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| Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs, from Communism to al-Qaeda | 
 enlarge | Authors: Robert Wallace, H. Keith Melton, Henry R. Schlesinger
Publisher: Dutton Adult
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  26 reviews
Sales Rank: 7822
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 576
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.2 x 2.1
ISBN: 0525949801
Dewey Decimal Number: 327.1273
EAN: 9780525949800
ASIN: 0525949801
Publication Date: May 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
From two men who know better than anyone how espionage really works, an unprecedented historyheavily illustrated with neverbefore- seen imagesof the CIAs most secretive operations and the gadgets that made them possible.
It is a world where the intrigue of reality exceeds that of fiction. What is an invisible photo used for? What does it take to build a quiet helicopter? How does one embed a listening device in a cat? If these sound like challenges for Q, James Bonds fictional gadget-master, think again. Theyre all real-life devices created by the CIAs Office of Technical Servicean ultrasecretive department that combines the marvels of state-of-the-art technology with the time-proven traditions of classic espionage. And now, in the first book ever written about this office, the former director of OTS teams up with an internationally renowned intelligence historian to take readers into the laboratory of espionage.
Spycraft tells amazing life and death stories about this littleknown group, much of it never before revealed. Against the backdrop of some of Americas most critical periods in recent historyincluding the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the war on terrorthe authors show the real technical and human story of how the CIA carries out its missions.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 21 more reviews...
A fascinating book on how technology is used to support intelligence gathering August 23, 2008
12 out of 13 found this review helpful
This fascinating book takes you into the real world of the role technology plays in gathering intelligence. While not as magical as Q in the Bond movies, it comes awfully close and has the benefit of reality. Robert Wallace and H. Keith Melton always tie the technology back to why it was needed and the various problems that had to be overcome in creating the solution. Seeing how the technologies evolved over time and how some of the technologies eventually became parts of consumer products was quite a hoot. While this is a 500 page book, I think you will be so fascinated by it that you will have a hard time putting it down. I know I did. It reads quickly because you just want to find out what happens next.
The book is in six sections. The first two chapters provide a short background on the earliest days of spying and tradecraft (how spies do what they do). Section 2 covers four chapters and the way the CIA facilitated a spy called Penkovsky and how he was eventually caught. Section 3 shows us the work of a spy called TRIGON, the first really small spy camera (The T-100) and even how our people in Moscow wore surveillance detection gear (the SRR-100). Part of the problem with these devices, decades before the iPod was how to wear an earpiece without it being scene. The solution was to create a perfect latex year that you wore over the earpiece. Another great story was the CKTAW operation that required the bugging of a secure Soviet communications line right in Moscow. A recurring theme in this book is how our operations were betrayed by traitors in our intelligence organizations such as Edward Lee Howard, Robert Hannsen, Alrich Ames, and others.
Part IV covers the amazing achievements of the audio techs, their gear, and some of the crazy operations they pulled off. Some of the problems they had provide comic relief. Part V tells the story of one of our audio teams going to Cuba in the early days of Castro's regime, their getting caught, and their brave years in prison. Eventually, they received the Distinguished Intelligence Cross. We are also taken to the early days in Vietnam, the early days of fighting terrorism, and the world of forged documents
Part VI provides six chapters on tradecraft. The authors show us how technology supports the important work of intelligence gathering in assessing and recruiting agents, the uses of cover and disguise, in creating and protecting concealments, and in covert communications. The sixth chapter focuses on how the digital age undermined the traditional methods and created a whole new realm of opportunity and challenges for spies and the agencies that have to try and counter them and the work of terrorists.
There are also six appendices (the genealogy of OTS, its chronology, its directors, CIT trailblazers from OTS, which names in the book were pseudonyms, and instructions on how to decider the code the book opens with. There is also a glossary, selected bibliography, acknowledgements, and a good index.
The book also has good drawings, diagrams, and photos.
Obviously, for people really in the trade this stuff is all ancient and out of date, but for those of us on the outside who have an interest in this, it is terrific reading.
Great stuff.
Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI
This is a unique book and a great read. June 5, 2008
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
I have been reading books about spies and espionage for over 40 years and this book is one of the best I have ever read. It is a great combination of true spy stories and never before told descriptions of some of the special technology used by spies. Reading this book is like having a peek into the laboratory of the real Q from the James Bond movies. The book was written by an author who obviously knows this business like few others. It will be enjoyed by those who like a good spy story as well as those who have a professional interest in espionage and in technology. A must read for anyone who wants to know how the spies really do their work.
THE REAL WORLD OF COLD WAR SPIES' GADGETS June 6, 2008
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
One of the most important periods of modern history was that of the Cold War, between 1945-1991.This war was unconventional,and it was maily hidden from the public on both sides of the conflict.The main action took place in the field of intelligence.The main players in this war of mirrors-the Great Game of the 20th century-were spies.
I have maintained for a long time that it was the secret services of the East and the West that were responsible for preventing a Third World War.Paradoxically, this was achieved by this hidden war which was played in the misty dead drop sites of Berlin, Vienna, Moscow ,Washington,London and other less famous espionage sites. These were the heydays of hundreds of thousands of spooks-some more famous than the others.Most of them- especially the professional ones- have used a variety of means in order to accomplish their assignments successfully.
In a very interesting and detailed book- perhaps the best there is today on this fascinating subject-the two authors elaborate on the many gadgets the CIA has developed and employed in this battle of wits.There was a special department within the CIA which was responsible for this.What was considered to dwell only in the imagination of authors and scriptwriters was for real.The mentors of the CIA(and its predecessor -the OSS) were their British cousins who have taught their colleagues some useful lessons in the field of espionage.The CIA have surpassed their masters creating for many decades a miscellany of low-and especially high-tech astounding ,innovative technologies.Among them there were cameras, microphones,concealment devices, physical and psychological diguises,ivory letter-opening devices,combustible notebooks, special dead drop rocks,microdot viewers,audio transmitters and bugs.Even animals,such as:bats, cats and rats were employed in this world of clandestine operations.We get a detailed story about the modus operandi of two of the most famous spies who worked for the West:Oleg Penkovsky and his "worthy succsessor" Adolf Tolkachev.Both of them saved the US Intelligence and taxpayer billions of dollars.
The books has two main sections.The first one is about the spytechs and the second is about the fundamentals of the spycraft.
My main reservation about this book is about its editing which was done -somehow- perfunctorily.However,you will enjoy every page of this reliable, impeccably -searched, readable, fascinating and revealing book.The real bonus is an array of never-before-seen photos and diagrams and the authors' message is conveyed clearly:without this kind of James-Bond's-Q-masterminded technology, the West would have lost the Cold War.
The other thing is this:in our Digital Age everything becomes obsolete in a very short time, thus ,those engaged in this trade should never stop racking their brains in order to create novel devices to be used against the adversary.
This book is a must-read for pros and buffs of espionage and Cold War history.
Best book yet on this topic June 4, 2008
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Often, books on this type of topic are either really dry reading, or they are so novel-like that you wonder how much of it is "made up". Spycraft strikes a nice balance between interesting facts and history and good stories. The authors (Mr. Wallace and Mr. Melton) are certainly among the most qualified people around to discuss TSD/OTS history, so there are no worries about authenticity of the material.
I can highly recommend this book. I have 3 copies, so that I can give a couple as gifts this summer.
Destined To Be A Classic May 30, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Encyclopedic! Destined to be a classic in intelligence literature. Spycraft should be required reading for any university course on national security. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down.
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