Spy Sites of Washington, DC: A Guide to the Capital Region's Secret History

by Robert Wallace, H. Keith Melton, Henry R. Schlesinger (With)

Washington Post Bestseller

Washington, DC, stands at the epicenter of world espionage. Mapping this history from the halls of government to tranquil suburban neighborhoods reveals scores
of dead drops, covert meeting places, and secret facilities ― a constellation of
clandestine sites unknown to even the most avid history buffs. Until now.

Spy Sites of Washington, DC traces more than two centuries of secret history from the Mount Vernon study of spymaster George Washington to the Cleveland Park apartment of the "Queen of Cuba." In 220 main entries as well as listings for dozens more spy sites, intelligence historians Robert Wallace and H. Keith Melton weave incredible true stories of derring-do and double-crosses that put even the best spy fiction to shame. Maps and more than three hundred photos allow readers to follow in the winding footsteps of moles and sleuths, trace the covert operations that influenced wars hot and cold, and understand the tradecraft traitors and spies alike used in the do-or-die chess games that have changed the course of history.

Informing and entertaining, Spy Sites of Washington, DC is the comprehensive guidebook to the shadow history of our nation's capital.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Reference, Espionage, Travel, True Crime

331 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Robert Wallace, a retired CIA officer, also publishes under the name Bob Wallace. After a 33-year intelligence career, he co-authored SPYCRAFT: The Secret History of the CIA Spytechs from Communism to al-Qaeda and THE OFFICIAL CIA MANUAL OF TRICKERY AND DECEPTION. These books launched Robert’s lecture career that has included presentations at Presidential Libraries, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Archives, libraries and civic organizations and major universities throughout the US and abroad. The works have been translated in multiple languages and published through Europe and Asia.

Wallace and co-author H. Keith Melton, in cooperation with Georgetown University Press undertook a project beginning 2015 to produce a one-of-its-kind image rich history of sites of significant US intelligence history. With the publication of SPY SITES OF PHILADELPHIA, the completed three volume work includes SPY SITES OF WASHINGTON, DC and SPY SITES OF NEW YORK. Together this three book series presents unique descriptions and images of six hundred major spies and their operations through two centuries from the Revolutionary War to the 21st century.

Robert’s first book, NINE FROM THE NINTH, is a memoir of a year with Company E, 75th Infantry (Rangers) Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol company in Vietnam. The work includes essays and stories by three infantry soldiers who formed a lifetime bond of friendship forged in combat operations in Vietnam during 1969.

Robert Wallace lives in Virginia and may be contacted at bobwq@hotmail.com

Reviews

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great book to read about actually spy meetings and then to go to the places and see them in person. I had fun using it as a type of travel guide while I spent a few months in D.C.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a super fun read for anyone interested in the history of both DC and the intelligence community. The book essentially tracks all the major spy-related events that have taken place in the DMV area, spanning the Civil War to the War on Terror. It includes details about each event and photos of the related locations. It's definitely a cursory glance at the intersection of these two topics, but worth the read, especially for history buffs.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spy sites with the emphasis on sites. The primary guider of this book is the location where clandestine activity occurred. Details of the actual events would have been a much better read. That is not the focus so the events are kept in limited detail. It works for anyone familiar with the area who might want to know if something occurred at a specific site of what occurred. The spy details give some insight into motivation for spying and methods utilized.

[Fan Chaoch'i]

I am a student in DC, and I use this book as some sort of a travel guide, for example,I found out the Safeway supermarket I go every weekend in Georgetown turns out to be the venue for an FBI recruitment pitch to KGB officer Dimmitry Yakushkin in 1982. Interesting……

4 Star for people live around

[bibliotekker Holman · Rating 4 out of 5]

An invaluable location based guide to past and present locations around Washington D.C. A fun read.

[Chris]

Interesting; reads as a cursory travel guide more than anything else. I forget how this ended up on my list but saw it at the library when I first moved here, which felt fitting.

[B_rodger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly organized, with lists by state/DC, and even by Metro stop! I’ve seen more of these than I realized. Really fun stuff.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic collection of locations are noted.
I love that James Jesus Angleton's residence is a spy site, including, the French cafe' that he favored.
The French cafe' is long gone. It is currently a pizzeria.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting collection of anecdotes but doesn’t work well as either a comprehensive history or a guide book.