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132nd out of 308 books
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Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA 1981-1987
by
Bob Woodward
"Veil" is the story of the covert wars that were waged in Central America, Iran and Libya in a secretive atmosphere and became the centerpieces and eventual time bombs of American foreign policy in the 1980s.
Paperback, 592 pages
Published
July 1st 2005
by Simon & Schuster
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Although I enjoyed the look-back into Iran-Contra and all the conflicts leading up to big event, this was a very rough read for me. I love reading Woodward, but this book was different than other Woodward books -- it seemed that I could only read 25-30 pages during a sitting as it slowly reconstructed events in Central America, Libya, Israel, Iran and other spots that lead to Iran-Contra. It was also a focus on Casey, who Ronald Reagan appointed as CIA Director. From is appointment as directo...more
This book is long and detailed (maybe a little bit too detailed) and gives insight into how the intelligence organizations in the United States really work.
Emboldened by a newly elected president Ronald Reagan and a newly appointed Director of Central Intelligence, the CIA used the cold war and fears of communism to gain support from the public for covert activities around the world.
Because of a somewhat rocky relationship with Congress, the CIA often couldn't find lega...more
Emboldened by a newly elected president Ronald Reagan and a newly appointed Director of Central Intelligence, the CIA used the cold war and fears of communism to gain support from the public for covert activities around the world.
Because of a somewhat rocky relationship with Congress, the CIA often couldn't find lega...more
Bob Woodward's "Veil" is a history of the CIA's involvement in secret wars, particularly in Central America, under the direction of William J. Casey. The revelations are startling, and coming after CIA admissions exposed during the Church inquiries of the late 70's, the book's account of potentially illegal activities on the part of the agency are entirely believable if not astonishingly brazen. Although many critics claim Woodward had to have invented or fabricated some of his intervi...more
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Erik Graff
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
US citizens
Recommended to Erik by:
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This is my favorite of Woodward's instant insider history books. Very little of it was new, but much of what it reveals was little reported by the mainstream press before its publication. Little was new, exepting Woodward's citations of the man himself, Casey, as regards the criminal deeds of his--and Ronald Reagan's--administration. Casey himself, of course, saw nothing wrong with extralegal murder, contravention of domestic law or international treaty.
I was astounded with the conflict within our governmental agencies and the secrecies between them. The book is not easy to read unless one's memory is very good. Although there is a glossary defining all the acronyms used throughout the book, it was difficult to remember the definitions.
This wasn't quite as well written as Woodward's later book that I also read recently, on the Iraq War, but it was pretty good nonetheless. Makes Reagan out to have been pretty out of it. According to this, he installed his guy at the CIA, gave him pretty much carte blanche to mess around just about everywhere, and then paid no attention. He only worked Mon through Thurs afternoon! Crazy.
It's also interesting to read about a time when we felt we had to fight the commies in every backwards ...more
It's also interesting to read about a time when we felt we had to fight the commies in every backwards ...more
An intriguing look "behind the scenes" of the CIA´s covert operations in the 1980´s and the political, policy and philosophical battles that went into them. Does the intelligence service exist to simply gather intelligence so policy makers can set policy and determine actions or does it exist to undertake actions to influence events outside our borders? That much covert action focused on Central America during the cold war of course made the read all the more interesting since I live i...more
It's been several years since I read it, but I remember it as being very enlightening as to how the CIA works and was influenced by the OSS.
My edition was published in 1987 and I read it that year. As I recall, I enjoyed it as I have most of Woodward's work.
Rick
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Excellent background for my novel: Vantage
Complicated!
I read the Indonesian translation back sometimes in 1989. The book was poorly translated and I couldn't understand much. "The Spycatcher" was far more better translated than this one.
However if you want to walk down the memory lane with "Ollie North" and the whole Lybian terrorism, this is the one to read.
However if you want to walk down the memory lane with "Ollie North" and the whole Lybian terrorism, this is the one to read.
Veil, by Bob Woodward, seems to be a thorough and unnerving account of the CIA from 1981-1987, as any accurate account of any period of years of CIA activity would be I'm sure.
I am just starting this one and will not remark much until I'm further in or done.
I am just starting this one and will not remark much until I'm further in or done.
Woodward pulls his punches here, i think because he was protecting sources, but you still get the sense that Casey was one of the most dangerous men of the 20th century. Sort of a cheney before cheney.
Read it last year during a politics/washington insider/woodward kick. Long and sometimes laborious chapters but entertaining as hell. Real-life Clancy type stuff.
Everything - and I do mean EVERYTHING - you ever wanted to know about Iran-Contra. But time spent with Bob Woodward is always somewhat illuminating.
I am looking through the book, had it here for years,. Just can't remember if I read it. Guess I'll have to read or reread it.
this is my second go-round with this book. It is extremely dense material but really interesting. I hope to finish it this time.
Interesting contemporary investigation of Reagan-era CIA hijinks...but the writing is...rough.
A fascinating read. Too bad I don't recall most of the information he tried to impart on me.
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Robert "Bob" Upshur Woodward is an assistant managing editor of The Washington Post. While an investigative reporter for that newspaper, Woodward, working with fellow reporter Carl Bernstein, helped uncover the Watergate scandal that led to U.S. President Richard Nixon's resignation. Woodward has written 12 best-selling non-fiction books and has twice contributed reporting to efforts tha...more
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