-
Intelligence and Surprise Attack
- Failure and Success from Pearl Harbor to 9/11 and Beyond
- Narrated by: John N. Gully
- Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins
- Categories: Politics & Social Sciences, Politics & Government
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Audible Premium Plus
$14.95 a month
Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
To Catch a Spy
- The Art of Counterintelligence
- By: James M. Olson
- Narrated by: John McLain
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In To Catch a Spy: The Art of Counterintelligence, James M. Olson, former chief of CIA counterintelligence, offers a wake-up call for the American public and also a guide for how our country can do a better job of protecting its national security and trade secrets. Olson takes the listener into the arcane world of counterintelligence as he lived it during his 30-year career in the CIA.
-
-
Horrible Narrator
- By NN on 10-01-19
By: James M. Olson
-
How to Read a Book
- By: Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren
- Narrated by: Edward Holland
- Length: 15 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How to Read a Book, first published in 1940, is the best and most successful guide to reading comprehension for the general reader. Now it has been completely rewritten and updated.
-
-
If You Read Books, You Must Read This
- By Lulu on 06-07-12
By: Mortimer J. Adler, and others
-
Fair Play
- The Moral Dilemmas of Spying
- By: James M. Olson
- Narrated by: Joel Richards
- Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Revolutionary War officer Nathan Hale, one of America's first spies, said, "Any kind of service necessary to the public good becomes honorable by being necessary." A statue of Hale stands outside CIA headquarters, and the agency often cites his statement as one of its guiding principles. But who decides what is necessary for the public good, and is it really true that any kind of service is permissible for the public good? These questions are at the heart of James M. Olson's book, Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying.
-
-
overall best description boring
- By C on 04-05-19
By: James M. Olson
-
Being Logical
- A Guide to Good Thinking
- By: D.Q. McInerny
- Narrated by: Al Kessel
- Length: 3 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Logic is synonymous with reason, judgment, sense, wisdom, and sanity. Being logical is the ability to create concise and reasoned arguments - arguments that build from given premises, using evidence, to a genuine conclusion. But mastering logical thinking also requires studying and understanding illogical thinking, both to sharpen one's own skills and to protect against incoherent or deliberately misleading reasoning. Elegant, pithy, and precise, Being Logical breaks logic down to its essentials through clear analysis, accessible examples, and focused insights.
-
-
Very Easy To Absorb
- By Patrick A. Blank on 04-02-20
By: D.Q. McInerny
-
Analyzing Intelligence: Origins, Obstacles, and Innovations
- By: Roger Z. George (editor), James B. Bruce (editor)
- Narrated by: Eric Bodrero
- Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing on the individual and collective experience of recognized intelligence experts and scholars in the field, Analyzing Intelligence provides the first comprehensive assessment of the state of intelligence analysis since 9/11. Its in-depth and balanced evaluation of more than 50 years of U.S. analysis includes a critique of why it has under-performed at times.
-
-
A MUST READ FOR INTELLIGENCE GEEKS
- By DS on 02-18-13
By: Roger Z. George (editor), and others
-
Playing to the Edge
- American Intelligence in the Age of Terror
- By: Michael V. Hayden
- Narrated by: Michael V. Hayden
- Length: 16 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An unprecedented high-level master narrative of America's intelligence wars from the only person ever to helm both the CIA and NSA, at a time of heinous new threats and wrenching change. For General Michael Hayden, playing to the edge means playing so close to the line that you get chalk dust on your cleats. Otherwise, by playing back, you may protect yourself, but you will be less successful in protecting America.
-
-
excellent
- By ES on 03-13-16
-
To Catch a Spy
- The Art of Counterintelligence
- By: James M. Olson
- Narrated by: John McLain
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In To Catch a Spy: The Art of Counterintelligence, James M. Olson, former chief of CIA counterintelligence, offers a wake-up call for the American public and also a guide for how our country can do a better job of protecting its national security and trade secrets. Olson takes the listener into the arcane world of counterintelligence as he lived it during his 30-year career in the CIA.
-
-
Horrible Narrator
- By NN on 10-01-19
By: James M. Olson
-
How to Read a Book
- By: Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren
- Narrated by: Edward Holland
- Length: 15 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How to Read a Book, first published in 1940, is the best and most successful guide to reading comprehension for the general reader. Now it has been completely rewritten and updated.
