false 4 0 false false Thu Jan 15 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Nov 28 21:51:12 -0800 2008 Mon Jan 19 19:12:58 -0800 2009
The book is quite good, but it's highly political and is really a tome. There are a huge number of names, places, and dates involved, like any history text, which means a fair amount of looking back to figure out who the person speaking is. It also shines light only on the CIA and foreign policy of the United States, naturally, which means that you get a one-sided view of most Presidencies, and often it's a distasteful one. The only Presidents I came out feeling better about than before I started reading the book were Eisenhower and Carter.

If you're interested in the CIA and the foreign activities of the US, I highly recommend the book, but be prepared to mix the information in with other sources to get a better view of the overall picture of the Presidents involved and the whole US situation.]]>