Winston Churchill said, "Never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricane he will encounter.  The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that, once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events."

Good Hunting: An American Spymaster’s Story

By Jack Devine & Vernon Loeb 

A Review for Amazon

THIS IS NOT A NOVEL!  After reading the book and all the reviews, I think the most important thing that any potential reader needs to know is that this is not, and was obviously not intended to compete with  spy novels.  I say this because several of the negative reviews that I have read complain about the book being boring and having no intrigue or drama.  If you are looking for a story that is full of suspense, this is not a book that you will enjoy.  If, on the other hand, you are interested in how our nation collects information and influences events in other countries, this is an excellent choice.  I think you will find this an easy read.  The coauthor, Vernon Loeb, is a professional writer and the book is well written and polished.  While some discussions of this book may make it sound dry, I did not find the first part of this book that way.  The second part of the book, covering his time in private business after he left the CIA, might be more appropriate in a separate book. 

 

 It has been suggested that this is not a book for the average reader.  While I cannot be the judge of that, I do think it is a good book for the average voter.  Many comments that I have read about this book express emotion and a political opinion.  When a citizen chooses to vote, they vote not only for an individual but for the policies, that individual supports.  Understanding how the CIA functions helps us understand how these policies are carried out.  While it was not discussed in this book, a reader might, for instance, come away from reading it contemplating how different the outcome would have been for the interest of the United States if the CIA had carried out the operations in Benghazi, Libya in place of Ambassador Stevens, who was killed.  The ambassador was a high profile and high value target and his killing was a major success for our enemies.  It also had huge political implications in this country.  I think that reading this book will help the average person better understand our involvement in other countries.

 

WARNING!  This book does have an agenda.  I find it to be an excellent example of CIA tradecraft.  As Mr. Devine explains in his book, much of the work of a covert agent is to sell others, individuals and whole populations, on a worldview that enhances the interest of the United States.  He also worked in covert operations and supports the use of covert actions to bring about regime change in foreign countries.  Mr. Devine was stationed in Chile when Allende was overthrown.  When he states that “we did not promote the military coup that overthrew President Salvador Allende in 1973” he is apparently choosing his words carefully and referring specifically to the CIA.  He was good at his job and he still is.  This book markets Mr. Devine, the CIA, and covert actions well.  That said, it is both a fascinating and informative volume.