A State of Mind: Faith and the CIA

by Rolf Mowatt-Larssen

"A State of Mind: Faith and the CIA" is a memoir of the life and work of a CIA officer. It is also a journey of faith. During the Cold War, the art of handling and recruiting spies was the focus of intelligence work. In those days, the practice of espionage raised serious moral and ethical issues, but it was a well-established and universally accepted form of statecraft. The shocking 9/11/2001 terrorist attack on America forced a fundamental reassessment of the purpose of intelligence and its role in safeguarding a nation. US intelligence, the military, and their allies waged a global war against terrorism using extraordinary means that raised unprecedented moral and ethical issues. Spies were joined by drones. Extreme measures were developed to kill, capture and interrogate terrorists. A reluctant witness to history was compelled to answer the call from God and country.

396 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2020

Reviews

[Anthony Cappoferri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pleasantly Surprised

THOROUGHLY enjoyed reading this book. What a surprise! A random recommendation on social media that seemed interesting enough for me to buy with nothing more than the brief overview provided. Seriously enjoyed reading this book that crossed between two seemingly disparate worlds of spirituality and espionage. It’s hard to pick which were more exciting: the author’s mystical dreams and visions or his real world larger than life heroism in the shadow’s and corridors of foreign lands working with the CIA. A truly fascinating read that I can’t help but to recommend. Very grateful to the author both for his service to our Nation and for putting pen to paper with the creation of this book.

[Elizabeth Scott Tervo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very strange, strange book. The author alternates between memoir of his CIA experiences, and religious visions. One thing he does spectacularly: you are reading along and suddenly you don't know which world you are in and it gives you a shiver! That's great technique.
However, there are sections which are quite dull: accounts of discussions among agents/government.

[John Swanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent memoir!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I highly recommended to anyone who is interested in national security, and/or spiritual things. This book has a wonderful mix of both.

[Doyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not your usually CIA case officer memoir. It is interwoven with spiritual dream sequences, which is alluded to within the title. However, if one is only interested within the intelligence aspect, it is worth read. There is reference to the threat or feasibility of terrorist acquisition of an Improvised Nuclear Device as opposed to Radioactive Dispersal Device (a.k.a. Dirty Bomb). This as well as the spiritual component are illuminating and worth the read.

[Mark Laurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark KHS 72

Does Rolf take us through his life as a spy and how it affected his faith journey or visa versa? Both paths intersect for decades to reach a conclusion. This book is very enjoyable, well paced and enlightening on both fronts.