-
-
If You Read Books, You Must Read This
- By Lulu on 06-07-12
By: Mortimer J. Adler, and others
-
Fair Play
- The Moral Dilemmas of Spying
- By: James M. Olson
- Narrated by: Joel Richards
- Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Revolutionary War officer Nathan Hale, one of America's first spies, said, "Any kind of service necessary to the public good becomes honorable by being necessary." A statue of Hale stands outside CIA headquarters, and the agency often cites his statement as one of its guiding principles. But who decides what is necessary for the public good, and is it really true that any kind of service is permissible for the public good? These questions are at the heart of James M. Olson's book, Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying.
-
-
overall best description boring
- By C on 04-05-19
By: James M. Olson
-
Being Logical
- A Guide to Good Thinking
- By: D.Q. McInerny
- Narrated by: Al Kessel
- Length: 3 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Logic is synonymous with reason, judgment, sense, wisdom, and sanity. Being logical is the ability to create concise and reasoned arguments - arguments that build from given premises, using evidence, to a genuine conclusion. But mastering logical thinking also requires studying and understanding illogical thinking, both to sharpen one's own skills and to protect against incoherent or deliberately misleading reasoning. Elegant, pithy, and precise, Being Logical breaks logic down to its essentials through clear analysis, accessible examples, and focused insights.
-
-
Very Easy To Absorb
- By Patrick A. Blank on 04-02-20
By: D.Q. McInerny
-
Analyzing Intelligence: Origins, Obstacles, and Innovations
- By: Roger Z. George (editor), James B. Bruce (editor)
- Narrated by: Eric Bodrero
- Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing on the individual and collective experience of recognized intelligence experts and scholars in the field, Analyzing Intelligence provides the first comprehensive assessment of the state of intelligence analysis since 9/11. Its in-depth and balanced evaluation of more than 50 years of U.S. analysis includes a critique of why it has under-performed at times.
-
-
A MUST READ FOR INTELLIGENCE GEEKS
- By DS on 02-18-13
By: Roger Z. George (editor), and others
-
Playing to the Edge
- American Intelligence in the Age of Terror
- By: Michael V. Hayden
- Narrated by: Michael V. Hayden
- Length: 16 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An unprecedented high-level master narrative of America's intelligence wars from the only person ever to helm both the CIA and NSA, at a time of heinous new threats and wrenching change. For General Michael Hayden, playing to the edge means playing so close to the line that you get chalk dust on your cleats. Otherwise, by playing back, you may protect yourself, but you will be less successful in protecting America.
-
-
excellent
- By ES on 03-13-16
-
Red Team
- How to Succeed by Thinking Like the Enemy
- By: Micah Zenko
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Red teaming. It is a practice as old as the Devil's Advocate, the 11th-century Vatican official charged with discrediting candidates for sainthood. Today, red teams - comprised primarily of fearless skeptics and those assuming the role of saboteurs who seek to better understand the interests, intentions, and capabilities of institutions or potential competitors - are used widely in both the public and private sector.
-
-
Repetitive
- By Pax S Whitmore on 07-12-16
By: Micah Zenko
-
The Failure of Risk Management
- Why It's Broken and How to Fix It, 2nd Edition
- By: Douglas W. Hubbard
- Narrated by: Stephen Bel Davies
- Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Failure of Risk Management provides effective solutions to significant faults in current risk analysis methods. Conventional approaches to managing risk lack accurate quantitative analysis methods, yielding strategies that can actually make things worse. Many widely used methods have no systems to measure performance, resulting in inaccurate selection and ineffective application of risk management strategies. These fundamental flaws propagate unrealistic perceptions of risk in business, government, and the general public.
-
-
Ready to shake your world?
- By John Feezell on 11-20-20
-
Psychology of Intelligence Analysis
- By: Richards J. Heuer Jr.
- Narrated by: Scott R. Pollak
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Psychology of Intelligence Analysis has been required reading for intelligence officers studying the art and science of intelligence analysis for decades. Richards Heuer, Jr. discusses in the audiobook how fundamental limitations in human mental processes can prompt people to jump to conclusions and employ other simplifying strategies that lead to predictably faulty judgments known as cognitive biases.
