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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
Buy New: $19.77
You Save: $10.18 (34%)
New (1) Used (9) from $17.75
Avg. Customer Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 1350
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 24 hours
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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 10 more reviews...
Spycraft -- a must read July 6, 2008
I grew up in the 60's and 70's watching "Get Smart" on TV and James Bond movies in theatres. I loved the gadgets and often wondered how many actually existed in the real "spy world." Now that I live in DC and work in biometrics, I'm still fascinated by surveillance technology, but since reading "Spycraft," I don't have to wonder anymore. This book is fascinating -- not just because it details the gadgets, but because it looks at the people, politics and tactics behind the technology used by the CIA in recent decades. Forget James Bond -- the real spy heroes are in this book. I have a new appreciation for spytechs and their role in the intelligence game, and I was surprised how quickly I got through the 500+ pages. Loved the photos! Well done to Bob Wallace and Keith Melton!
Spycraft July 5, 2008
From the perspective of a person who is apathetic toward science fiction stories and avoids who-done-it spy books, I am surprised how interested I became in reading SPYCRAFT. Robert Wallace won me over! I hated the acronyms (IHTA) even though the authors graciously defined them in the Glossary. The book is well documented throughout. My only question is: Can we completely believe the authenticity of CIA history through the experiences of people who made their living by deception, obfuscation, and counterfeiting? Oh well, buy the book any way!
spycraft July 1, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is for every geek, techie and gadget person out there as well as serious intel bookworms. Find out from the inside how the CIA "Q" teams work. Not only is the story captivating concerning the spy gear, but the people behind the inventions are even more exciting to read about. The story of the American POWs after the Cuban missle crisis underscores the commitment and dedication of all of the CIA volunteers as true American patriots.
Fascinating Trie Life Accounts of Gadgets & Spies June 16, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
A superbly written and exquisitely detailed book, rich in texture illuminating a fascinating recounting of the myriad of ways in which technology has aided case officers to accomplish what practitioners term "impersonal communications" exchanges with their agents (spies.) The multi-hued stories unveiled in this book pull back the curtain to illustrate amazingly creative ways in which gadgetry, both seemingly mundane as well as state of the art operational technology have facilitated the clandestine passage of secrets from spy to case handler.
The authors are among the foremost experts in the field of technology supported tradecraft and thus provide a long overdue "insider's knowledge" optic to seldom witnessed actions playing out behind the scenes in some of the most critically important spy cases since the start of the Cold War. The stories which recount the technical support given to CIA penetrations of the Soviet government and intelligence services like Aldof Tolkachev (alias "TRIGON") and Dimitry Polyakov (alias "Top Hat") are terrific additions to open source literature. In addition, this remarkable book has exceptional photographs of the actual gadgetry used in spy operations and comes with a very useful glossary for those who may not be familiar with espionage lexicon
Highly recommended addition for the bookshelf of any serious minded student of espionage history. "Spycraft" is simply the best book which covers technology support to the art of espionage. A genuine page turner.
The cloak of off the cloak and dagger June 12, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Fascinating. The book arrived this morning and I have had a hard time putting it down. This could be a text book on spy craft but it is anything but dull. The gadgets are fascinating and the stories are captivating. You will wonder why it is not "classified". This book is a must for anyone who wants to know more about the technical and human side of espionage.
D LeRoy
Chicago
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