Description
What's your secret? American Spies presents the stunning histories of more than forty Americans who spied against their country during the past six decades. Michael Sulick, former head of the CIA's clandestine service, illustrates through these stories -- some familiar, others much less well known -- the common threads in the spy cases and the evolution of American attitudes toward espionage since the onset of the Cold War. After highlighting the accounts of many who have spied for traditional adversaries such as Russian and Chinese intelligence services, Sulick shows how spy hunters today confront a far broader spectrum of threats not only from hostile states but also substate groups, including those conducting cyberespionage. Sulick reveals six fundamental elements of espionage in these stories: the motivations that drove them to spy; their access and the secrets they betrayed; their tradecraft, i.e., the techniques of concealing their espionage; their exposure; their punishment; and, finally, the damage they inflicted on America's national security. The book is the sequel to Sulick's popular Spying in America: Espionage from the Revolutionary War to the Dawn of the Cold War. Together they serve as a basic introduction to understanding America's vulnerability to espionage, which has oscillated between peacetime complacency and wartime vigilance, and continues to be shaped by the inherent conflict between our nation's security needs and our commitment to the preservation of civil liberties.
As director of CIA, I found my regular counterintelligence briefings to be depressing affairs: how could seemingly loyal, normal Americans stoop to (at best) ill-advised and (too frequently) disloyal and illegal behavior. If only I had had the chance to read Mike Sulick's American Spies, I might have known and better understood. Sulick's readable style and obvious espionage expertise translate into an expert's view of what has motivated betrayal by Americans in the modern era. His narrative reads like a fictional page-turner but with a practitioner's understanding of a real world where betrayal has become far too common. This is a must-read if one hopes to understand what it will take to keep America's secrets secret. -- Michael Hayden, General USAF (Retired), former director of CIA, former director of NSA This and Sulick's first volume describe some of the most damaging spies in our history with gripping accounts of their motives, espionage, and the temper of the times. The detailed, often compelling accounts fascinate. But more importantly, they sound a loud warning buzzer to once again challenge our near chronic disbelief-even today-about the extent of spying directed against America and the perennial readiness of some to betray it. -- Peter Earnest, executive director, International Spy Museum In this, his second volume of Spying in America, retired intelligence officer and historian Michael Sulick presents vividly to readers how America, as a primary intelligence target of foreign countries and groups, protects against these attacks within the competing democratic challenges of national security and civil liberties. Sulick's extensive research gives a professional's up-to-date analysis of Russian, Chinese, and Cuban successes, and introduces us to the newer threats from terrorist organizations and cyber espionage. -- Burton Gerber, retired CIA senior operations officer Drawing on a long career in the CIA's clandestine service, Michael Sulick's survey of espionage in America during and after the Cold War presents balanced analytical comparative case summaries that emphasize the most significant operations that challenged American intelligence agencies. Fascinating stories, well written, and a much needed contribution to the literature. For a basic understanding of America's contemporary espionage history-read this book! -- Hayden Peake, intelligence bibliographer, Curator of CIA Historical Intelligence Collection
About the Author
Michael J. Sulick is a retired intelligence operations officer who was director of the CIA's National Clandestine Service (2007-10), chief of CIA counterintelligence (2002-4), and chief of the Central Eurasia Division (1999-2002), among other assignments during his twenty-eight-year career. He holds a PhD in comparative literature from the City University of New York. He is the author of Spying in America: Espionage from the Revolutionary War to the Dawn of the Cold War.
