Surprise, Kill, Vanish

The Secret History of CIA Paramilitary Armies, Operators, and Assassins

By: Annie Jacobsen

Narrated by: Annie Jacobsen

Surprise...your target. Kill...your enemy. Vanish...without a trace.

From Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen, the untold story of the CIA's secret paramilitary units.

When diplomacy fails and war is unwise, the president calls on the CIA's Special Activities Division, a highly classified branch of the CIA and the most effective black-operations force in the world. Originally known as the president's guerrilla warfare corps, SAD conducts risky and ruthless operations that have evolved over time to defend America from its enemies. Almost every American president since World War II has asked the CIA to conduct sabotage, subversion, and yes, assassination.

With unprecedented access to 42 men and women who proudly and secretly worked on CIA covert operations from the dawn of the Cold War to the present day, along with declassified documents and deep historical research, Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen unveils—like never before—a complex world of individuals working in treacherous environments populated with killers, connivers, and saboteurs. Despite Hollywood notions of off-book operations and external secret hires, covert action is actually one piece in a colossal foreign policy machine.

Written with the pacing of a thriller, Surprise, Kill, Vanish brings to vivid life the sheer pandemonium and chaos, as well as the unforgettable human will to survive and the intellectual challenge of not giving up hope that define paramilitary and intelligence work. Jacobsen's exclusive interviews—with members of the CIA's Senior Intelligence Service (equivalent to the Pentagon's generals), its counterterrorism chiefs, targeting officers, and Special Activities Division's Ground Branch operators who conduct today's close-quarters killing operations around the world—reveal, for the first time, the enormity of this shocking, controversial, and morally complex terrain. Is the CIA's paramilitary army America's weaponized strength or a liability to its principled standing in the world?

Every operation reported in this audiobook, however unsettling, is legal.

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

©2019 Annie Jacobsen (P)2019 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Jacobsen here presents a tour de force exploring the CIA's paramilitary activities...this excellent work feels like uncovering the tip of the iceberg. VERDICT: Highly recommended for those seeking a better understanding of American foreign policy in action."—Jacob Sherman, Library Journal

"A behind-the-scenes look at the most shadowy corners of the American intelligence community...Well-sourced and well-paced, this book is full of surprises."—Kirkus

"Having already demonstrated her remarkable aptitude for unearthing government secrets in books like Area 51 (2011) and The Pentagon's Brain (2015), Jacobsen pulls back the curtain on the history of covert warfare and state sanctioned assassinations from WWII to the present...Jacobsen's work revealing a poorly understood but essential slice of warfare history belongs in every library collection."—Booklist

WOW!

The title says it all. What a fabulous book. Born in 1959 i grew up in the middle of much of these events. As a student of history listening to the action behind the scenes and the unsung heroes that executed the missions only makes me appreciate them more.

I want to thank the author for the obvious hard work and research that went into producing this work.

Excellent Eye Opener - Well researched

This is the second book I own from Jacobsen. From other books in my library that cross reference her anecdotal stories I believe she has done excellent research. I usually judge the quality of the research from minor reference errors in a text; there are very few here. Some, but not many. Perhaps her editor let something slip past.
As she is both author and narrator, I feel that perhaps there wasn't enough budget for a professional narrator. Not that she does a bad job, but I think a different narrator would improve things. At times she sounds like a metronome and I had to take a rest from the book. At other times, inflections lead me to think she might be setting up something for a liberal attack on covert operations - that never happens. She has written a book that will make you think about the subject matter. She has written a book that is accurate and non-judgmental. The book is excellent, well researched, both timely and historically. She must have had to do some strong convincing to get close to her sources.

I will watch for more titles from Annie Jacobsen.

Fascinating

I have a new hero and his name is Billy Waugh. Thank you for writing about such an interesting topic and delivering the information that even a civilian like me can understand.

Good material but......

There’s obviously a lot of research that went into the book. This would be SO much better with a different narrator.

Fascinating insights into covert operations

Provides a nuanced, unprejudiced perspective on the history, effectiveness and political uneasiness of America's targeted killing programs.

Great story and worth a listen

As a long-time fan of historical books regarding the military and warfare, I found this to be a really unique look into some of the actions that have taken place over the years in different theaters of war. Overall I think the author did a fine job of researching and interviewing interesting subjects for the book. She gives enough detail to accurately paint the picture of some of the actions covered in the book but doesn't get so in depth into things so that you lose interest.
My one complaint would be there are several instances where her editors failed her in not correcting specific details around firearms. Such as calling a 357 magnum a 375 magnum. It is not overly distracting but anyone with an in-depth knowledge of firearms is going to find it irritating on the rare occasion that it happens in this book.
Overall, I found it informative and entertaining and I have recommended it to others who are former military and law-enforcement and so far no one has said that they have it enjoyed it as well.

Amazing !

Not surprised this is wonderful and gripping the entire way! These accounts make me reminisce .

great book, dark story.

great book, dark dark story. I dont yet know fully how I feel about what happened, or what is probably happening now

I learned a lot and enjoyed the book.

Good read. very in depth with lots of back story. perfect book for audio and long road trips.

Wow!!

Everything thing about this book and its complex stories was amazing. I will read all of her books.