of the US' involvement in other countries and conflicts.
May 28, 2024
Some great information. Lots of chest pounding. Limited detailed information. Lots of nonsense redacted parts. Good book, but one I won’t need to read again.
April 30, 2025
Great story of making your life count and making something of it, helping others and your country. If you stick to your dreams and work hard you get to what you want. Very well written.
October 2, 2023
What Ric shares is only the tip of what the CIA does. So many passages blacked out throughout the book because we can't know about it. To think there are countless times the CIA protects our country from disaster and we'll never know about it.
January 1, 2025
This dude needs a movie
May 10, 2022
Too much time spent talking about his childhood for a book about his life in the CIA. Not much of it seemed like black ops. A few names and locations were redacted but for the most part it seemed like just another account of time spent in the army.
May 16, 2022
In every memoir/biography, you are tasked in whether you believe what they are telling you is a time period of their life...and in this case a career in the CIA.
I have to say...I don't think he's lied about his life. I don't doubt that he is capable of lying, but that he's done SO much...that he really doesn't need to lie. Truth is stranger than fiction...and I believe his life is proof of that adage.
Now, I couldn't have done what he did, but like Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men, "you need me on that wall." and indeed, we need people of your mettle at the ramparts, defending our freedoms. We, for the most part are ignorant of what you do...and actually, that is probably for the best. Suffice it to say, Hollywood may not get it right, but they get it close enough. We really don't wan to dwell on the life of a CIA agent.
Thank you for your service. I'm glad that you were there, for I couldn't have done it, though I love this country just as much as you do.
Thank you, also, for writing this book. It was an eye opener.
I have to say...I don't think he's lied about his life. I don't doubt that he is capable of lying, but that he's done SO much...that he really doesn't need to lie. Truth is stranger than fiction...and I believe his life is proof of that adage.
Now, I couldn't have done what he did, but like Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men, "you need me on that wall." and indeed, we need people of your mettle at the ramparts, defending our freedoms. We, for the most part are ignorant of what you do...and actually, that is probably for the best. Suffice it to say, Hollywood may not get it right, but they get it close enough. We really don't wan to dwell on the life of a CIA agent.
Thank you for your service. I'm glad that you were there, for I couldn't have done it, though I love this country just as much as you do.
Thank you, also, for writing this book. It was an eye opener.
May 16, 2022
Rating: 4 stars
Black Ops is the story of Ric Prado’s legendary career that spanned two eras, the Cold War and the Age of Terrorism. Operating in the shadows, Ric and his fellow CIA officers fought a little-seen and virtually unknown war to keep the USA safe from those who would do it harm.
This is a harrowing memoir of life in the shadowy world of assassins, terrorists, spies and revolutionaries. Black Ops is a testament to the courage, creativity and dedication of the Agency’s Special Activities Group and its elite shadow warriors.
Black Ops is the story of Ric Prado’s legendary career that spanned two eras, the Cold War and the Age of Terrorism. Operating in the shadows, Ric and his fellow CIA officers fought a little-seen and virtually unknown war to keep the USA safe from those who would do it harm.
This is a harrowing memoir of life in the shadowy world of assassins, terrorists, spies and revolutionaries. Black Ops is a testament to the courage, creativity and dedication of the Agency’s Special Activities Group and its elite shadow warriors.
October 4, 2023
I’m not an american political scientist to scrutinize the politics that others indicate either lacking in this memoir or otherwise.
I enjoy fiction that has spy themes and intense action and that sort of thing.
I’m Canadian and this book intrigued me when I first picked it up.
IMHO I enjoyed the read and enjoy non fiction that tells true life stories that are intriguing. In this memoir Ric tells his life story of being a black ops agent in the CIA. I enjoy reading true life experiences that are interesting and intriguing. It’s his memoir and frankly I enjoyed the read. Others here have scrutinized this memoir indicating that it does not provide enough geopolitical background or facts of certain geographical areas or countries in which case those that criticize this memoir on those terms would be best suited to read political science books to get they dry political dose of facts and geopolitical detail to fill their thirst for that sort of thing.
This is a memoir that sheds light on a persons life and experiences…. In this case it is Ric Prado’s telling of his life and of being a shadow warrior in the CIA’s black ops. I enjoyed the read thoroughly.
Those seeking in depth political and geopolitical encyclopedia’s to scrutinize would be best suited to attend leading political science Universities to get their fill and argue and discriminate their political and geopolitical viewpoints with others to get their satisfaction for those types of details satisfied but this book is a Memoir!
It’s intention is to tell the story of a life and the experiences …. In this case, Ric’s life experiences also as a black ops agent in the CIA shedding some light on that type if life in general terms most average people can comprehend and understand making the story readable for the general population to comprehend and enjoy the glimpse into such a life.
I don’t think it was ever intentioned to be geopolitical textbook on international affairs of countries and their politics ….
It’s a MEMOIR!!!! of a person’s life and as such I believe that in this case was an entertaining and interesting enough read that makes it enjoyable for most normal people that have never has that kind of life or ever been exposed to that kind of life; to be able to comprehend, and enjoy the story being told!
So if you’re like the other fool I seen here criticizing this memoir for not being geopolitical enough …… maybe you’d be better off grabbing a 10,000 page textbook on world geopolitics to cram in your head so you can go argue your pathetic geopolitical viewpoints in some University somewhere rather then wasting your time your time criticizing your geopolitical point of view in a book review of a persons life MEMOIR !!!!!!
I enjoy fiction that has spy themes and intense action and that sort of thing.
I’m Canadian and this book intrigued me when I first picked it up.