-
Agent Sonya
- Moscow's Most Daring Wartime Spy
- By: Ben Macintyre
- Narrated by: Ben Macintyre
- Length: 14 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1942, in a quiet village in the leafy English Cotswolds, a thin, elegant woman lived in a small cottage with her three children and her husband, who worked as a machinist nearby. Ursula Burton was friendly but reserved, and spoke English with a slight foreign accent. By all accounts, she seemed to be living a simple, unassuming life. Her neighbors in the village knew little about her.
-
-
A celebration of communism
- By Rodney on 10-17-20
By: Ben Macintyre
-
The Art of Intelligence
- Lessons from a Life in the CIA's Clandestine Service
- By: Henry A. Crumpton
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A legendary CIA spy and counterterrorism expert here tells the spellbinding story of his high-risk, action-packed career while illustrating the growing importance of America's intelligence officers and their secret missions. The Art of Intelligence draws from the full arc of Henry Crumpton's espionage and covert action exploits to explain what America's spies do and why their service is more valuable than ever.
-
-
A biographical Text Book.
- By Ron on 08-01-12
-
The Great Mental Models
- General Thinking Concepts
- By: Shane Parrish
- Narrated by: Shane Parrish
- Length: 3 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts is the first book in The Great Mental Models series designed to upgrade your thinking with the best, most useful and powerful tools so you always have the right one on hand. This volume details nine of the most versatile all-purpose mental models you can use right away to improve your decision making, your productivity, and how clearly you see the world.
-
-
A dissapointing debut
- By Peter on 04-14-19
By: Shane Parrish
-
How Spies Think
- Ten Lessons in Intelligence
- By: David Omand
- Narrated by: David Omand
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the former director of GCHQ, learn the methodology used by the British intelligence agencies to reach judgements, establish the right level of confidence and act decisively. Intelligence officers discern the truth. They gather information - often contradictory or incomplete - and, with it, they build the most accurate possible image of the world. With the stakes at their absolute highest, they must then decide what to do.
By: David Omand
-
Active Measures
- The Secret History of Disinformation and Political Warfare
- By: Thomas Rid
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We live in the age of disinformation - of organized deception. Spy agencies pour vast resources into hacking, leaking, and forging data, often with the goal of weakening the very foundation of liberal democracy: trust in facts. Thomas Rid, a renowned expert on technology and national security, was one of the first to sound the alarm, even before the 2016 election. But this is not new. The story of modern disinformation begins with the clash between communism and capitalism after the Russian Revolution.
-
-
Grounding book for COVID 19 Media
- By fjness on 05-12-20
By: Thomas Rid
-
Battlegrounds
- The Fight to Defend the Free World
- By: H. R. McMaster
- Narrated by: H. R. McMaster
- Length: 17 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Lt. General H.R. McMaster, US Army, ret., the former national security advisor and author of the best-selling classic Dereliction of Duty, comes a bold and provocative re-examination of the most critical foreign policy and national security challenges that face the United States, and an urgent call to compete to preserve America’s standing and security.
-
-
Every American should read
- By Traveler on 09-23-20
By: H. R. McMaster
-
America's Other Army
- The US Foreign Service and 21st-Century Diplomacy
- By: Nicholas Kralev
- Narrated by: Daniel Henning
- Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
America's Other Army brings the high-flying world of international diplomacy down to earth and puts a human face on a mysterious profession that has undergone a dramatic transformation since September 11, 2001. Through the stories of American diplomats, the book explains how their work affects millions of people in the United States and around the world every day and how it contributes directly to US security and prosperity.
By: Nicholas Kralev
-
Why Intelligence Fails
- Lessons from the Iranian Revolution and the Iraq War (Cornell Studies in Security Affairs Series)
- By: Robert L. Jervis
- Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The U.S. government spends enormous resources each year on the gathering and analysis of intelligence, yet the history of American foreign policy is littered with missteps and misunderstandings that have resulted from intelligence failures. In Why Intelligence Fails, Robert Jervis examines the politics and psychology of two of the more spectacular intelligence failures in recent memory: the belief that the Shah in Iran was secure and stable in 1978, and the claim that Iraq had active WMD programs in 2002.
