The Devil's Chessboard

Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government

De: David Talbot

Narrado por: Peter Altschuler

An explosive, headline-making portrait of Allen Dulles, the man who transformed the CIA into the most powerful—and secretive—colossus in Washington, from the founder of Salon.com and author of the New York Times bestseller Brothers.

America’s greatest untold story: the United States’ rise to world dominance under the guile of Allen Welsh Dulles, the longest-serving director of the CIA. Drawing on revelatory new materials—including newly discovered U.S. government documents, U.S. and European intelligence sources, the personal correspondence and journals of Allen Dulles’s wife and mistress, and exclusive interviews with the children of prominent CIA officials—Talbot reveals the underside of one of America’s most powerful and influential figures.

Dulles’s decade as the director of the CIA—which he used to further his public and private agendas—were dark times in American politics. Calling himself “the secretary of state of unfriendly countries,” Dulles saw himself as above the elected law, manipulating and subverting American presidents in the pursuit of his personal interests and those of the wealthy elite he counted as his friends and clients—colluding with Nazi-controlled cartels, German war criminals, and Mafiosi in the process. Targeting foreign leaders for assassination and overthrowing nationalist governments not in line with his political aims, Dulles employed those same tactics to further his goals at home, Talbot charges, offering shocking new evidence in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

An exposé of American power that is as disturbing as it is timely, The Devil’s Chessboard is a provocative and gripping story of the rise of the national security state—and the battle for America’s soul.

Compelling and Sad

This is an informative look at a complicated period of American history. saddly, many of the social and economic drivers of the Cold War are still with us.

Very insightful

Makes you realize how much our politicians hide from us and that the news we see is just managed propaganda. It really does matter who controls the message controls the people, (at least those listening).

His monument is around us

Operation PaperClip and Allen Dulles the corruption of our principles will be our downfall. "His monument is around us" are true words. The Deep State crosses parties and is unaccountable as it pulls the strings for corporations and its own agenda. I found the foundation of the CIA to be interesting and how he turned former NAZIs into intelligence assets to use against the Soviet Union for expedience sake. The JFK information was also very informative and how Dulles and politicians alike used the media to shape and create narratives, and used misinformation to destroy anyone who questioned things. This book was a good companion to "JFK and the Unspeakable" We need to know what happened in Dallas. It was a dark turning point for the country. Dulles' legacy lives on because ignorant American citizens who just go along. In the 1960s they assassinated a president, a senator running for president and a civil rights leader as well as some foreign leaders. Today they just assassinate you through useful idiots on social media and the press, Trump was a threat to their money grifting train and agenda, just like JFK was. I highly recommend this book.

Horrifying, Astounding, Uncomfortably Revealing!

I was almost totally ignorant of the JFK conspiracies before reading, but was curious and wasn't one of the types of people that believes official stories implicitly especially considering the abuse of public confidence that news media is engaged in around the recent election cycles. After reading about 10 chapters in I became extremely depressed. 10/10 a great read and a compelling performance by the narrator.

Allen Dulles is evil.

Great read. Gripping look at 20th century American history. Allen Dulles had his finger in the pot the entire time. I am a student of history, not of conspiracy theories, but this book weaves a tightly knit tale of Dulles's unabashed grasp for power over 50 years. I believe about 80% of this book is true.