Reviews
As a bibliophile who devours several lineal feet of books on espionage and intelligence each month, both for review and for pleasure, I find it delightful to encounter a volume written by a professional who has walked the ground about which he writes ... Albeit scholarly, it brims with details of spying that make for enjoyable reading. The Intelligencer: Journal of US Intelligence Studies The book is very readable; it is a history of espionage played out on American shores. The stories are long enough to be detailed but short enough to hold attention. While reading I kept hoping someone would find out about them and stop the leakage of secrets but usually they were able to spy for years undetected. I very much recommend this book as a caution to our current times. San Francisco Book Review In addition to being an interesting, well-researched, and well-written book, 'American Spies' is a thought-provoking ... analysis of the security and counterintelligence problems the United States faces today and in the future. It should be read by anyone who has a professional or personal interest in these areas. Proceedings Sulick blends the historical record with his own intelligence expertise to create a nonfiction espionage thriller on par with the best of Ian Fleming and John Le Carre. Choice Makes real-life spy history come alive, and is highly recommended especially for public and college library American History shelves. Midwest Book Review I find it delightful to encounter a volume written by a professional who has walked the ground about which he writes. A must-read. The Washington Times
Book Information
ISBN 9781626160088
Author Michael J. Sulick
Format Hardback
Page Count 392
Imprint Georgetown University Press
Publisher Georgetown University Press
Weight(grams) 771g
As director of CIA, I found my regular counterintelligence briefings to be depressing affairs: how could seemingly loyal, normal Americans stoop to (at best) ill-advised and (too frequently) disloyal and illegal behavior. If only I had had the chance to read Mike Sulick's American Spies, I might have known and better understood. Sulick's readable style and obvious espionage expertise translate into an expert's view of what has motivated betrayal by Americans in the modern era. His narrative reads like a fictional page-turner but with a practitioner's understanding of a real world where betrayal has become far too common. This is a must-read if one hopes to understand what it will take to keep America's secrets secret. -- Michael Hayden, General USAF (Retired), former director of CIA, former director of NSA This and Sulick's first volume describe some of the most damaging spies in our history with gripping accounts of their motives, espionage, and the temper of the times. The detailed, often compelling accounts fascinate. But more importantly, they sound a loud warning buzzer to once again challenge our near chronic disbelief-even today-about the extent of spying directed against America and the perennial readiness of some to betray it. -- Peter Earnest, executive director, International Spy Museum In this, his second volume of Spying in America, retired intelligence officer and historian Michael Sulick presents vividly to readers how America, as a primary intelligence target of foreign countries and groups, protects against these attacks within the competing democratic challenges of national security and civil liberties. Sulick's extensive research gives a professional's up-to-date analysis of Russian, Chinese, and Cuban successes, and introduces us to the newer threats from terrorist organizations and cyber espionage. -- Burton Gerber, retired CIA senior operations officer Drawing on a long career in the CIA's clandestine service, Michael Sulick's survey of espionage in America during and after the Cold War presents balanced analytical comparative case summaries that emphasize the most significant operations that challenged American intelligence agencies. Fascinating stories, well written, and a much needed contribution to the literature. For a basic understanding of America's contemporary espionage history-read this book! -- Hayden Peake, intelligence bibliographer, Curator of CIA Historical Intelligence Collection
About the Author
Michael J. Sulick is a retired intelligence operations officer who was director of the CIA's National Clandestine Service (2007-10), chief of CIA counterintelligence (2002-4), and chief of the Central Eurasia Division (1999-2002), among other assignments during his twenty-eight-year career. He holds a PhD in comparative literature from the City University of New York. He is the author of Spying in America: Espionage from the Revolutionary War to the Dawn of the Cold War.
Reviews
As a bibliophile who devours several lineal feet of books on espionage and intelligence each month, both for review and for pleasure, I find it delightful to encounter a volume written by a professional who has walked the ground about which he writes ... Albeit scholarly, it brims with details of spying that make for enjoyable reading. The Intelligencer: Journal of US Intelligence Studies The book is very readable; it is a history of espionage played out on American shores. The stories are long enough to be detailed but short enough to hold attention. While reading I kept hoping someone would find out about them and stop the leakage of secrets but usually they were able to spy for years undetected. I very much recommend this book as a caution to our current times. San Francisco Book Review In addition to being an interesting, well-researched, and well-written book, 'American Spies' is a thought-provoking ... analysis of the security and counterintelligence problems the United States faces today and in the future. It should be read by anyone who has a professional or personal interest in these areas. Proceedings Sulick blends the historical record with his own intelligence expertise to create a nonfiction espionage thriller on par with the best of Ian Fleming and John Le Carre. Choice Makes real-life spy history come alive, and is highly recommended especially for public and college library American History shelves. Midwest Book Review I find it delightful to encounter a volume written by a professional who has walked the ground about which he writes. A must-read. The Washington Times
Book Information
ISBN 9781626160088
Author Michael J. Sulick
Format Hardback
Page Count 392
Imprint Georgetown University Press
Publisher Georgetown University Press
Weight(grams) 771g
