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The Assault on Intelligence
- American National Security in an Age of Lies
- Narrated by: Michael V. Hayden
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
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Publisher's Summary
A blistering critique of the forces threatening the American intelligence community, beginning with the president of the United States himself, in a time when that community's work has never been harder or more important
In the face of a president who lobs accusations without facts, evidence, or logic, truth tellers are under attack. Meanwhile, the world order is teetering on the brink. North Korea is on the verge of having a nuclear weapon that could reach all of the United States, Russians have mastered a new form of information warfare that undercuts democracy, and the role of China in the global community remains unclear. There will always be value to experience and expertise, devotion to facts, humility in the face of complexity, and a respect for ideas, but in this moment they seem more important, and more endangered, than they've ever been. American intelligence - the ultimate truth teller - has a responsibility in a post-truth world beyond merely warning of external dangers, and in The Assault on Intelligence, General Michael Hayden takes up that urgent work with profound passion, insight, and authority.
It is a sobering vision. The American intelligence community is more at risk than is commonly understood, for every good reason. Civil war or societal collapse is not necessarily imminent or inevitable, but our democracy's core structures, processes, and attitudes are under great stress. Many of the premises on which we have based our understanding of governance are now challenged, eroded, or simply gone. And we have a president in office who responds to overwhelming evidence from the intelligence community that the Russians are, by all acceptable standards of cyber conflict, in a state of outright war against us, not by leading a strong response, but by shooting the messenger.
There are fundamental changes afoot in the world and in this country. The Assault on Intelligence shows us what they are, reveals how crippled we've become in our capacity to address them, and points toward a series of effective responses. Because when we lose our intelligence, literally and figuratively, democracy dies.
Critic Reviews
“For a longtime spook, Hayden is a breezy and direct writer. He reduces complex issues of cyber and information warfare to essentials, and his polemic is leavened with humor and sympathy. He is at his best, though, when he shifts to a purely analytical tone. He coolly forecasts the direction of America under Trump, explains the intelligence that foreign governments are likely to collect from the president’s Twitter feed and describes the benefits Russia drew from the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Kremlin-connected Russian attorneys and senior Trump campaign officials.” (The New York Times)
“The more important, absorbing and disturbing aspect of Hayden’s book is the analysis from his professional perspective of what Trump and Trumpism mean for the intelligence community. It is sober, nuanced and, quite frankly, scary as hell.” (Mark Galeotti, Washington Post)
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What listeners say about The Assault on Intelligence
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jean
- 07-13-18
Edifying
I found this book most interesting and scary. I chose to read this particular book on the subject of intelligence problems in this country because it was written by General Michael V. Hayden. Hayden was the highest-ranking intelligence officer in the military. Like General Colin Powell, General Hayden went to college on the ROTC program. He got his degree in history and went into the Air Force. Hayden was the first commander of the Air Force Cyberwarfare Command. He has also been Deputy Director of the National Intelligence and Director of the National Security Agency as well as Director of the CIA. He is a visiting professor at George Mason University. He has served under four presidents and lists his political affiliation as Independent, but I feel he trends toward the conservative. I recently read James Comey’s book “A Higher Loyalty” and noted that Comey said he had high regards for Hayden.
Hayden’s book is an analysis from his professional perspective of what Trump and Trumpism means for the intelligence community. I don’t believe it covers new material, but I found the big picture he paints of our world most scary. Hayden did provide pros and cons of George W. Bush, Obama and Trump’s actions. He states that Trump does not trust or feel a need for the intelligence community. Hayden says the intelligence community has a big problem of speaking the truth to a power that does not want to listen. I found the section about how Russia decided to use information as a method of warfare extremely interesting. Hayden explains how they first used it on their own people and then the world. The author explains how Russia and other enemies take advantage of the social and cultural divide between the average American. Hayden demonstrates how they use social media and plant stories that are lies and repeat them until people believe them in spite of knowing they are lies. After reading this book I decided I needed to know more about informational warfare and the intelligence service. I will look for more books on the topic.
The book is eight and a half hours. General Hayden does an excellent job narrating his own book.
40 people found this helpful
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- RB
- 05-05-18
An essential read.
If you are interested in increasing your understanding of the history and context surrounding some of our time's most important issues, this is one of the essential reads, and time well-spent.
25 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 05-03-18
A Must Read
General Hayden presents an informed look at the status of truth in today's society. Full of objective thoughts on a myriad of relevant topics, this is a must read (or listen) for those who desire to keep our country safe by protecting the institutions needed to do the job.
20 people found this helpful
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- Keith W. Fridae
- 05-04-18
Truth from someone who was there.
This work gives clear and systematic evidence on how we have been moved away from truth-based discourse into separate bubbles of imagined truth. Our enemy has weakened us to the point that we are no longer seem as the beacon of democracy.
19 people found this helpful
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- ERNEST
- 06-28-18
Patriotic Warrior for the Factual Truth
After over 20 years in criminal intelligence and combat arms, each; it is delightful to listen to a real patriot. The truth is out there in plain view; but under assault. The author is from a geographical with economic problems. He has identified the fact that certain citizens can't stand the truth. They are looking for scapegoats and will listen to anyone making that provision. I was always happy to see the U.S. flag after long seek and destroy missions. During ambushes, I fought for that troop next to me and not the Flag. As a Special Agent, every day was adhering to the Constitution. The author has identified a minority segment of the population with limited ideas and facts about the 2nd Amendment and forget the rest. They are like Jim Jones followers, looking for their Leader. The author in a world traveller, and has seen creeping fascism. The far right and left are shown not to work hard enough to save our Democracy.