IMHO I enjoyed the read and enjoy non fiction that tells true life stories that are intriguing. In this memoir Ric tells his life story of being a black ops agent in the CIA. I enjoy reading true life experiences that are interesting and intriguing. It’s his memoir and frankly I enjoyed the read. Others here have scrutinized this memoir indicating that it does not provide enough geopolitical background or facts of certain geographical areas or countries in which case those that criticize this memoir on those terms would be best suited to read political science books to get they dry political dose of facts and geopolitical detail to fill their thirst for that sort of thing.
This is a memoir that sheds light on a persons life and experiences…. In this case it is Ric Prado’s telling of his life and of being a shadow warrior in the CIA’s black ops. I enjoyed the read thoroughly.
Those seeking in depth political and geopolitical encyclopedia’s to scrutinize would be best suited to attend leading political science Universities to get their fill and argue and discriminate their political and geopolitical viewpoints with others to get their satisfaction for those types of details satisfied but this book is a Memoir!
It’s intention is to tell the story of a life and the experiences …. In this case, Ric’s life experiences also as a black ops agent in the CIA shedding some light on that type if life in general terms most average people can comprehend and understand making the story readable for the general population to comprehend and enjoy the glimpse into such a life.
I don’t think it was ever intentioned to be geopolitical textbook on international affairs of countries and their politics ….
It’s a MEMOIR!!!! of a person’s life and as such I believe that in this case was an entertaining and interesting enough read that makes it enjoyable for most normal people that have never has that kind of life or ever been exposed to that kind of life; to be able to comprehend, and enjoy the story being told!
So if you’re like the other fool I seen here criticizing this memoir for not being geopolitical enough …… maybe you’d be better off grabbing a 10,000 page textbook on world geopolitics to cram in your head so you can go argue your pathetic geopolitical viewpoints in some University somewhere rather then wasting your time your time criticizing your geopolitical point of view in a book review of a persons life MEMOIR !!!!!!
April 28, 2022
Unlike some of the people who left reviews here, I found this book refreshing and interesting to read. Those who expected...or will expect...to read secrets will, of course be disappointed. All former CIA officers must submit their works to the CIA censors first, to ensure no current human assets are endangered or their covers blown by information that can lead to their identities. Did none of these people see the black redacted portions in the book? What did they think that was, decoration? This book is recommended as a good, quick read into what our people are doing to fight the war on terror,
September 28, 2022
This book felt like it was written by Jack Bauer from the tv series “24.” Only Ric Prado didn’t work for CTC until after: fleeing the Cuban communistas as a child, made poor choices in his youth, join PJs (Air Force Pararescue), and then sent covertly as the only fluent Spanish speaking U.S. operator to train the Contras rebels in Nicaragua during the 80’s. Tracking and hunting terrorist afterward became what he labels “a calling” to all those who serve behind the scenes trying to protect everyday Americans from an ever present danger. Prado knew of Bin Laden and their CTC group was tracking him. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until Sept. 9th, 2001 that he began to understand the sophisticated measures Bin Laden was capable of as a small envoy of spies posing as Belgian press went to interview a northern Afghan alliance leader and assassinated him with a bomb inside a video camera. The ability to set that up without the Americans getting wind of it before the assassination scared him badly and he wondered what else might be coming. As I read this—knowing the attacks on 9/11/2001 was only two days away—made my stomach clench. He was in CIA headquarters helplessly watching the events of 9/11 unfold at the same time I did in my apartment in Provo, UT. He made it sound like his team at the CIA felt the heavy weight in the destruction’s wake; he stayed at the office working and wasn’t able to sleep for several days. This is the 2nd such narrative I’ve read from CIA personnel on the events of 9/11. They both felt personally responsible to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
Side note: I hate the F-bomb used as a means to prove how thoroughly tough a body thinks themself. I know it’s a word used by many and all over the world. I will never change my mind about its usage as a demonstration for one’s lack of imaginary vocabulary. It doesn’t make me believe you are tough. I only think, “Why the foul language?!” Just stop.
Much of this story was interesting to me, especially hearing about culture clashes between those who do—like operators—versus the posturing politicians. His meeting with Diane Feinstein was enlightening. I assume every narrative has some bias. Still, I think I would rather have Prado on my team every day of the week over Ms. Feinstein. I am grateful to men and women who chose this calling to protect and defend the freedoms most Americans take for granted.
Side note: I hate the F-bomb used as a means to prove how thoroughly tough a body thinks themself. I know it’s a word used by many and all over the world. I will never change my mind about its usage as a demonstration for one’s lack of imaginary vocabulary. It doesn’t make me believe you are tough. I only think, “Why the foul language?!” Just stop.
Much of this story was interesting to me, especially hearing about culture clashes between those who do—like operators—versus the posturing politicians. His meeting with Diane Feinstein was enlightening. I assume every narrative has some bias. Still, I think I would rather have Prado on my team every day of the week over Ms. Feinstein. I am grateful to men and women who chose this calling to protect and defend the freedoms most Americans take for granted.
April 24, 2022
This was a fantastic read. As a shadow warrior, Mr. Ric Prado manifests that the CIA is nothing like it's portrayed in movies. His memoir is a candid and forthcoming view of his 24-year stint with the agency. The covert operations carried out by him and his team were of crucial importance in the fight against terrorism in all its forms. His book is a testament to the courage and dedication possessed by the shadow warriors of the CIA who are capable of infiltrating the shadowy world of criminals, terrorists, spies and revolutionaries in a never ending battle to keep the United States and its citizens safe from the forces of evil.
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