Review The Art of Intelligence - Henry Crumpton

[AWP]

Pretty good book. The author is a retired CIA agent who was a Chief of Station for a brief period before returning to the CTC as Cofer Black's Ops chief running post-9/11 Afghanistan missions. The first half of the book deals with his pre- CTC career and the latter half his CTC time and then Afghanistan. It paints a pretty damning picture of what was known, and ignored, about UBL.

The really great part, maybe the best, is that he actually cleared the book through the CIA. Imagine that, allowing your book to be scrubbed...I can think of one group who could learn from this. He talks about recruiting and running agents in Africa without giving place or dates. He also does some theorizing on modern intelligence, covers a period when he was a liasion to the FBI, and other stuff. It is worth a read.

 

[Brill]

Agent is synonymous with asset. He was a CIA officer.

 

[AWP]

You win this round, Double Oh lindy...

 

[SkrewzLoose]

I think I just found my next Kindle download...

 

[AWP]

I think I just found my next Kindle download...

It serves as a great companion to Schroen's (which I've read) and probably Berntsen's (which I haven't) books covering the CIA's role in Afghanistan. If you add those to Ghost Wars, Horse Soldiers, and SGM Waugh's book then you're going to have an excellent understanding of the CIA's and Special Forces' work pre- and post-9/11.

 

[racing_kitty]

Horse Soldiers was an awesome book. I haven't read it in about a year, so I need to rectify that.

 

[Brian C]

I read this book a few months ago and it was a great read. I will have to read the others mentioned in this thread also, since the only other one I have read is SGM Waugh's book. It is nice seeing a well written book that goes through the correct channels, and still comes out an amazing book.

 

[Gunz]

...he actually cleared the book through the CIA. Imagine that, allowing your book to be scrubbed...I can think of one group who could learn from this...

 

[SkrewzLoose]

It serves as a great companion to Schroen's (which I've read) and probably Berntsen's (which I haven't) books covering the CIA's role in Afghanistan. If you add those to Ghost Wars, Horse Soldiers, and SGM Waugh's book then you're going to have an excellent understanding of the CIA's and Special Forces' work pre- and post-9/11.

Would you suggest reading them in any particular order?

 

[AWP]

Would you suggest reading them in any particular order?

Hmmmm...I'll just go with chronological order.

Ghost Wars covers up to Masood's assassination, so it would go first.
SGM Waugh's book covers (mostly) pre-9/11 stuff so it would be second. Just note much of it is his hunt for Carlos the Jackal, but UBL is featured.
I'd go with Horse Soldiers next.
Then Schroen's and/or Bertsen's.
Last would be AoI.

That gives you background, SF's role, then backs up a little to the CIA's pre- and post-9/11 work. Schroen and AoI discus SF in some detail, that's why I put it before their books, to add some context.

HTH. Maybe others who are familiar with the material can comment.