The Agency: A History of the CIA

By: Hugh Wilford, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Hugh Wilford

Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

There’s a fundamental tension buried within the heart of the CIA’s mission to protect the American people: between democratic accountability and the inherent need for secrecy. Ultimately, it’s US citizens who bear the responsibility of staying informed about what the CIA has done and continues to do.

In these 24 engrossing lectures, explore the roles the CIA has played in recent American history, from the eve of the Cold War against communism to the 21st-century War on Terror. You’ll delve into some of the most remarkable successes, including the sound intelligence CIA spy planes provided during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the admirable performance of the CIA throughout much of the Vietnam War, as well as historic failures, including the agency’s slowness spotting the rise of radical Islamism (including the September 11 attacks).

In many cases, the lectures lead you to consider important questions about the nature of the CIA and its role in shaping modern history. What makes particular regions of the world ripe for the CIA’s attention? How successful are techniques like drone strikes, rendition, and interrogation? How does the CIA compare with its depiction in much of popular culture?

Here, in Professor Wilford’s unbiased exploration of the CIA’s inner workings, is everything you need to come to your own conclusions about what “the Agency” might have done right, what it might have done wrong, and what it should do in the future.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 The Great Courses (P)2019 The Teaching Company, LLC

Idk other ppl are hearing,but this is a great book

I had seen what ppl had written for reviews but love the topic and had a great experience with another great courses title so I decided to give it a shot. Idk what those ppl are hearing but the performer/professor was great not only in the way it was read style wise but also in the way you can tell he researched the topic well. I loved it and would recommend it to anyone. I thought I knew a lot about this topic but now I see I still have much more to learn.

A deeply fascinating, largely objective take on a controversial topic

Prof. Wilford provides a thorough history of some of the agency’s most famous or infamous intelligence and covert operations since the 1940s. His perspective as an academic and foreign national provides a perspective mostly free of either the fawning hardline coverage of some, or the invective polemic of others in American society and he provides a neat and concise description of the personalities and contemporary political reasonings behind many world shaping decisions made behind closed doors by agency and government officials.

This same perspective does lead him to oversimplify a handful of important events and succumb to the “conventional knowledge” take on some more modern (and thus more immediately controversial) topics and there are a handful of pronunciation errors, some of which are recurring that are a touch difficult at times.

Overall, though, I have not found nearly as good or objective of a history of the CIA or American covert action abroad anywhere else and am deeply grateful for the learning experience and would recommend this to anyone hoping for a better understanding of the subject.

I Spy

If you’re interested in spies and the troubles they got into in the 50s and 60s and 70s and beyond,This is book for you. The authors narration is a bit rough in places due to mispronounced words and locations. Otherwise, the writing is incredibly good. Very interesting information.

Gripping. Insightful. Sometimes stunning

Professor Wilford talks about the legacy of the C. I. A. throughout history and despite living through much of it, it is newsworthy and sometimes disturbing. Well researched, excellent story telling and balanced views. Highly recommend it!

An honest assessment

I found the lecturer's perspective fairly neutral, but not without failing to provide his own perspective on key events. There's nothing wrong with that if you're a rational person who can listen to and evaluate another's position based on facts and merit. I feel like many of the negative reviews of this course provide a commentary more on the state of US political discourse than the content of this book: I see a lot of people who can't abide dissent and mistake critical thinking for "liberal bias" simply because the lecturer fails to cater to some readers' sense of American exceptionalism. I'll say this: I found the course topics informative and thought-provoking; but if you believe that Oliver North is an American hero or that the invasion of Iraq was a justified response to 9/11, this course might not be a safe space for your beliefs.

Interesting history of Our Spies, modest bias

Very enjoyable review of the prehistory and history of the CIA. In general, the professor was unbiased. By the end, some of his anti-CIA views leaked through -- especially when he got into the Bush era. Overall, though, worth the listen.

Everything you wanted to know about the CIA

Informative, Entertaining and sometimes Surprising. Well written, in depth history of the CIA. You will find things you suspected and things you may never have known. These lectures are well worth the time it takes to listen to them all

Great until the end

I loved this course until the final three chapters when, worked intentionally or unintentionally, the author’s personal bias impacted his ability to objectively communicate post 9-11 history.

Story only

one is only getting a story in this lecture if you call it that your getting a narrative simply put a story NOT THE STORY, take note of subjects mention then research you'll know, otherwise I like the CIA as honorable arm for the country national security interest not private ones.

Balanced, well researched and I love it!

I read numerous books on security and the CIA too, this is by far the most well research and the least partisan.
Job well done.
It is worth every penny.
Thank you