This is an a unique perspective, pretty incisive and important account by an authentic intelligence professional -„practitioner and teacher of intelligence” - about the evolution of CI aspects in a changing world and in a time when America faced and still faces some grave and uncertain risks.
The book has a startling relevancy to the news of the day and Mr. Olson has genuinely walked the ground about which he writes.
Based on his experience, both abroad and at Langley, the author accurately portrays just how far advanced the US intelligence community were in this effort, making useful recommendations, showing the mistakes or errors, while illustrating the growing importance of US CI officers and their missions.
I believe that Mr. Olson’s engrossing volume blends the historical records with his own intelligence expertise (deputy chief and, subsequently, chief of CIC), “a modest effort”, as he recognized, to create a tome centered on the most relevant aspects of CI operations both from theoretical and practical points of view.
After a brief Introduction, the book opens, in the first three chapters, with an overview of the most dangerous and aggressive trio which undermines US national security: Chinese, Russian and Cuban intelligence services (in this author’s order).
I did like the presentation of China’s services, their past and current activities and priorities. Author parallels his past “1985 losses” in SE Division with the recent disaster caused by the Jerry Chun Lee, arrested in February 2018 after selling between 2010-2012 the remarkable stable of CIA agents in China (18-20 persons).
Concerning Russia, I have two observations. First, I found strange some statements as on page 18, that: “… Rick Ames was ultimately a stupid spy.” or on page 43, “…flawed and mediocre performers like Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen…”
Yes, Ames and Hanssen made mistakes, but overall, their mistakes were far, far less impressive than those made by a US “weak counterintelligence”, which missed numerous clues of their dual behavior, to say the least. There’s no doubt that without the help of two defectors, US CI couldn’t catch either Ames or Hanssen together with their mistakes!
Also, the arrest of Jim Nicholson was NOT ONLY “the result of superior CI work by the CIA and FBI” (page 19), but also due to the clues provided by the former KGB officer Alex. Zaporozhsky, as B. Denson wrote in his well-known book “The Spy’s Son…” (The Fourth Commandment: Know Your History!).
Chapter IV (31 pages) describes Mr. Olson’s list of “The Ten Commandments of Counterintelligence”, based on his extensive experience in CI. As most books showed, unfortunately, almost all Ten Commandments listed by Mr. Olson were not observed by US CI in the most damaging cases in US history.
On page 42, concerning the still unbelievable massive arrests in 1985-1986 in Russia, without any concern about source protection, I wondered if the Russians could have more than one mole in US intelligence community. In this case, they accepted a calculated risk, knowing that the arrests will definitely endanger the sources, but realizing that out of two CIA moles one will still survive the onslaught of the inevitable CI investigations and the much bigger threat possessed by the US spies in their midst was eliminated.
As I noted, throughout the book, the author is not addressing rumors of an undiscovered KGB spy - another Ames or Hanssen - in the US intel community, the so-called " fourth mole", an interesting episode confirmed by both M. Bearden (as one involved in the investigations) and V. Cherkashin (who, as KR line chief, should have direct knowledge of this spy).
Chapters V-VII are dedicated to specific aspects of CI operations such as selection of personnel in sensitive posts or supervision of this personnel, double-agent operations and their objectives.
The last chapter VIII (re)analyses 12 spy cases (Lonetree, Montes, Pollard, etc).
Mr. Olson excels at conveying both the tradecraft and the human vulnerabilities involved in each spy case. A useful „lessons learned” ends each case.
A two-page Conclusion and an Appendix (“The Counterintelligence Officer’s Bookshelf”) closes the book. His nice ending of the main text: „Spy catching is love of country personified.” remembered me the American poetess Katharine Lee Bates" and her „America the Beautiful".
Regarding the Appendix, I dare to add to the list David Wise’s „Nightmover” or David E. Hoffman’s „The Billion Dollar Spy” and maybe Ronald Kessler’s “The Secrets of FBI”. Surprisingly, a very interesting book that I really love - “Circle of treason” - written by two former colleagues in SE Division (Sandy Grimes and Jeanne Vertefeuille) is missing from the list and also from the notes section or the main text (The Second Commandment: Honor your professionals!). Also missing is Michael Sulick’s “American Spies: Espionage against the United States from the Cold War to the Present”, somehow similar with this book in exploring some spy cases.
Finally, there is a useful notes section and bibliography to indicate the sources of various statements, so the readers can verify their accuracy, consider the context, or follow them further. There is also a comprehensive index.
A drawback in this study, I consider, is the lack of any illustrations; with so many persons mentioned I found this aspect a little bit strange which makes the reading sometimes dull.
A compelling Cold War and beyond volume that illuminates the essence of CI operations, this fresh tome is an essential reading for any reader and intelligence professionals interested in the realities behind Cold War espionage and beyond. Recommended!
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Similar items that may deliver to you quickly
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Reviews with images
Good collection of many true spy cases
This is a methodical text book review of important espionage cases. The author uses his unique vantage point to describe what went right and more importantly, what went wrong in the cases he describes. If I were teaching a class similar to his course, I would assign this book. His bibliography in the appendix is good. I read most of those books as they came on the market.
Top reviews from other countries
Georg Erwin Thaller
Wie man Spione enttarnt und überführt
Reviewed in Germany on July 10, 2021Amazon Customer
A must-have for all readers interested in Counterintelligence
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 26, 2019JasonS
American centric and only for CT workers
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 23, 2022alpha lambda
One of the very best books I've ever read
Reviewed in Germany on January 1, 2020