Craft of Intelligence: America's Legendary Spy Master on the Fundamentals of Intelligence Gathering for a Free World

by Allen W. Dulles

Book Overview

If the experts could point to any single book as a starting point for understanding the subject of intelligence from the late twentieth century to today, that single book would be Allen W. Dulles's... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1592282970
• ISBN13: 9781592282975
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Lyons Press
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

It's Dulles in his own words

It's an interesting historical document, just because of the place in history that Mr. Dulles had. The style of the book is more that of interesting dinner conversation, almost as if Dulles were a guest in your home for an evening with mixed company; nothing important or real is to be found in the pages of The Craft of Intelligence, it's all pleasant conversation; it kind of makes you cringe when reading Dulles' smooth and pleasant account, if you have read in other books, the kind of bloodshed and horror that really happened.

Better than spy fiction

Allen Dulles said that "(i)n our time, the United States is being challenged by a hostile group of nations that profess a philosophy of life and government inimical to our own" and "(t)oday's intelligence service also finds itself in the situation of having to maintain constant watch in every part of the world, no matter what may at the moment be occupying the main attention of diplomats and military men." Given that this was written over forty years ago, in a radically different geopolitical climate, it is impressive that his observations are still valid and relevant, though not in the fashion that concerned him at the time of his writting. If someone reads this book broadly, without getting caught up in the constant references to the grand failure of the twentieth century, communism, there is great current relevance here. Any citizen in a democracy has a duty to understand issues before voting. The actions and managment of the intelligence apparatus of the nation should be an essential issue in any voters' understanding of international affairs. "The Craft of Intelligence" will give the reader and voter a necessary understanding of the responsibilities and duties of the intellegence system. It discusses intelligence requirements, collection, and analysis, as well as defense against foreign spies, and deception. But all that 'social conscious' and 'civic duty' stuff is the not the reason to read this book. This is a bunch of awesome, historical spy stories! From a guy who has been there, done that from World War I through the height of the Cold War, you'll here the real life stories that inspired Tom Clancy, and Ian Fleming. And it's better than the made up stuff, as these events shaped the world we live in today. I would be interested in hearing more from contemporary conspiracy theorists about this book. It seems ripe with items that could be interpreted as confirmation or denial (thereby 'truly' confirming the denied point...) of a wide range of incidents and topics. I wear my aluminum foil hat in eager anticipation of the ever amusing ramblings of the folks who know the 'truth' that has been withheld from those of us from the ignorant masses with our heads in the sand. Great book, both as entertainment and for the responsible citizen (and as fodder for those uneffected by the mind control lasers from area 51). E. M. Van Court

How information is gathered, processed, and used in the formation of national policy

If you seek a single source reference to the history of modern espionage, it should be THE CRAFT OF INTELLIGENCE: AMERICA'S LEGENDARY SPY MASTER ON THE FUNDAMENTALS OF INTELLIGENCE GATHERING FOR A FREE WORLD. Details on how intelligence is collected and processed, and how it contributes to the formation of national policy, makes for a thorough and fine review of the craft and policies of military intelligence efforts, surveying how information is gathered, processed, and used in the formation of national policy. While others could've presented the facts, it's his insider position peppered with personal anecdotes from his intelligence career - he was a high-ranking officer of the CIA's predecessor and served eight years when the CIA was created - which makes CRAFT OF INTELLIGENCE unique. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

Core reading requirement for students of intelligence

As I began researching the modern intelligence community, several books (e.g. "The Night Watch" by David Atlee Philips) pointed back to "The Craft of Intelligence" as a fundamental starting point. Because this book deals with the basic intelligence methods and objectives, it maintains its relevance well into the present. In some sections Dulles also addresses the ethical implications of deceptive or clandestine intelligence collection, providing valuable thought or discussion material for individuals scrutinizing this unique, and arguably disdainful, function of government. Dulles' writing style is thoughtful, refined, yet straightforward, revealing some of those traits which earned him the moniker "The Gentleman Spy".

One of two required readings on intelligence for anyone

This is the other required reading. This gem sits on my desk with my dictionary of difficult words and my synonym dictionary. We still do not have an equal to this book. Since Dulles testified to Congress that 80% of the raw material for finished intelligence came from public sources including diplomatic reporting, this book provides an interesting benchmark for understanding the rather pathological impact of technical collection on the larger process of all-source collection and analysis. Strategic intelligence for American world policy Strategic Intelligence & Statecraft: Selected Essays (Brassey's Intelligence and National Security Library) The New Craft of Intelligence: Personal, Public, & Political--Citizen's Action Handbook for Fighting Terrorism, Genocide, Disease, Toxic Bombs, & Corruption