Product Description

In this revealing assessment of America`s strategic intelligence agencies since World War II, Loch K. Johnson considers how, and how well, intelligence efforts have guarded and advanced the interests of the United States. Johnson looks at economic espionage, covert action, congressional monitoring, and America`s approach to intelligence compared with that of other nations. He concludes that intelligence agencies deserve our support, but also our scrutiny, and he offers ethical guidelines for intelligence gathering.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #641821 in Books
• Published on: 1998-10-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 282 pages

Amazon.com Review
Johnson, a former assistant to Defense Secretary Les Aspin and now a university professor, defends the U.S. intelligence networks from the charges of ineptitude that have followed embarrassments like the Aldrich Ames case and the rout of the CIA-backed Kurds in Iraq. He argues that the successes of the CIA and the intelligence community far outweigh such setbacks, and that even the failures are often laid at the wrong door: good intelligence has often been ignored by the upper (political) levels of the bureaucracy. He cites the analysis of Gorbachev's perestroika as an example, detailing the fight by the agency's Soviet experts to get the Director to accept that a significant change was underway.

From Publishers Weekly
It is doubtful if any intelligence agency can ever be totally "clean." By their nature, they attract adventurers and renegades. Some are sincere patriots, others merely self-serving and potential defectors. Johnson ably mixes an overview of the purpose and philosophy of clandestine operations with a chronicle of the activities and relationships of current U.S. agencies. There is even George Washington's secret code number (711), as well as "Rebel Rose" O'Neil's contribution to Confederate victory at the battle of Bull Run. Johnson, a University of Georgia political science professor, is evenhanded in describing U.S. intelligence's successes, as well as its dirty-pool black marks?the Allende affair, internal surveillance of Vietnam protesters, Iran-Contra and others less well-known. He also describes clearly the attempts at control of this "secret government," its operations and, especially, its finances. Not all intelligence efforts have been successful, and many have enraged both the executive and legislative branches. At one point, Senator Daniel Moynihan even advocated total abolition of the CIA. The author assesses the future of both overt and covert operations, mentioning the downgrading of hi-tech intelligence since the end of the Cold War and reemergence of the old cloak-and-dagger techniques. The primary sources are impressive, and the text, though dense, is highly readable. Illustrations.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
This is an easy-to-read account of the evolution of the postwar U.S. intelligence establishment, an assessment of its successes and failures, and the problems it faces today. The "hostile world" referred to in the subtitle could actually be the U.S. Congress because Johnson gives accounts throughout of how Congress and others tried to exercise effective oversight of a very independent-minded and traditionally secret bureaucracy. Johnson, a former congressional staff aide for intelligence, tries to be evenhanded and understanding about the vital necessity for intelligence agencies in a dangerous world and their problems, but he definitely believes they could probably be doing things more efficiently and legally. Johnson (A Season of Inquiry, LJ 6/1/85, and America's Secret Power, Oxford Univ., 1989, both about the U.S. intelligence community) has used open sources, interviews, declassified reports, and other government documents. Several informative charts and graphs are included, along with a list of acronyms and abbreviations. Recommended for the intelligence collections of public and academic libraries. (Index not seen.)-Daniel K. Blewett, Loyola Univ. Lib., Chicago
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Excellent academic book; but too academic
Loch Johnson has done an excellent job detailing the interplay between the CIA and the Congress in the post/last days of the Cold War era. He is able to draw on firsthand data and tackles some interesting topics, such as the ethics of what various "Secret Agencies" do. If you are well versed in the Intelligence Community arena you will find this a valuable reference. If you are new to the subject; this is not the book to start with. This is a book of facts and figures; none of life and vigor of the people, agencies or even the author is present. If Mr. Johnson added a bit more life to his facts and figures this would have been an excellent book. I took a class from Loch Johnson at the University of Georgia - his presentation and arguements are much more interesting in person.

Objective discussion of successes and failures
Loch is the dean of the scholars competent to address intelligence matters, and his experience as a member of the professional staff of both the Church Committee in the 1970's and the Aspin/Brown Commission in the 1990's uniquely qualify him to discuss and evaluate U.S. intelligence. His chapters on the ethics of covert operations and on intelligence accountability set a standard for this aspect of the discussion. This is the only book I have seen that objectively and methodically discusses intelligence success and failures in relation to the Soviet Union, with a superb three-page listing decade by decade being provided on pages 180-182.

Understanding Intelligence
Even though this book was published over six years ago, the insights it provides for today are invaluable. Through it's detailed history of the changes in fashion and mission in the United States' intelligence agencies, we begin to understand why the human intelligence assets were not in place to predict September 11, why we are often surprised by events in North Korea, and the challenges faced in creating the Department of Homeland Security. Johnson gives an even-handed, largely non-political view of these issues. It is refreshing to read an account written by someone with no apparent axe to grind.