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Good Hunting: An American Spymaster's Story Hardcover – June 3, 2014
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
An Amazon Best Book of the Month, June 2014: Meet Jack Devine. Something of a real-life George Smiley, he is a 30-year veteran of the CIA who, among a lot of things, ran Charlie Wilson's war against the Soviets in Afghanistan, knew a thing or two about the Iran-Contra affair long before the rest of us did (including the president?), and tangled with some of the agency's most notorious double-agents. In Good Hunting: An American Spymaster’s Story, Devine has written a fascinating memoir of his time overseeing the agency’s spying operations, while also critiquing its policies and direction--arguing that covert ops (i.e. actual undercover operatives on the ground) is the best, most effective use of the CIA’s talents, rather than its increasingly paramilitaristic role during a decade of war. Devine has managed an unlikely accomplishment: enhancing the aura of the agency while stripping away some of its myths, in the process producing a clear-eyed and forthright account from an intelligence insider. --Jon Foro
From Booklist
Now-retired CIA officer Devine built a career (1967–98) in which he ascended from entry-level employee to the top echelon of the organization’s clandestine service. Amid candid reflections on his experiences, Devine advances opinions about the worth of covert operations, which he supports in general. Commenting on them specifically via his own involvement, Devine defends the CIA’s 1973 role in Chile and its 1980s arming of anti-Soviet Afghan rebels. But he critiques the CIA’s entanglement in the Iran-Contra scandal of the mid-1980s. Devine’s colorful anecdotes convey a lively sense of how a CIA officer works as a street-level case officer, a chief of station, and an executive managing the entire Directorate of Operations, all roles that Devine fulfilled and in which he takes palpable pride. The exception to success that Devine confronts is Aldrich Ames, the Russian mole whose betrayal cost many CIA agents their lives. An occasional supervisor of Ames, Devine puzzles over Ames’ motivations as he describes how the case dealt a blow to CIA morale. A vivid insider’s view, Devine’s is an engaging account for the espionage set. --Gilbert Taylor
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54 of 62 people found the following review helpful
By
Robert David STEELE Vivas
HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER on June 3, 2014
Format: Hardcover
20 Comments
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I strongly recommend this book! I happily disclose that I received the book from the publisher at my request and that I have worked for Jack directly. I have also reviewed hundreds of books on Intelligence. This is easily the most insightful and sophisticated look at the important covert action aspect of the intelligence business. This critical tool of statecraft was established in the charter that created the CIA during the Truman administration. It gave CIA the mandate to carry out "special activities as directed by the President." Over his 32-year career, Jack was uniquely involved in a wide range of these covert activities, including the ousting of Allende in Chile, the Iran Contra affair, the successful defeat of the Russians in Afghanistan, the hunt for drug Kingpin Pablo Escobar and the reinstatement of Aristide in Haiti.
He also weaves in his direct experiences with Rick Ames, the Soviet mole inside CIA as well as the hunt for Robert Hanssen, the mole inside the FBI. Moreover, he shares important insights about his tenure as the chief of all CIA worldwide operations in the mid 90"s. That said, his main contribution is setting out the good and bad characteristics of covert action. He does it with candor , wit and wisdom.
He articulates the characteristics of smart Covert Action (CA), one I might call the "Devine Doctrine," for successful covert operations.Read more ›
He also weaves in his direct experiences with Rick Ames, the Soviet mole inside CIA as well as the hunt for Robert Hanssen, the mole inside the FBI. Moreover, he shares important insights about his tenure as the chief of all CIA worldwide operations in the mid 90"s. That said, his main contribution is setting out the good and bad characteristics of covert action. He does it with candor , wit and wisdom.
He articulates the characteristics of smart Covert Action (CA), one I might call the "Devine Doctrine," for successful covert operations.Read more ›
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By
Richard Trogdon
on July 2, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
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THIS IS NOT A NOVEL! After reading the book and all the reviews, I think the most important thing that any potential reader needs to know is that this is not, and was obviously not intended to compete with spy novels. I say this because several of the negative reviews that I have read complain about the book being boring and having no intrigue or drama. If you are looking for a story that is full of suspense, this is not a book that you will enjoy. If, on the other hand, you are interested in how our nation collects information and influences events in other countries, this is an excellent choice. I think you will find this an easy read. The coauthor, Vernon Loeb, is a professional writer and the book is well written and polished. While some discussions of this book may make it sound dry, I did not find the first part of this book that way. The second part of the book, covering his time in private business after he left the CIA, might be more appropriate in a separate book.
