W.O.E. CIA Reading List Part 2 - CIA & Traditional Espionage

Top Picks From A CIA Case Officer’s Bookshelf

One of the most common requests we receive is for a reading list on intelligence, special operations, and national security. While this is somewhat outside our scope of Watches of Espionage, we are encouraged by this question because it demonstrates a desire to learn more about impactful topics within our community. With that in mind, I took a hard look at my library and queried other friends about their favorite books on the CIA and the world of intelligence to create an incomplete but workable list.

There are a lot of great books out there on these subjects. This is the second list focused on CIA, traditional espionage, and foreign intelligence collection. For the first installment looking at books covering the Global War On Terror, see HERE.

While the purpose of this platform isn’t to inspire the next generation of public servants, we are quickly learning this is a byproduct of W.O.E., which is great. So whether you are a student interested in a career at CIA or a washed-up dad wanting to relive the glory days, here are some great books to keep you entertained, informed, and educated.

*We have added affiliate Amazon links for each book if you want to purchase directly from Amazon and support the site. If not, that's cool too.

Modern Intelligence Collection In Books

The Art of Intelligence: Lessons from a Life in the CIA's Clandestine Service, Henry A. Crumpton

From serving in the pre-digital age in Africa to helping coordinate the CIA’s Predator drone programs, Henry A. Crumpton’s career in intelligence is carefully chronicled in The Art of Intelligence: Lessons from a Life in the CIA's Clandestine Service. While much has changed, Crumpton also underlines the basic tradecraft principles that have stood the test of time.

This is a great primer on the world of intelligence and life as a C/O at the CIA, absent much of the bravado common in CIA memoirs.

The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames, Kai Bird

A legend in the intelligence community, Robert Ames was credited with helping to heal the rift between Arabs and the West before he was killed in a bombing on the American embassy in Beirut in 1983. Intriguingly, Bird is a journalist who knew Ames as a child, and crafted this book from his firsthand experience with Ames as well as countless interviews with global intelligence professionals.

Class 11: My Story Inside the CIA's First Post-9/11 Spy Class, T.J. Waters

After the attacks on 9/11, the CIA received over 150,000 applications from Americans wanting to join the Global War On Terror’s espionage effort. Around 100 students were selected for Class 11, the first CIA training course convened after the darkest day in modern American history. In Class 11: My Story Inside the CIA's First Post-9/11 Spy Class, T.J. Waters, a Class 11 graduate, shares an insider view of a new generation of CIA Case Officers preparing for war.

Of note, some inside CIA will roll their eyes at this recommendation, but it is the best insight I have seen on the training pipeline and specifically the long course at “The Farm.”

Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs, from Communism to Al-Qaeda, Robert Wallace, H. Keith Melton, & Henry R. Schlesinger

Juxtaposed against the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and evolving terrorist threats, Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs, from Communism to Al-Qaeda is a never-before-seen look at the technology that makes espionage possible.

Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying, James Olson

Intelligence collection is a morally ambiguous trade. In Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying, James Olson, a CIA veteran, tackles the challenging moral and ethical challenges facing the modern intelligence community. Describing a lack of firm guidance from the Agency on what constitutes inappropriate tradecraft, Olson illustrates how that uncertainty hampers Case Officers in the field, making an already complicated and dangerous job even more perilous. I read this book while at CIA and found it thought-provoking and a must-read for anyone in the community.

Black Ops: The Life of a CIA Shadow Warrior, Ric Prado

After fleeing war-torn Cuba as a child, Ric Prado served with US Air Force Pararescue before joining CIA and rising through the ranks of the CIA over a 24-year career. Having served in Central Asia, Peru, the Philippines, Korea, and numerous other classified locations, Black Ops: The Life of a CIA Shadow Warrior is Prado’s memoir of a life lived in the shadows. Prado also has several notable watches including the Blackwater Emergency and a Tudor Submariner.

The Targeter, Nada Bakos

Targeters are one of the most important and least understood career tracks at CIA, and this book provides some great insight. Joining the Agency as an analyst, Nada Bakos rose to the rank of Targeting Officer, playing a central role in unraveling the connections between 9/11 and Al Qaeda during the Global War On Terror. The Targeter is a powerful firsthand account of one woman’s story of selfless sacrifice and the incredible work being done by professionals within the intelligence community.

The Book of Secrets - The History of the President’s Daily Brief, David Priess

Every day, the President of the United States is handed a daily brief (PDB) summarizing important intelligence-related issues and events as well as potential threats to the United States. David Priess’s volume, The Book of Secrets - The History of the President’s Daily Brief, tells the history of what some call “The Book” and its influence on national security and geopolitics.

Playing to the Edge: American Intelligence in the Age of Terror, Michael V. Hayden

In Playing to the Edge: American Intelligence in the Age of Terror, General Michael V. Hayden shares his experiences as the former leader of both the NSA and CIA, saying, “I bear no grudges, or at least not many, but I do want this to be a straightforward and readable history for that slice of the American population who depend on and appreciate intelligence, but who do not have the time to master its many obscure characteristics."  

