Odyssey of an Eavesdropper: My Life in Electronic Countermeasures and My Battle Against the FBI

by Martin Kaiser III

Book Overview

Martin Kaiser is a legend within the nation's covert electronic surveillance fraternity. Kaiser built devices that could bring down a head of state or provide blackmail for a government agency to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786715464
• ISBN13: 9780786715466
• Release Date: December 2005
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf Publishers
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Mr Kaiser walks it like he talks it, and he doesn't write any stuff

Mr. Kaiser walks it like he talks it, and he doesn't write any stuff that he can't back up in this book. I've read this book over six times and each time I get more out of. Mr. Kaiser gives us a glimpse of the operations of the "beltway bandits". Small electronic manufacturers that exist almost solely to and are vital to fulfill our government's special needs. Also you get a view of the import export dance. The who gets what this week. If you google some of the names you meet in this book you'll see some nasty characters, some famous and infamous. This book is way better than a spy fiction book because it is real. An interesting portion of this tome deals with Mr. Kaiser's battle with the government and privacy. The cold war, spook stuff is more interesting, but it's all good. There's stuff in here you won't find written about anywhere else. The people who gave this book a bad review didn't read it and or had a bone to pick with Mr. Kaiser. Succinctly put, this book rocks!

EXCELLENT BOOK A MUST FOR ALL TSCM TECHNICIANS!

Wow, this Book is awesome and highly recommended to all TSCM. As a private detective and certified TSCM I found this book very informative, educational and profoundly interesting. Well written and documented with all the methodologies of the cover-ops of the Agencies. The book is also detailed with awesome technical knowledge of Eavesdroppers and Countermeasure applications. The present state of affairs in obtaining business intelligence has become a routine by companies in order to intercept competitors data and this book discloses all the clandestine methods and applications!

Excellent Reading,Inspiration for true techies!

Excellent reading,Marty has always produced a quality product electronically,and now in print.Reading the story of an icon in the electronic surveillance and electronic countermeasures community was informative and enjoyable.Sometimes we hear little of those working behind the scenes that make a positive difference in todays society. Two thumbs up!

The American Revolution continues . . .

This is a classic American David and Goliath tale of the little guy who dares to confront the FBI and not only survive (at great cost) to tell his story, but also be vindicated by the truth. Marty Kaiser was--and still is--a legend in the nation's electronic "black ops" community. Once regarded as the "Michaelangelo of Electronic Surveillance," he was the genius "go-to" guy for U.S. Intelligence services in the late l960s and 1970s. He was the electronics surveillance master who designed and created exotic transmitters the size of a fingernail that the FBI used to bug terrorists, politicians, innocent citizens and, among other things, gather dirt on a well-known civil rights leader and other political/social "heretics." Then Kaiser made a huge mistake--he told the truth before a Congressional committee investigating his main employer, the FBI. The result was a scandal that rocked the Bureau and led to the dismissal or forced retirement of several high ranking FBI officials. The Bureau retaliated by blackballing Kaiser from the Intel community and nearly driving his private company into bankruptcy. Two years later they indicted him on charges of bugging two FBI agents, but he was acquitted. The two agents, with plenty of backing, then filed a civil suit that nearly ruined Kaiser with crushing legal fees and the torment of constant harassment. Kaiser's story doesn't stop there. He also recounts illegal eavesdropping on American citizens by the NSA, FBI and CIA that's been going on for decades--all before the Patriot Act. If you care about the high-handed violations of legitimate civil rights in America by those who think they are above our laws, this is a must read. To his credit, Kaiser doesn't demean all the unsung people in the intelligence services who are working hard and doing a good job. He's talking about those hiding in the higher echelons of power making black policy and intimidating anyone who wants to bring them into the light. His story is one of courage and hope, but it's also a sad reminder that the heroic days of the "Untouchables" have been replaced by the dark days of the "Unaccountables."

A True Trailblazer in the Surveillance Business Comes In From the Cold

During the Summer of 1966 an electronics genius accidently stumbled into the intelligence business and virtually over night became a legend within the halls of the FBI, CIA, and intelligence agencies all over the globe. This book is the memoirs of Martin L. Kaiser, known also simply as "Marty". His little black boxes has brought down entire governments or administrations, and even almost 40 years in the business his products are as revered and sought after as Holy Relics. For the first time ever an insider who supplied classifed bugs for decades comes in from the cold, and exposes the soft underbelly of corruption within the CIA, NSA, and FBI. Hollywood has even produced two movies about this quiet genius without actually mentioning him by name. But now the governments secrets are out of the bag, and this book lays them bare. The book is filed from cover to cover with explicit details of how the intelligence agencies operate, how they buy their toys, how their little games are played, and what happens to people to expose corruption. The author also discusses his consulting work for everal movies including "The Conversation" and "Enemy of the State", both of which are based on his life. We also get to share both his joy, and his pain in this book.