Body of Secrets: Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency from the Cold War Through the Dawn of a New Century - Hardcover

Bamford, James

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385499078 ISBN 13: 9780385499071

Publisher: Doubleday, 2001

Synopsis

A sober, hard-hitting examination of the National Security Agency takes readers inside this secretive body to reveal its operations and dirtiest secrets from the Cold War. 50,000 first printing.

About this title

Review

James Bamford's explosive book, Body of Secrets, not only lifts the lid on the world's most powerful intelligence agency, but warns that it is a double-edged sword. Everybody knows about the CIA--the cloak-and-dagger branch o f the US government. Many fewer are familiar with the National Security Agency, even though it has been more important to American espionage in recent years than its better-known counterpart. The NSA is responsible for much of the intelligence gathering done via technology such as satellites and the Internet. Its home office in Maryland "contains what is probably the largest body of secrets ever created".

Little was known about the agency's confidential culture until veteran journalist James Bamford blew the lid off in 1982 with his bestseller The Puzzle Palace. Still, much remained in the shadows. In Body of Secrets, Bamford throws much more light on his subject--and he reveals loads of shocking information. The story of the U-2 crisis in 1960 is well known, including President Eisenhower's decision to tell a fib to the public in order to protect a national-security secret. Bamford takes the story a disturbing step forward, showing how Eisenhower "went so far as to order his Cabinet officers to hide his involvement in the scandal eve n while under oath. At least one Cabinet member directly lied to the committee, a fact known to Eisenhower". Even more worrisome is another revelation, from the Kennedy years: "The Joint Chiefs of Staff drew up and approved plans for what may be the most corrupt plan ever created by the US government. In the name of anticommunism, they proposed launching a secret and bloody war of terrorism against their own country in order to trick the American public into supporting an ill-conceived war they intended to launch against Cuba."

Body of Secrets is an incredible piece of journalism, and it paints a deeply troubling portrait of an agency about which the public knows next to nothing. Fans of The Sword and the Shield will want to read it, as will anybody who is intrigued by conspiracies and real-life spy stories. --John J. Miller

Review

“A magnificent achievement and a compelling read for anyone interested in espionage.” —"The Baltimore Sun
"“Extraordinary. . . . A galvanizing narrative brimming with heretofore undisclosed details.” —"The New York Times Book Review
" “Crisply written and prodigiously researched, "Body of Secrets" . . . is the most detailed picture yet of the activities of the world’s largest intelligence-gathering operation.” —"The Washington Post Book World"
“Part history, part expose, the book offers an ‘anatomy’ of the NSA, seeking to strip away the myth surrounding it. . . . [An] authoritative and engaging book.” –"The Wall Street Journal"
“"Body of Secrets" is one fascinating book...chock-full of juicy stuff.... Interesting to read, well-written and scrupulously documented.”–"Salon"
“An engaging and informed history.... Bamford weaves a narrative about

A magnificent achievement and a compelling read for anyone interested in espionage. The Baltimore Sun
Extraordinary. . . . A galvanizing narrative brimming with heretofore undisclosed details. The New York Times Book Review
Crisply written and prodigiously researched, Body of Secrets . . . is the most detailed picture yet of the activities of the world s largest intelligence-gathering operation. The Washington Post Book World
Part history, part expose, the book offers an anatomy of the NSA, seeking to strip away the myth surrounding it. . . . [An] authoritative and engaging book. The Wall Street Journal
Body of Secrets is one fascinating book chock-full of juicy stuff . Interesting to read, well-written and scrupulously documented. Salon
An engaging and informed history . Bamford weaves a narrative about the NSA that includes many heretofore undisclosed tidbits of information. The Nation
James Bamford, who wrote one of the really good books about American intelligence twenty years ago has now done it again . Body of Secrets has something interesting and important to add to many episodes of cold war history [and] has much to say about recent events. The New York Review of Books
At times surprising, often quite troubling but always fascinating . Writing with a flair and clarity that rivals those of the best spy novelists, Bamford has created a masterpiece of investigative reporting. Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Body of Secrets adds fresh material about the world s nosiest and most secret body . Will fascinate anyone interested in the shadow war. The Economist"

"A magnificent achievement and a compelling read for anyone interested in espionage." --The Baltimore Sun

"Extraordinary. . . . A galvanizing narrative brimming with heretofore undisclosed details." --The New York Times Book Review

"Crisply written and prodigiously researched, Body of Secrets . . . is the most detailed picture yet of the activities of the world's largest intelligence-gathering operation." --The Washington Post Book World

"Part history, part expose, the book offers an 'anatomy' of the NSA, seeking to strip away the myth surrounding it. . . . [An] authoritative and engaging book." -The Wall Street Journal

"Body of Secrets is one fascinating book...chock-full of juicy stuff.... Interesting to read, well-written and scrupulously documented."-Salon

"An engaging and informed history.... Bamford weaves a narrative about the NSA that includes...many heretofore undisclosed tidbits of information."-The Nation

"James Bamford, who wrote one of the really good books about American intelligence twenty years ago...has now done it again.... Body of Secrets has something interesting and important to add to many episodes of cold war history...[and] has much to say about recent events."-The New York Review of Books

"At times surprising, often quite troubling but always fascinating.... Writing with a flair and clarity that rivals those of the best spy novelists, Bamford has created a masterpiece of investigative reporting."-Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Body of Secrets adds fresh material about the world's nosiest and most secret body.... Will fascinate anyone interested in the shadow war."-The Economist

About this edition

• Publisher: Doubleday
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0385499078
• ISBN 13: 9780385499071
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 721