-
-
Solid book
- By Pvo on 07-18-15
By: Robert L. Jervis
-
The Agency: A History of the CIA
- By: Hugh Wilford, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Hugh Wilford
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Interesting history of Our Spies, modest bias
- By BF Palo Alto on 04-14-19
By: Hugh Wilford, and others
Publisher's Summary
How can the United States avoid a future surprise attack on the scale of 9/11 or Pearl Harbor in an era when such devastating attacks can come not only from nation states but also from terrorist groups or cyber enemies?
Intelligence and Surprise Attack examines why surprise attacks often succeed even though, in most cases, warnings are available beforehand. Erik J. Dahl challenges the conventional wisdom about intelligence failure, which holds that attacks succeed because important warnings get lost amid noise or because intelligence officials lack the imagination and collaboration to connect the dots of available information. Comparing cases of intelligence failure with intelligence success, Dahl finds that the key to success is not more imagination or better analysis but better acquisition of precise, tactical-level intelligence combined with the presence of decision makers who are willing to listen to and act on the warnings they receive from their intelligence staff.
The book offers a new understanding of classic cases of conventional and terrorist attacks such as Pearl Harbor, the Battle of Midway, and the bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The book also presents a comprehensive analysis of the intelligence picture before the 9/11 attacks, making use of new information available since the publication of the 9/11 Commission Report and challenging some of that report's findings.
The book is published by Georgetown University Press.
Critic Reviews
More from the same
What listeners say about Intelligence and Surprise Attack
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tony
- 01-23-21
Repetitive, bad narration
Nice review of a variety of case studies, but the author was hugely repetitive and offered little actionable guidance for a way forward. Terrible Narration. It was robotic and hard to listen to.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- ltom
- 04-28-20
Contains excellent in-depth research and analysis.
While in-depth, the audiobook does not bog down. The narrative keeps clipping along throughout the chapters. Well presented, also.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- DAN RODGERS
- 03-15-17
Great narration
Correct pauses and emphasis on every chapter. Very interesting. I learned a lot of important things
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Emily Ohern
- 08-18-16
Amazing Book, Awful Narration
Would you consider the audio edition of Intelligence and Surprise Attack to be better than the print version?
NO! The narrator sounded like my GPS was reading the book. No intonation or character.
What did you like best about this story?
I like the detail Dahl goes into on different intelligence successes which most authors/researchers fail to include.
How could the performance have been better?
A narrator that doesn't sound like a machine.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
No.
Any additional comments?
A fascinating book, you may be better served to read the paper copy.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kindle Customer
- 04-22-15
The Complexity of Intelligence and Applicatiom
Would you listen to Intelligence and Surprise Attack again? Why?
I would listen to Intelligence and Surprise Attack again if I wanted to reinforce the reasoning of how to cut through the fog of intelligence data, and direct proper response actions.
What other book might you compare Intelligence and Surprise Attack to and why?
None come to mind. This book is unique and stands on it's own.
What does John N. Gully bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
I feel I am hearing an intelligent conversation and description of the subject matter from John Gully. Kind of like, "This is what you need to know and why". It makes me want to listen to more. I feel I am getting the real deal. No bullshit, no fluff.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Good intelligence and proper actions will keep us safe.
Any additional comments?
Disclaimer. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. Typically, I listen to thrillers. This book piqued my interest due to the current situation in the world today. Do we have good intelligence? Can we stop a surprise attack? Do our leaders know what they are doing? Are the massive surveillance systems we have in place actually keeping us safer? Is there bad intelligence, and wrong decisions are being made? Think weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. How about the mess in Libya? How about the nuclear issues with Iran? Is there good intelligence, but bad decisions and actions? Think Pearl Harbor. The base questions is do we have the proper intelligence, and are we properly acting on it? This book examines many facets of data collection, and how decisions and actions are taken. The major benefit of this book is to cut through the fog of information to provide a good assessment of intelligence how to properly act on this intelligence. I appreciate the author's ability to make sense of a very complex subject.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jessica
- 03-24-15
Great read and highly interesting.
