Casey: The Lives and Secrets of William J. Casey: from the OSS to the CIA

by Joseph E. Persico

A biography of Ronald Reagan's CIA director reveals the history of the man at the center of Reagan's foreign policy, tracing his journey from poverty to wealth, power and scandal

Genres: Biography, History, Politics, Espionage, Government, Biography Memoir, Nonfiction

601 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Joseph E. Persico was the author of Roosevelt’s Secret War: FDR and World War II Espionage; Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour: Armistice Day, 1918–World War I and Its Violent Climax; Piercing the Reich; and Nuremberg: Infamy on Trial, which was made into a television docudrama. He also collaborated with Colin Powell on his autobiography, My American Journey. He lives in Guilderland, New York.

Reviews

[✨ Helena ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a biography about a rather controversial CIA director. He was one of the fundamental figures in forming the OSS, which then led to the creation of the CIA. The book began with his years as a spy, moving on to when he became a lawyer, and later as he served as the SEC chairman. The rest of the book focused on his relationship with President Reagan. Casey was his campaign manager during his 1980 run for president. After Reagan won, Casey was awarded the position of CIA Director. During his tenure, Casey funded the the mujahadeen resistance in Afghanistan (which led to the rise of Osama bin Laden), in addition to being involved in a variety of other scandals.

While the man himself was fascinating, this book certainly wasn't. Then again, that might be an unfair assessment as I've been drowning in required reading for university lately, and I might just be tired. *shrugs*

[Jordison Francisco · Rating 4 out of 5]

William J. Casey was born on this day in 1913.
From the Office of Strategic Services in World War II to Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 1981 to 1987, William Casey’s life is as fascinating as the mysteries he left behind.
He was the first Director of Central Intelligence that I was aware of as a child of the 80s, reading all I could get my hands on related to warfare, special operations and the world of intelligence. I was riveted by the Iran-Contra Affair as I watched it unfold in real time in newspapers, magazine articles and on television. In junior high I was reading the Tower Commission Report when William Casey passed away on May 6, 1987.
On December 16, 1986, he was scheduled to testify before the Senate intelligence committee on Iran-Contra. On December 15, as a CIA doctor took his blood pressure in his office at CIA Headquarters, he suffered a seizure. He would never testify.
For more of the life, times and secrets of William J. Casey, read CASEY by Joseph E. Persico, VEIL by Bob Woodward, and LEGACY OF ASHES by Tim Weiner.

[Martin Pepe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of the man who was instrumental in the forming of the OSS, the precursor to the CIA. Under Reagan, he took control of the most secret parts of the U.S. government. It starts with his upbringing and later moves to his clandestine work forming the OSS with it's leader "Wild" Bill Donovan during WWII. After the war he was a lawyer who eventually became chairman of the SEC. But is third act was his most important and controversial. He became the campaign manager for Ronald Reagan during his run for president in 1980 and was rewarded by the President who made him Director of the CIA. With that he became one of the most powerful men in the 80's often hiding what he was doing secretly on the international stage from everyone, even the president himself. Casey funded the the mujahadeen resistance in Afghanistan, which would eventually give us Osama Bin Laden and was the mastermind behind the Iran-Contra scandal. A truly fascinating tale of a powerful man and the darkest recesses of the US government.

[Bob Costello · Rating 3 out of 5]

Casey was a very interesting subject. Fordham University grad. His first career choice was to be a social worker but ended up being spy, lawyer, writer and venture capitalist. Worked in the Nixon, Ford and Reagan administration. After the New Hampshire primary in 1980, Reagan fired John Sears as campaign manager and replaced him with Casey. This was a very interesting good read.

[Samuel Holcombe · Rating 4 out of 5]

shows the banality of leadership