Chatter

Uncovering the Echelon Surveillance Network and the Secret World of Global Eavesdropping

By: Patrick Radden Keefe

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

How does our government eavesdrop? Whom do they eavesdrop on? And is the interception of communication an effective means of predicting and preventing future attacks? These are some of the questions at the heart of Patrick Radden Keefe’s brilliant new book, Chatter.

In the late 1990s, when Keefe was a graduate student in England, he heard stories about an eavesdropping network led by the United States that spanned the planet. The system, known as Echelon, allowed America and its allies to intercept the private phone calls and e-mails of civilians and governments around the world. Taking the mystery of Echelon as his point of departure, Keefe explores the nature and context of communications interception, drawing together fascinating strands of history, fresh investigative reporting, and riveting, eye-opening anecdotes. The result is a bold and distinctive book, part detective story, part travel-writing, part essay on paranoia and secrecy in a digital age.

Chatter starts out at Menwith Hill, a secret eavesdropping station covered in mysterious, gargantuan golf balls, in England’s Yorkshire moors. From there, the narrative moves quickly to another American spy station hidden in the Australian outback; from the intelligence bureaucracy in Washington to the European Parliament in Brussels; from an abandoned National Security Agency base in the mountains of North Carolina to the remote Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia.

As Keefe chases down the truth of contemporary surveillance by intelligence agencies, he unearths reams of little-known information and introduces us to a rogue’s gallery of unforgettable characters. We meet a former British eavesdropper who now listens in on the United States Air Force for sport; an intelligence translator who risked prison to reveal an American operation to spy on the United Nations Security Council; a former member of the Senate committee on intelligence who says that oversight is so bad, a lot of senators only sit on the committee for the travel.

Provocative, often funny, and alarming without being alarmist, Chatter is a journey through a bizarre and shadowy world with vast implications for our security as well as our privacy. It is also the debut of a major new voice in nonfiction.

Listen to an interviewwith Patrick Radden Keefe on Fresh Air.

©2005 Patrick Radden Keefe (P)2005 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Mr. Keefe writes, crisply and entertainingly, as an interested private citizen rather than an expert." (The New York Times)

"Intelligent and polemical, Keefe's study is sure to spark some political chatter of its own." (Publishers Weekly)

A Must Read for 2006 Survival

During early 2006, it became clear that political forces exploiting the technical collection capabilities of the NSA have been at work for a long time monitoring citizens of the US.

This book is a "Survival Must Read" whatever your political affiliation or level of understanding. Too few Americans grasp the incredible technology capable of intruding into their personal privacy. Our basic thoughts regarding Privacy and Constitutional Rights are ill-formed at best. Perhaps we trust the political process too much? Maybe or perhaps we are just unaware.

Patrick Keefe has written a remarkably well articulated and politically neutral documentary. This excellent work will help the reader/listener understand technical collection (SIGINT), aka 'evesdropping' from beginning to end. More importantly, Mr. Keefe explores the political, constitutional and moral implications to such a superb degree, that the reader becomes empowered to form his/her own opinions in a well developed and mature manner.

If you want to survive the spin regarding the NSA and associated political monkey-business, this book is a "Must Read".

Good but not great

The book does an okay job discussing some of the world of SIGINT. The book doesn't progress to solid conclusions, but as previous reviewer said, tends to jump around.

As a former SIGINT worker, I think that the book best details the goverments over reliance on technical intelligence as well as indirectly exposes the results of the brain drain of the 80's from the agencies as we left to join the "gold rush" of technology start-ups.

The best parts for me are the discussion of how public technologies have caught and surpassed NSA capabilities. There are some interesting character analysis of people who do this work. As a former traffic and crypto-analyst, I have to agree with the section on how we perceive ourselves, relative to the others within the intelligence community.

Fascinating

One of the delights of this audiobook is the clever and deft writing. For a guy who claims he is not an investigative reporter, he sure fooled me. This audiobook is full of "Really!" moments--and it does offer a good, critical evaluation of claims, counterclaims and explanations about intelligence gathering. The narration is wonderful and even those reasonably familiar with Elint and Sigint will find a LOT here of value. You'll be recommending this audiobook to friends!

Great Insight

Fascinating look into how the government spies on everyone. Gives a historical good overview of eavesdropping by the NSA, and other agencies. Also discusses the ethics of eavesdropping and the debates by leaders on this issues. Very good read. Try it!

Below expectations

Wow! You mean the government is listening to us? I had no idea. The book has a few interesting points to make but it jumps around too much.

Biased book with interesting anecdotes

Chatter sheds light on many failures of the intelligence community and specifically the NSA. However, the author, fails to understand and deliver the reasons "why?". His left leaning rhetoric gets in the way of what could have been a well written evaluation of the NSA and SIGINT at large. One example, author complains about polygraph examiners instead of linguists being hired after 9/11, without understanding how the linguist needs were being met by the NSA and the agency's need for examiners instead of more linguists.

Chatter maybe worth buying 75% off from the deeply discounted shelves outside Barnes and Nobles. Otherwise save your Audible credit, and read the book's mediocre highlights online.

Overrated

Highly overrated by prior reviewers in my mind. There are some interesting tidbits, but jumps around a lot, not really a cohesive story. I really do not need a list of listening posts around the world. The fact that the government is listening where it can is not surprising.

Need to know what is going on with Big Brother

Can?t stop listening it. Great book.