This book is excellent. Dahl presents the facts without much bias, opting for the logical reasons behind terrorist attacks instead of the "doomed to fail" approach. He is methodical in his presentation of the facts and his conclusions. I found the book quite interesting and would recommend it to friends and family, no matter their level of understanding of the topic.
I listened to the audio version and I found John N. Gully to be very clear and easy to understand. His speed as great.
Great read and highly interesting.
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Teresa
- 03-23-15
Extremely Thorough and Engrossing
This was an extremely detailed timeline of surprise attacks dating from Pearl Harbor to the terrorist attacks of 9/11. It discusses the intelligence factor of these attacks, whether intelligence dropped the ball or was missed entirely or not acted on even though there may have been advanced warning.
While the audiobook was incredibly good, at times it was a little tedious. That doesn't take away from my five stars though because it was informative and did pose some very interesting facts. One of the earlier points made was concerning the intel surrounding Pearl Harbor. My question is if they did indeed know this was an imminent threat, what could have been done to prevent it aside from evacuation. I'm unsure whether or not we had the proper technology to have stopped it. I just don't know.
I also thought the timeline of events building up to 9/11 was very interesting. Overall, I thought this was a great audiobook and would definitely recommend it for anyone interested in this subject. Erik J. Dahl provides great examples and extensive research throughout the timeline regarding intel for all these events.
John N. Gully did a fantastic job narrating this audiobook. I liked the style he used, informative and reporter like which came across great. He spoke clearly and kept a steady pace. His work was flawless.
Audiobook received in exchange for unbiased review.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kingsley
- 03-23-15
A well researched study of Intelligence failure
As both a non-American and someone with little to no knowledge or background of the Intelligence industry I found this book highly engaging and thoroughly enjoyable. It is well researched, while providing the right level of information and explanation for 'entry level' understanding.
Right from the start Dahl sets out a clear roadmap of what the book aims to achieve and how it is going to get there. He provides a thesis and then what each chapter will contain and how it pertains to that thesis. It straight away gives a good idea of where he is going and helps the reader start to put things together.
Dahl, while referencing reports and dozens of other studies on intelligence, works through a variety of Intelligence 'successes' and 'failures' (although as he states those terms are argued about and are sometimes hard to pin down) starting with Pearl Harbour and moving through things like Midway, the Korean War, embassy bombings, the NYC 'Day of Terror' and September 11. The looks as the event and the intelligence leading up to each event, as well as how those in charge dealt with said intelligence.
Dahl puts three factors together for successful Intelligence - strategic information, specific information, and willingness to act on that information. He suggests that in almost every case we have high level strategic information but not always specific information that can be actioned (my understanding is that strategic information probably informs our "levels of preparedness" nowadays, such as if we are on 'general high alert' but cannot details of where and when attacks will occurs).
Many argue that it is lack of specific information that causes Intelligence failures. While this is often the case, Dahl argues (and shows through research) that it is also often a failure of willingness to act on the Intelligence (both strategic and specific) that causes failure. Intelligence itself is not enough for success, you need people to act on it.
I really enjoyed the mix of history and analysis.
Gully does well with the reading. He is clear, precise and easy to listen to. I enjoyed his work.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Thomas
- 04-21-16
Good Read but Sticks Mostly to Institutional Views
Where does Intelligence and Surprise Attack rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Middle of the Road
Would you be willing to try another book from Erik J. Dahl? Why or why not?
Yes
Any additional comments?
Brings out all of the criticisms about President Bush to include Bush originated 9/11 but leaves the Bill Clinton pretty much alone. For example, no comment about the decision to have the FBI take KSM in Qatar instead of SEAL Team 6. When FBI contacted Qatar government, KSM was warned and escaped. He was the mastermind behind 9/11 attacks and there is question if 9/11 would have happened had he been captured. Of course FBI and government have pushed back against this, makes them look bad. As Hillary Clinton was the Sec of State at the time the book was written not hard to believe.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- jd crummack
- 11-09-19
Good Book - Awful narration
Good book putting forward solid concepts but the narrator sounds like a robot. Buy the paper copy. Don’t bother with this it’s painful