Body of Secrets

Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency

By: James Bamford

Narrated by: Paul Boehmer

Length: 29 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

The National Security Agency is the world's most powerful, most far-reaching espionage organization. Now with a new afterword describing the security lapses that preceded the attacks of September 11, 2001, Body of Secrets takes us to the inner sanctum of America's spy world. In the follow-up to his best-selling Puzzle Palace, James Bamford reveals the NSA's hidden role in the most volatile world events of the past, and its desperate scramble to meet the frightening challenges of today and tomorrow.

Here is a scrupulously documented account - much of which is based on unprecedented access to previously undisclosed documents - of the agency's tireless hunt for intelligence on enemies and allies alike. Body of Secrets is a riveting analysis of this most clandestine of agencies, a major work of history and investigative journalism.

©2002 James Bamford (P)2018 Tantor

Interesting

Could have done without the Bush basing at the end of the book. It was unnecessary

Long and Detailed

Maybe I'm crazy, but it seems like chunks of the book repeat (did they explain the USS Liberty twice?)

Regardless, I still enjoyed it. Where The Puzzle Palace was mostly a long explanation of technical capabilities and department personnel, this book covers the same stuff but gives the listener more missions/scenes to grab onto. It gives the events more of a "story" feel making things easier to understand

Bamford doing his thing and doing it well.

Revealing and disturbing. However, Mr. Boehmer (Narrator)... greatly respecting the skill it takes to read for audible. Please learn to pronounce place names correctly.

5 For Propaganda/1 As An Expose

This book smells like ‘Operation Mockingbird.’ If you read this book and understand that the Deep State only wants you to know what they want you to know, the book is instructive as propaganda.

Certainly, in light of the actions of the intelligence community over the past 5-6 years, this book is really outdated, and some of the ridiculously quaint notions of what the NSA and other intelligence organizations are up to are laughable. Of particular note is the section dealing with the FISA court and all it represents.

If your expectation is that this book is some kind of expose, you will be disappointed AND/OR be misled into thinking that you’ve actually learned something from the deep, dark recesses of the NSA.

Read about ‘Operation Mockingbird,’ if you are unfamiliar to gain a greater perspective for what this book actually is.

great book for those interested in modern U.S. his

great book for those interested in modern US history and facets of our military and federal intelligence system coupled with our government.

Great story I think...HORRIBLE narrator!

It sounds like a computer is reading it. I could only take 10 mins of listening to it before I had to turn it off. It seems like a good story though...if you can bare a computer reading it back to you.

James Bamford hitpiece

Just another liberal hit piece. It was interesting up until he started talking about Cuba, then it all falls apart. Not REALLY all about NSA, but a political diatribe. Stay away.