Light decorated covers with stapled spine. Edge wear and corner bumps. Clean, tight pages and binding. Pull out war games included. 11x8.5 with 81 pages

Pentagon Games: Wargames and the American Military

Politics & Social Sciences

PRADOS, John

Politics & Government

Harpercollins

From his years as America's point man in Vietnam to his mysterious death in 1996, William E. Colby was one of the most enigmatic figures of the Cold War. Whether it was in CIA operations against Russia, anti-Communism in Western Europe, covert action in Southeast Asia, or its involvement in the Watergate affair, Colby stood at the center of the agency's secret activities. Lost Crusader for the first time uncovers the real story of this master spy, from his beginnings in the OSS to his tumultuous years as Director of Central Intelligence in the 1970s. Reviled by many outside the CIA for his role in Vietnam, he was later cast as a scapegoat by the Nixon White House during the Church and Pike congressional investigations of CIA activities. Based on extensive research and interviews with key participants, John Prados offers new revelations on the CIA in Western Europe and elsewhere: a fresh analysis of the notorious Phoenix program in Vietnam, and the most authoritative account of agency involvement in the bloody Indonesian coup of 1965 that overthrew Sukarno and brought General Suharto to power. Moreover, Prados has uncovered new evidence on the CIA's role in the 1963 assassination of President Ngo Dinh Diem of South Vietnam and also furnishes the first account of the action at the top level of the CIA during the final demise of South Vietnam in 1975. A masterful study of a master spy, Lost Crusader offers vital insight into the Cold War, Vietnam, and the inner workings of the CIA.

Lost Crusader: The Secret Wars of CIA Director William Colby

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

Oxford University Press

The US Special Forces: What Everyone Needs to Know®

The assassination of Osama bin Laden by SEAL Team 6 in May 2011 will certainly figure among the greatest achievements of US Special Forces. After nearly ten years of searching, they descended into his Pakistan compound in the middle of the night, killed him, and secreted the body back into Afghanistan. Interest in these forces had always been high, but it spiked to new levels following this success. There was a larger lesson here too. For serious jobs, the president invariably turns to the US Special Forces: the SEALs, Delta Force, the Green Berets, and the USAF's Special Tactics squad. Given that secretive grab-and-snatch operations in remote locales characterize contemporary warfare as much as traditional firefights, the Special Forces now fill a central role in American military strategy and tactics. Not surprisingly, the daring and secretive nature of these commando operations has generated a great deal of interest. The American public has an overwhelmingly favorable view of the forces, and nations around the world recognize them as the most capable fighting units: the tip of the American spear, so to speak. But how much do we know about them? What are their origins? What function do they fill in the larger military structure? Who can become a member? What do trainees have to go through? What sort of missions do Special Forces perform, and what are they expected to accomplish? Despite their importance, much of what they do remains a mystery because their operations are clandestine and the sources elusive. In The US Special Forces: What Everyone Needs to Know, eminent scholar John Prados brings his deep expertise to the subject and provides a pithy primer on the various components of America's special forces. The US military has long employed Special Forces in some form or another, but it was in the Cold War when they assumed their present form, and in Vietnam where they achieved critical mass. Interestingly, the Special Forces suffered a rapid decline in numbers after that conflict despite the fact that the United States had already identified terrorism as a growing security threat. The revival of Special Forces began under the Reagan administration. After 9/11 they experienced explosive growth, and are now integral to all US military missions. Prados traces how this happened and examines the various roles the Special Forces now play. They have taken over many functions of the regular military, a trend that Prados does not expect will end any time soon. This will be a definitive primer on the elite units in the most powerful military the world has ever known.

History

Military

In December 1974, a front-page story in the New York Times revealed the explosive details of illegal domestic spying by the Central Intelligence Agency. This included political surveillance, eavesdropping, detention, and interrogation. The revelation of illegal activities over many years shocked the American public and led to investigations of the CIA by a presidential commission and committees in both houses of Congress, which found evidence of more abuse, even CIA plans for assassinations. Investigators and the public soon discovered that the CIA abuses were described in a top-secret document agency insiders dubbed the “Family Jewels.” That document became ground zero for a political firestorm that lasted more than a year. The “Family Jewels” debacle ultimately brought about greater congressional oversight of the CIA, but excesses such as those uncovered in the 1970s continue to come to light. The Family Jewels probes the deepest secrets of the CIA and its attempts to avoid scrutiny. John Prados recounts the secret operations that constituted “Jewels” and investigators’ pursuit of the truth, plus the strenuous efforts—by the agency, the executive branch, and even presidents—to evade accountability. Prados reveals how Vice President Richard Cheney played a leading role in intelligence abuses and demonstrates that every type of “Jewel” has been replicated since, especially during the post-9/11 war on terror. The Family Jewels masterfully illuminates why these abuses are endemic to spying, shows that proper relationships are vital to control of intelligence, and advocates a system for handling “Family Jewels” crises in a democratic society.