It has been suggested that this is not a book for the average reader. While I cannot be the judge of that, I do think it is a good book for the average voter. Many comments that I have read about this book express emotion and a political opinion. When a citizen chooses to vote, they vote not only for an individual but for the policies, that individual supports. Understanding how the CIA functions helps us understand how these policies are carried out. While it was not discussed in this book, a reader might, for instance, come away from reading it contemplating how different the outcome would have been for the interest of the United States if the CIA had carried out the operations in Benghazi, Libya in place of Ambassador Stevens, who was killed.Read more ›
It has been suggested that this is not a book for the average reader. While I cannot be the judge of that, I do think it is a good book for the average voter. Many comments that I have read about this book express emotion and a political opinion. When a citizen chooses to vote, they vote not only for an individual but for the policies, that individual supports. Understanding how the CIA functions helps us understand how these policies are carried out. While it was not discussed in this book, a reader might, for instance, come away from reading it contemplating how different the outcome would have been for the interest of the United States if the CIA had carried out the operations in Benghazi, Libya in place of Ambassador Stevens, who was killed.Read more ›
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29 of 33 people found the following review helpful
By
Ronald Marks
on June 4, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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After spending thirty plus years of my life in the US intelligence arena, I rarely read a "spy" book any more. I find most are badly written by amateurs or "wanna be's" or are so full of gross errors as to be laughable. Jack Devine's book is head and shoulders above any spy book I have read for years.
Jack had a fascinating career. He has written not only about his work, but the times, people and places surrounding his efforts. You can "feel the room" when you read it.
I am often asked by young people who I would recommend reading to understand clandestine work in CIA. This is the definitive book for his generation of case officers.
Jack had a fascinating career. He has written not only about his work, but the times, people and places surrounding his efforts. You can "feel the room" when you read it.
I am often asked by young people who I would recommend reading to understand clandestine work in CIA. This is the definitive book for his generation of case officers.
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18 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By
Retired Reader
on June 28, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
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This book is not an autobiography, but a memoir of the highlights of Jack Devine’s 32 year career as a CIA intelligence officer and his subsequent career as a successful director of a private sector commercial intelligence firm. Also Devine was, for much of his service with CIA, a covert action officer rather than a conventional intelligence officer. Covert action is clearly where his interest was directed throughout his CIA career. As a result this book contains some excellent guidance on the necessary ingredients for successful covert action as well as some uniquely useful pointers in the execution of such action.
That said his book provides no real insights on CIA activities during Devine’s tenure at CIA. His accounts of his first covet action tour in Chile and CIA’s involvement in the overthrow of Salvador Allende are simply based on publicly available information and CIA’s stock public denial of any involvement in the coup. This can be said for his accounts of CIA gun running to the Mujahedeen Insurgency against the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. Indeed in his account of this operation he makes an astonishing mistake about Osama bin Laden. He categorically declares, “there is no evidence [he] ever received weapons or other material support from the CIA” and by referring to him as “a minor blip on our screen and his support came directly from the Arab States.” As with many of Devine’s declarations in this book his claims do not square with the evidence. Osama bin Laden actually joined the Mujahedin Insurgency in 1979 and proceeded to assist its operations by providing the Mujahedin fighters with money, arms, fighters from the Arab States. It makes no sense to categorically declare that no CIA sponsored arms ever reached bin Laden.Read more ›
That said his book provides no real insights on CIA activities during Devine’s tenure at CIA. His accounts of his first covet action tour in Chile and CIA’s involvement in the overthrow of Salvador Allende are simply based on publicly available information and CIA’s stock public denial of any involvement in the coup. This can be said for his accounts of CIA gun running to the Mujahedeen Insurgency against the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. Indeed in his account of this operation he makes an astonishing mistake about Osama bin Laden. He categorically declares, “there is no evidence [he] ever received weapons or other material support from the CIA” and by referring to him as “a minor blip on our screen and his support came directly from the Arab States.” As with many of Devine’s declarations in this book his claims do not square with the evidence. Osama bin Laden actually joined the Mujahedin Insurgency in 1979 and proceeded to assist its operations by providing the Mujahedin fighters with money, arms, fighters from the Arab States. It makes no sense to categorically declare that no CIA sponsored arms ever reached bin Laden.Read more ›
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