National Security Intelligence: Secret Operations in Defense of the Democracies - Tapa dura

"In this finely crafted introduction, Loch Johnson offers a lively and accessible overview of the issues, theories, and themes that constitute both the study and practice of intelligence." James J. Wirtz, Naval Postgraduate School, California "As the Cambridge historian of intelligence Christopher Andrew observed, it's a shame that the best-known figure in intelligence, James Bond, is both fictional and very misleading about intelligence officers and their work. There is no one better than Loch Johnson to serve as a corrective. His lifelong scholarship has been more than punctuated by stints inside intelligence on Capitol Hill. And this volume does just that correcting, laying out clearly the basic intelligence functions as well as the challenge of accountability in the American democracy. So, too, his twin themes are wise reminders often lost in the din of public recriminations: intelligence does not and cannot predict the future, and its agencies, almost by nature, can be a danger to open society." Gregory Treverton, RAND, California "This book provides an illuminating guide to issues of national security intelligence organization, mission, and accountability. Written by one of the key thinkers in the field, it is an excellent introduction to the subject." Mark Phythian, University of Leicester

National security intelligence is a vast, complicated, and important topic, whose workings have often been hidden beneath thick veils of secrecy. Combining scholarly depth with insider knowledge, National Security Intelligence is the definitive introduction to the field, written by a leading authority on intelligence agencies.