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Title: Spy Dust : Two Masters of Disguise Reveal the Tools and Operations That Helped Win the Cold War by Antonio Mendez, Jonna Mendez, Bruce Henderson ISBN: 0-7434-2853-6 Publisher: Atria Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.21 (14 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Enjoyable, fascinating account of real world spying
Comment: I found this book to be an engrossing look at the real world of espionage. While reading the book I felt like I was reading a script for a spy movie. It's hard to believe that people actually use some of the techniques that you see on the big screen. I'd like to disagree with some of the other reviews about the book. The love story actually is a minor part of the overall structure of the book. I think it makes the authors seem more real and human rather than your usual stereotypical super spy that can leap buildings in single bound. Although I wouldn't consider the book a pinnacle of literary prose, it is very readable and, in general, well written. I particularly enjoyed their detailed decriptions of the actual operations. I felt like I actually got a taste (at least on a superficial level) of the tension, planning, stress, and adrenaline rush that must go on during an operation. I also found Jonna's version of events more enjoyable than Tony's. As to the reviewer who said that there weren't gadgets, well he must have been reading the wrong book. I found plenty of mention of various techniques, but of course they couldn't describe it in detail. I'm sure alot of it is still being used in the field and is still classified! At any rate, this book gives you a good sampling of what the life of real life spies are like and I highly recommend it for a quick informative read.
Rating: 4
Summary: Fascinating, but what's real?
Comment: In the 1980s, after years of success in their operations against the Soviet Union, the CIA suddenly finds that the KGB has them outmaneuvered at every step. When it becomes clear that a vitally important Soviet informer must be spirited out of the country, CIA agents Antonio "Tony" Mendez and Jonna Goeser know that they cannot rely on the old methods of working, but must devise a whole new set of tactics. This is the story of Tony and Jonna, and the greatest American intelligence coup of the 20th century.
This book is not a mere retelling of historical events, instead it is history written in the form of a novel. Along the story, the authors trace their adventures, their deduction, and their burgeoning love. The story is well written, and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Indeed, the one complaint I have against this book is that its narrative form left me wondering what was real and what was added. (After all, who can remember the words of every conversation one had over a number of years?) And, as a side complaint, while the Russians' use of a strange "spy dust" is mentioned; it is almost completely absent from the story, in spite of what the title might suggest.
But, in spite of my complaints, I must say that I greatly enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it to you.
Rating: 5
Summary: Authoritative Voice
Comment: Like Antonio Mendez' first book, Master of Disguise, this excellent entry in true espionage is filled with the nuts and bolts of daily intelligence work. As described in the book, it is a life that is messy, frustrating, and in the odd rare moment, filled with coincidences that are all the more satisfying because they are true. The tone is light, crisp and clear. As one would expect from Bruce Henderson, the story is narrative-driven, providing a human element and strong sense of place within the events described. The book offers no "dirt" on the CIA - Mendez is a loyal company man - but there is much insight into the workings of the organization during tumultuous and key years. The glossary is thorough without being exhaustive. Non-fiction fans and those interested in espionage will be pleased. David R. Bannon, Ph.D.; author "Race Against Evil."
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Title: The Master of Disguise : My Secret Life in the CIA by Antonio J. Mendez ISBN: 0060957913 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 07 November, 2000 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Inside Cia's Private World: Declassified Articles from the Agency's Internal Journal, 1955-1992 by H. Bradford Westerfield ISBN: 0300072643 Publisher: Yale University Press Pub. Date: 01 September, 1997 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism by Robert Baer ISBN: 140004684X Publisher: Three Rivers Press Pub. Date: 07 January, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The Spy's Guide: Office Espionage by H. Keith Melton, Craig Piligian, Duane Swierczynski ISBN: 1931686602 Publisher: Quirk Books Pub. Date: November, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Inside the CIA by Ronald Kessler ISBN: 067173458X Publisher: Pocket Pub. Date: 01 February, 1994 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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