Historical Perspectives
*Remembering President George H. W. Bush (1924-2018)
Overseeing the Intelligence Community
Interviewed by Peter Usowski and Fran Moore
The Perils of Covert Action
*Ricochet: When a Covert Operation Goes Bad
by Bruce Riedel
Student Essay
*Union Naval Intelligence in the American Civil War: Moving Toward a Global Intelligence System
by Matthew
Intelligence in Public Literature
Facts and Fears: Hard Truths from a Life in Intelligence
Reviewed by David A. Foy
and
Reviewed by Jason U. Manosevitz
President Carter: The White House Years
Reviewed by Thomas G. Coffey
The Hacked World Order: How Nations Fight, Trade, Maneuver, and Manipulate in the Digital Age
Reviewed by Jeffrey I.
The Secret World: A History of Intelligence
Reviewed by Leslie C.
The Brink: President Reagan and the Nuclear War Scare of 1983
Reviewed by David A. Foy
Spying Across the Centuries: Benedict Arnold and Donald Maclean
Two books reviewed by John Ehrman
The Secret Twenties: British Intelligence, The Russians and The Jazz Age
Reviewed by J. R. Seeger
Behind the Lawrence Legend: The Forgotten Few Who Shaped the Arab Revolt
and
Reviewed by J. R. Seeger
Reviewed by John Ehrman
Intelligence Officer’s Bookshelf
Compiled and reviewed by Hayden Peake
Books Reviewed in Studies in Intelligence 2018 (PDF Only)
Note to readers: On 26 July 2018, the Editorial Board received a submission from Dr. James E. Mitchell objecting to the review of his book Enhanced Interrogation: Inside the Minds and Motives of the Islamic Terrorists Trying to Destroy America, which appeared in Studies in Intelligence 61, no. 3 (September 2017). Dr. Mitchell’s elaboration of his concerns about the review written by National Intelligence University Professor Erik Jens included assertions that the review was “based on false assumptions and flawed logic” and “misconceptions.” It also suggested the review had the “imprimatur of the CIA”-which, as an independent journal within the Intelligence Community, Studies does not. Dr. Mitchell further requested that a reference be included to his book’s website, EnhancedInterrogation.com, where he planned to post a longer form of his essay and official, redacted documents concerning his role in the interrogation program.
When the Editorial Board chose in 2017 to publish the Jens review, its members felt, and still feel, that Professor Jens’ submission met the Board’s standards for publication, though not all necessarily agreed with his conclusions. As it has not been common practice for Studies to publish responses to reviews authors may consider unfavorable-and while at the same time understanding the strong feelings surrounding this subject-the Editorial Board elected not to depart from its practice but decided instead to append this note to the digital versions of the review and to the full September issue to make readers aware of Dr. Mitchell’s critique and permit them to visit his website and draw their own conclusions.
Contributors
Leslie C. is a career CIA directorate of Operations officer who has an interest in intelligence history.
Thomas G. Coffey is a member of CSI’s Lessons Learned team. His work and frequent reviews focus on the relationship between intelligence and policy.
John Ehrman is a frequent and award-winning review for Studies in Intelligence; his primary job is to serve as an analyst in CIA’s Directorate of Analysis.
David A. Foy is the Intelligence Community historian on the History Staff of the Center for the Study of Intelligence. He is a frequent contributor of book reviews.
Jeffery I. is a consultant supporting the National Security Agency. His work focuses on understanding emergying technologies.
Jason Manosevitz is an analyst in CIA’s Directorate of Analysis and a member of the Studies in Intelligence Editorial Board.
Hayden Peake has served in the CIA’s Directorates of Operations and Science and Technology. He has been compiling and writing reviews for the “Intelligence Officer’s Bookshelf” since December 2002.
Bruce Riedel is the head of the Brookings Institution’s Intelligence Project. He is a 30-year veteran of the CIA and was advisor on the National Security Council (NSC) to four presidents.
Mike Rogers (R-MI) Served in the House of Representatives from 2001 to 2015. From 2011 to 2015, he was chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence [HPSCI].
J.R. Seeger is a retired CIA paramilitary officer and a frequent reviewer of books for Studies.
Matthew recently earned a B.A. in World Politics. He was one of the first students from his university to earn a certificate in Intelligence Studies.
Andres Vaart is managing editor of Studies in Intelligence. Over his 30-year career in CIA, he served as an intelligence analyst, manager, and editor of various intelligence publications.