Allen W. Dulles (1893–1969)

A very interesting read by the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and long-time intelligence operative. There's a solid (if brief) chapter on the history of espionage, and most of the rest of the book walks a reader through some of the basics of how an intelligence agency works, in some cases using the author's own experiences. Obviously, you have to account for the fact that Dulles is pulling some of his punches, and is projecting his own agenda and point of view show more (unsurprisingly). Thus, the book has an unmistakable slant, and probably should not be swallowed whole. But as a basic overview of intelligence techniques, it still holds up. Recommended. show less

Quite dated but a fascinating look into the world of Cold War era espionage from a legend of the CIA.

A well written account of German soldiers against Hitler.

A good historical overview of the CIA. Could be used as a good primer for intelligence gathering with specific descriptions and examples of various types of intel gathering - espionage, surveillance, etc. Not as updated for the 2000's though as expected. Relies heavily on Soviet-era examples.