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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Gatekeepers , a remarkable, behind-the-scenes look at what it''s like to run the world''s most powerful intelligence agency, and how the CIA is often a crucial counterforce against presidents threatening to overstep the powers of their office. Only 11 men and one woman are alive today who have made the life-and-death decisions that come with running the world''s most powerful and influential intelligence service . With unprecedented, deep access to nearly all these individuals, Chris Whipple tells the story of an agency that answers to the United States president , but whose activities -- spying, espionage, and covert action -- take place on every continent. At pivotal moments, the CIA acts as a brake on rogue presidents , starting in the mid-seventies with DCI Richard Helms’ refusal to conceal Richard Nixon’s criminality and continuing recently as the actions of a CIA whistleblower ignited impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump . Since its inception in 1947, the Central Intelligence Agency has been a powerful player on the world stage, operating largely in the shadows to protect American interests. For The Spymasters , Whipple conducted extensive, exclusive interviews with nearly every living CIA director, pulling back the curtain on the world''s elite spy agency and showing how the CIA partners -- or clashes -- with counterparts in Britain, France, Germany, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Russia . Topics covered in the book include attempts by presidents to use the agency for their own ends; simmering problems in the Middle East and Asia; rogue nuclear threats; and cyberwarfare . The Spymasters recounts seven decades of CIA activity and elicits predictions about the issues -- and threats -- that will engage the attention of future operatives and analysts. Including eye-opening interviews with George Tenet, John Brennan, Leon Panetta and David Petraeus, as well as those who''ve just recently departed the agency, this is a timely, essential and important contribution to current events . ...