This is a great primer on the intelligence community at various levels and deals with some of the issues related to the future of the IC.

The Book of Honor: The Secret Lives and Deaths of CIA Operatives, Ted Gup

Ted Gup’s chilling and well-researched The Book of Honor: The Secret Lives and Deaths of CIA Operatives tackles the often untold stories of the people behind the 71 stars carved into a marble wall at CIA HQS, each representing an intelligence professional who lost their life in the line of duty.

Many of these stories may be still classified, but I will note it was required reading for new recruits at CIA.

Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw, Mark Bowden

Mark Bowden, a legendary journalist and the author of Black Hawk Down, chronicles the violent rise to power and fall of Pablo Escobar, the world’s most legendary drug kingpin, in Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw.

Beirut Rules: The Murder of a CIA Station Chief and Hezbollah's War Against America, Fred Burton & Samuel Katz

In Beirut Rules, Fred Burton & Samuel Katz unpack Hezbollah’s war against America in the 1980s and the terror organization’s ultimately successful quest to kill William Buckley, a CIA Case Officer assigned to Beirut after the 1983 bombing of the American embassy in Lebanon that killed Robert Ames.

The Recruiter: Spying and the Lost Art of American Intelligence, Douglas London

In Douglas London’s The Recruiter: Spying and the Lost Art of American Intelligence, the 34-year veteran of the CIA describes his experience working in American intelligence both before and after 9/11, calling into question how the Agency has adapted and how it must continue to evolve.

A Spy for All Seasons: My Life in the CIA, Duane R. Clarridge (Author) & Digby Diehl

Another memoir from a seasoned CIA Case Officer, Duane R. Clarridge’s A Spy for All Seasons: My Life in the CIA is a behind-the-scenes account of the state of American intelligence from the point of view of the former Deputy Director of the CIA.

The Human Factor: Inside the CIA's Dysfunctional Intelligence Culture, Ishmael Jones

The Human Factor: Inside the CIA's Dysfunctional Intelligence Culture is author Ishmael Jones’ plea for reform within the Agency, specifically citing intelligence shortfalls and other missteps caused by the culture of the world of intelligence.

This book is highly critical of CIA, which is actually a good thing. If you are truly interested in learning about the organization, it's important to read positive and negative takes to get a full picture.

Tiger Trap: America's Secret Spy War with China, David Wise

Tiger Trap: America's Secret Spy War with China tells the story of China’s unseen espionage war against the United States, much of it perpetrated while American attention was focused on the Soviet Union. From double agents to cybersecurity, author David Wise paints a picture of a Chinese intelligence machine that is not to be underestimated. David Wise has some other great books on espionage including Spy- The Inside Story of How the FBI's Robert Hanssen Betrayed America.

The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA, Liza Mundy

Historically a male-dominated field, The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA tells the story of the incredible contributions made by women to the world of intelligence and national security.

Of note, some of the best officers I worked with were women and this book tells some of their stories.

Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History, Antonio Mendez & Matt Baglio

A more in-depth look at the real-life story that inspired 2012’s Argo film starring Ben Affleck, Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History is CIA Technical Officer Tony Mendez’s account of his role in smuggling six American hostages out of Tehran in 1979.

Good Hunting: An American Spymaster's Story, Jack Devine & Vernon Loeb

With over 30 years in the business of United States intelligence, Jack Devine finished his career overseeing the Directorate of Operations. Good Hunting: An American Spymaster's Story, is Devine’s overarching guide to the concept of spycraft, the combined set of tactics, techniques, and procedures utilized by CIA and other intelligence agencies.

Inside the CIA, Ronald Kessler

Ronald Kessler’s Inside the CIA is a rare officially sanctioned look inside America’s intelligence service, focusing on the Agency’s organization, mission, and accomplishments. If you’re looking for a primer on what the CIA is and how it operates, this book is an excellent place to start.

Transforming U.S. Intelligence, Jennifer E Sims & Burton Gerber (Editors)

Transforming U.S. Intelligence is an almost scholarly work assembling the insights of numerous contributors with firsthand experience in the world of intelligence. Based on learnings from the missing weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and critical missteps in the lead-up to 9/11, this book aims to describe how United States intelligence can learn from its shortfalls to be more effective in an uncertain future.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling

Early in my career at CIA, I focused solely on nonfiction thinking that fiction was a waste of time. That said, many intelligence and NatSec failures boil down to a failure of imagination. Feeding your brain with fiction like Harry Potter is a great way to teach yourself to think outside the box.  

The More You Know

Separating fact from fiction when it comes to the CIA is challenging, with so much public perception around the world of espionage being inspired by Hollywood’s portrayals of Jason Bourne or James Bond. Targeted strikes, covert action, and high-stakes clandestine meetings do happen, and many are described within these volumes, but the realities facing intelligence professionals are often more subtle, nuanced, and intriguing.

While this is not an exhaustive list, these titles represent an excellent jumping-off point for anyone hoping to hear firsthand stories from inside the United States intelligence apparatus. As they say, the more you know…

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Read Next: W.O.E. CIA Reading List Part 1 - The Global War On Terror