The Family Jewels: The CIA, Secrecy, and Presidential Power (Discovering America)

Americas

University of Texas Press

In December 1974, a front-page story in the New York Times revealed the explosive details of illegal domestic spying by the Central Intelligence Agency. This included political surveillance, eavesdropping, detention, and interrogation. The revelation of illegal activities over many years shocked the American public and led to investigations of the CIA by a presidential commission and committees in both houses of Congress, which found evidence of more abuse, even CIA plans for assassinations. Investigators and the public soon discovered that the CIA abuses were described in a top-secret document agency insiders dubbed the "Family Jewels." That document became ground zero for a political firestorm that lasted more than a year. The "Family Jewels" debacle ultimately brought about greater congressional oversight of the CIA, but excesses such as those uncovered in the 1970s continue to come to light.
The Family Jewels probes the deepest secrets of the CIA and its attempts to avoid scrutiny. John Prados recounts the secret operations that constituted "Jewels" and investigators' pursuit of the truth, plus the strenuous efforts—by the agency, the executive branch, and even presidents—to evade accountability. Prados reveals how Vice President Richard Cheney played a leading role in intelligence abuses and demonstrates that every type of "Jewel" has been replicated since, especially during the post-9/11 war on terror. The Family Jewels masterfully illuminates why these abuses are endemic to spying, shows that proper relationships are vital to control of intelligence, and advocates a system for handling "Family Jewels" crises in a democratic society.
With a new epilogue that discusses former CIA employee Edward Snowden's revelation of massive covert surveillance by the NSA, this powerful accounting of intelligence abuses committed by the CIA from the Cold War through the war on terror reveals why such abuses and attempts to conceal them are endemic to spying and proposes how a democratic nation can rein in its spymasters.

Created in 1947, the Central Intelligence Agency plays an important part in the nation's intelligence activities, and is currently playing a vital role in the war on terrorism. While the agency is often in the news and portrayed in television shows and films, it remains one of the most secretive and misunderstood organizations in the United States. This work provides an in-depth look into the Central Intelligence Agency and how its responsibilities affect American life.
After a brief history of the agency, chapters describe its organization, intelligence/counterintelligence, covert operations, controversies, key events, and notable people.

The Central Intelligence Agency: Security under Scrutiny (Understanding Our Government)

Theoharis, Athan G.

Immerman, Richard H.

Olmsted, Kathryn

True Crime

Greenwood

A provocative investigation of American intelligence operations that are aimed at finding out about the Soviets -- how we gather and analyze the intelligence and how it affects the U.S. government policy and public opinion.

The SOVIET ESTIMATE. U.S. Intelligence Analysis and Russian Military Strength.

Dial, (1982)

s/t: The U.S. Bombing Mission in Indochina, 1954 
This is the true story of Operation Vulture, a plan designed by President Eisenhower & his advisors to provide major US involvement in support of the French at Dien Bien Phu where they were locked in a deadly battle with the Vietnamese. the proposal included heavy bombing missions with the possible use of atomic bombs, grounds troops & the possibility of war with China. Prados recreates the series of meetings from declassified documents, meetings that included Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson, Winston Churchill & other high ranking political figures.

The sky would fall: Operation Vulture : the U.S. bombing mission in Indochina, 1954

DIAL PRESS

Draws on secret United States government records, personal letters, diaries, and eyewitness accounts to divulge the true story of the crucial Vietnam battle of Khe Sanh

Valley of Decision: The Siege of Khe Sanh

Stubbe, Ray W.

Asia

Houghton/Mifflin

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by PRADOS, John. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by PRADOS, John

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by PRADOS, John. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Pentagon Games: Wargames and the American Military

Lost Crusader: The Secret Wars of CIA Director William Colby

The US Special Forces: What Everyone Needs to Know®

The US Special Forces: What Everyone Needs to Know®

The Family Jewels: The CIA, Secrecy, and Presidential Power (Discovering America)

The Family Jewels: The CIA, Secrecy, and Presidential Power (Discovering America)

The Central Intelligence Agency: Security under Scrutiny (Understanding Our Government)

The SOVIET ESTIMATE. U.S. Intelligence Analysis and Russian Military Strength.

The sky would fall: Operation Vulture : the U.S. bombing mission in Indochina, 1954

Valley of Decision: The Siege of Khe Sanh