Circle of Treason

CIA Traitor Aldrich Ames and the Men He Betrayed

De: Sandra V. Grimes, Jeanne Vertefeuille

Narrado por: Janet Metzger

While there have been other books about Aldrich Ames, Circle of Treason is the first account written by CIA agents who were key members of the CIA team that conducted the intense "Ames Mole Hunt."

Sandra Grimes and Jeanne Vertefeuille were two of the five principals of the CIA team tasked with hunting one of their own and were directly responsible for identifying Ames as the mole, leading to his arrest and conviction.

One of the most destructive traitors in American history, CIA officer Aldrich Ames provided information to the Soviet Union that contributed to the deaths of at least ten Soviet intelligence officers who spied for the United States. In this book, the two CIA officers directly responsible for tracking down Ames chronicle their involvement in the hunt for a mole. Considering it their personal mission, Grimes and Vertefeuille dedicated themselves to identifying the traitor responsible for the execution or imprisonment of the Soviet agents with whom they worked.

Their efforts eventually led them to a long-time acquaintance and coworker in the CIA's Soviet-East European division and Counterintelligence Center, Aldrich Ames.

Not only is this the first book to be written by the CIA principals involved, but it is also the first to provide details of the operational contact with the agents Ames betrayed. The book covers the political aftermath of Ames's arrest, including the Congressional wrath for not identifying him sooner, the FBI/CIA debriefings following Ames's plea bargain, and a retrospective of Ames the person and Ames the spy. It is also the compelling story of two female agents, who overcame gender barriers and succeeded in bringing Ames to justice in a historically male-oriented organization.

Now retired from the CIA, Grimes and Vertefeuille are finally able to tell this inside story of the CIA's most notorious traitor and the men he betrayed.

©2012 Sandra Grimes and Jeanne Vertefeuille (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Reads like a police report but interesting anyway

What made the experience of listening to Circle of Treason the most enjoyable?

Those expecting either a traditional linear storyline or page turner will be disappointed but that doesn't mean this take doesn't have its pluses. It is oddly structured - starting out with bios of the case officers who investigated and caught Ames, followed by biographical profiles of those he betrayed, then the investigation itself. Only toward the end of the book is there a profile of Ames. The reader is required to piece much of this into a coherent timeline/narrative. Taken together the reader gets an overall understanding of his crimes but less so about the man. Will hardly keep the reader on the edge of their seat but is enough to reveal the banality of the man, the doggedness of his pursuers, and the gravity of his crimes.

What does Janet Metzger bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Narration is okay but matches the "Just the facts M'am" tone if the book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

A bit too dry for that.

Short but informative.

In depth story from the people that were there, but dont expect a thrilling or dramatic tale on how it went down.

An Astounding Read

Circle of Treason is an absolutely fascinating look at not only the Ames case, but the Cold War CIA as a whole. It definitely drives home the point that the heroes who protect the United States aren't just on the battlefield. We owe these people a tremendous debt, all the more so because so much of what they do, and have done, will never be known but to a very select few.

Sandra Grimes is a hero

The talented and diligent work of Agents Grimes and Vertefeuille is absolutely awe inspiring. I had the opportunity to briefly meet Agent Grimes and she is an absolute hero. Her service to this nation is impeccable.

I would love to see a movie produced about this story of two intelligent and wonderful women tracking down this belligerent man.

The title should be “The Men Aldrich Ames Betrayed”

The last three hours of the book is devoted to Ames. The preceding time is devoted to highlighting misogyny within The Agency, and, unwittingly its inherent ineptitude.

In the Prologue, the authors boast that their story is especially noteworthy because they are not writers. The ensuing content is arduously presented, resulting from the writers’ lack of storytelling ability, which the listener is forced to endure.

The coauthors take turns patting each other on the back for doing their jobs, and overlook the fact that their department abetted Ames by turning a blind eye to his blatantly obvious treasonous activity.

Behind the scenes detail of spy hunting

Other books on espionage and spy catching have a more riveting narrative arc. This is more technical in telling the story (we did this, then we did that). But it adds detail from those directly involved which complements other accountings of the incidents discusses.

very interesting look at the CIA & FBI

using the same woman to be both authors was a bit confusing at the start, but once past their biographical bits at the beginning but once into the story's main narrative it was fine

Very dry

This was too granular an approach for my taste. I was curious about Ames after reading another book about a Russian who spotted for us and was betrayed by Ames. This book took a long time to get to the point for me.

Informative

Although the information good. The story was hard to follow due to the nature of dry storytelling. The performance could have been better.

Enjoyed it

Lots of actual info which made it compelling. Recommend it. Enjoyed this book very much
Narrator was good