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Publishers Weekly
04/28/2014In a career that peaked as associate director of the CIA’s overseas operations, Devine served—and survived—more than three decades with the CIA, from the Nixon to Clinton administrations. Predictably, he considers “a powerful intelligence service... an imperative of modern statecraft,” believes in the effectiveness of covert action, and denounces the current tendency to politicize intelligence while condemning “White House ‘dabbling.’” Devine describes the CIA’s thinking on covert action during his career and discusses—without excessive use of the first person singular—his worldwide implementation of those principles at the sharp end of covert war, from overseeing the missile shipments that initiated the Iran-Contra scandal to delivering the Stingers that turned the tide against the Russians in Afghanistan. He argues for long-term maintenance of a “CIA covert action component” in Afghanistan as part of a “robust U.S. mission,” and hypothesizes that “most future paramilitary engagement will be reminiscent of the smaller Cold War covert action programs.” Whether one agrees with Devine’s particulars, the insights derived from a long and varied career make this a top-line addition to the proliferating body of “insider” memoirs from the years when the Cold War gave way to the “war on terrorism,” and the rules began to change. Agent: Andrew Wylie, Wylie Agency. (June)
Overview
"A sophisticated, deeply informed account of real life in the real CIA that adds immeasurably to the public understanding of the espionage culture—the good and the bad." —Bob Woodward
Jack Devine ran Charlie Wilson’s War in Afghanistan. It was the largest covert action of the Cold War, and it was Devine who put the brand-new Stinger missile into the hands of the mujahideen during their war with the Soviets, paving the way to a decisive victory against the Russians. He also pushed the CIA’s effort to run down the ...