Blowing My Cover

My Life as a CIA Spy

By: Lindsay Moran

Narrated by: Jennifer Jill Araya

Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Call me naïve, but when I was a girl - watching James Bond and devouring Harriet the Spy - all I wanted was to grow up to be a spy. Unlike most kids, I didn't lose my secret-agent aspirations. So as a bright-eyed, idealistic college grad, I sent my resume to the CIA.

Getting in was a story in itself. I peed in more cups than you could imagine, and was nearly condemned as a sexual deviant by the staff psychologist. My roommates were getting freaked out by government investigators lurking around, asking questions about my past.

Finally, the CIA was training me to crash cars into barriers at 60 mph. Jump out of airplanes with cargo attached to my body. Survive interrogation, travel in alias, lose a tail. One thing they didn't teach us was how to date a guy while lying to him about what you do for a living. That I had to figure out for myself.

Then I was posted overseas. And that's when the real fun began.

©2005 Lindsay Moran Kegley (P)2021 Tantor

Blowing My Cover review

I really liked this book and was fully entertained the entire time and finished in a few days, which a book normally takes longer than that. Definitely worth a listen.

Good inside look

Like the author, I thought I wanted to be a spy when I was growing up. I was fascinated by the CIA and devoured LeCarre and other authors. But then the Iran Contra scandal came along when I was in college. I didn’t really understand the whole thing, but it made me realize that I wanted to be sure I was doing good in the world. How could I ever be sure of that in a highly compartmentalized agency where I would never have the full picture? So when the CIA came to campus, I walked past the table instead of stopping.

This book is the equivalent of that opportunity to reflect and understand what the life would be like for anyone considering that career. Is it a good path for you personally? There’s not a right or wrong answer…just knowing yourself and whether you are still drawn to the career after reading something more balanced than what you get through fiction and popular culture. For me personally, I’ve learned I can think in shades of grey, but it’s a lot harder to live those complexities.

I simultaneously recognize how critical intelligence is (I was in tears during her recounting of 9/11), while realizing that I wouldn’t have been a good fit for that career. When 9/11 came, I regretted not applying. I was so angry and wanted to fight back. I was also utterly miserable because I’d ended up in the corporate world, and that’s not a good fit for me either. However, this book makes me glad I didn’t apply to the CIA, and I appreciated the opportunity to put myself in the author’s shoes and live my decision differently through her eyes. It’s just as well sometimes, that there is a road not taken.

Exceptionally good Audible Plus!

This free Audible Plus book was better than half the books I have paid for! Highly recommend this true story!

Interesting Perspective; Too Much Fat Shaming

This author's story was interesting and well written (in terms of grammar and technique); it wasn't what I thought it would be about. It's more of a critique of CIA culture than stories of adventures. But it seems like every fat person she met as an agent needed a passage so she could complain about their weight and appearance. In none of these passages was the person's weight relevant. Oh, and don't forget her passage about a Bulgarian slum in which she complained about how dirty it was and she tried tried to interpret slum dwellers' feelings and behaviors. It's kind of pathetic; rich Ivy league white lady "ew"ing about fat people and poor people.

Amazing

This was a fantastic book, I highly recommend it to any reader. I definitely look forward to more of her work.

liberal leaning

after listening it seems like becoming an agent is easy. I can't imagine it's as simple as she made it. my army training seemed more difficult. I do believe having contacts were mostly mundane and not exciting. she didn't actually seem like she was very dedicated at all.

Angry Screed

Thesis: spying is bad and the CIA is bad for doing it. A few interesting stories, but otherwise just a former case officer complaining about how spying betrays people. Not worth your time.