10 people found this helpful
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- Raj B.
- 07-07-18
Great content from someone who understands intel
Hayden is an enlightened leader and someone who I trust with the facts. A great book on timely matters of freedom, democracy, truth and American values.
6 people found this helpful
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- Emma J Rentschler
- 05-05-18
Informative and disturbing
The facts of this book are enlightening and disturbing. How did our country end up in this position? More importantly how do we get out of the Trump twilight zone as an intact and united nation. Although Mr Hayden offered some of his grave concerns, most of his book was a chronological documentary of fact and possible consequences on our society of laws and social divisions
6 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 05-24-18
Great title...
Title got me, but just turned into a rant on Trump. Not that I’m against that, loved Comey’s book, but this is dry and jumps around a lot. Hard to follow. Made it 2 hours in. Maybe it gets better but I won’t find out. Would be great as a sleep aid.
4 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 11-14-18
required reading for all Americans! Hayden
Hayden is an excellent author and tells his story in a way that in grosses the reader. He also explains some of the details of intelligence in a digestible manner.
3 people found this helpful
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- MR
- 06-28-18
awesome!!!
everyone should read this book. it is an exceptional critique on how fake news and lies effect the national discourse
3 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 09-07-18
A must read for anyone that cares about the truth
With so much outrageous bullshit espoused from the POTUS, it's hard to keep it in perspective and remember what normal decency is about. This book remind one of how extreme the less are and how dangerous Trump is to civil society. It's a balanced review of how it all appears from the point of a very intelligent voice who should know. well written and narrated.
2 people found this helpful
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- ICB
- 06-14-20
An excellent glimpse of intelligence community
A view of the Trump impact on the intelligence community, America and foreign policy, but what is so important here is who wrote the book and how concerned he clearly is for his country.
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- DippersNest
- 10-13-19
Like stopping by a warm fireside
The author is a smart empathetic and dedicated man. This book and him reading it reflects that. The content is insightful and clearly put. He warns but also reassures. Probably the best book covering this era of fact averse thinking because it didn't make me want to give up.
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- ethan duff
- 05-22-18
Great book, so-so audiobook
Since reading Jim Comey's 'A Higher Loyalty', Haydens book is something of a colder, more clinical, and more objectively reasoned book. It requires your attention, not least of all due to Hayden's performance - someone who I feel is far better 'off script'. Otherwise, this is a strong critique of the Trump Administration and the lack of understanding and respect for the intelligence insitutions it relies on to keep Americans safe. A good book, worth the read, but perhaps not the listen.
1 person found this helpful
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- Styff
- 01-02-19
I could listen to Hayden all day
I love Michael V Hayden's first book and I have listened to him speak on TV. He is eloquent, intelligent, logical and very candid with his remarks. His opinions are strong but well reasoned and even when he is being critical, you never get the impression he is mean spirited or speaking emotionally.
His views on Trump and truth are unsurprising and there are no 'bomb shells' of information that isn't already in the public domain, but his narrative was compelling regardless.
Really enjoyable. I hope Hayden writes more books.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In Spies, Lies, and Algorithms, Amy Zegart separates fact from fiction as she offers an engaging and enlightening account of the past, present, and future of American espionage as it faces a revolution driven by digital technology. Drawing on decades of research and hundreds of interviews with intelligence officials, Zegart provides a history of US espionage, gives an overview of intelligence basics and life inside America's intelligence agencies, and explores the vexed issues of traitors, covert action, and congressional oversight.
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Too political
- By Joel on 02-15-22
By: Amy B. Zegart
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Dawn of the Code War
- America's Battle Against Russia, China, and the Rising Global Cyber Threat
- By: John P. Carlin, Garrett M. Graff
- Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell
- Length: 16 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The inside story of how America's enemies launched a cyberwar against us - and how we've learned to fight back. In this dramatic audiobook, former assistant attorney general John P. Carlin takes listeners to the front lines of a global but little-understood fight as the Justice Department and the FBI chases down hackers, online terrorist recruiters, and spies.
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Exhausting
- By Raz on 01-08-19
By: John P. Carlin, and others
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The Shadow War
- Inside Russia's and China's Secret Operations to Defeat America
- By: Jim Sciutto
- Narrated by: Jim Sciutto
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
CNN’s chief national security correspondent reveals the invisible fronts of 21st-century warfare and identifies the ongoing battles being waged - often without the public’s full knowledge - from disinformation campaigns to advanced satellite weaponry.
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Informative and interesting, but incomplete.
- By ZenBowman on 05-25-19
By: Jim Sciutto
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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
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Overall
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Performance
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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.
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Looking for a place in History?
- By Anne on 05-20-12
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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
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Overall
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Performance
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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.
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Fascinating - but distractingly disorganized.
- By Cynthia on 03-21-16
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Facts and Fears
- Hard Truths from a Life in Intelligence
- By: Trey Brown, James R. Clapper
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 18 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When he stepped down in January 2017 as the fourth US Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper had been President Obama's senior intelligence advisor for six and a half years, longer than his three predecessors combined. He led the US Intelligence Community through a period that included the raid on Osama bin Laden, the Benghazi attack, the leaks of Edward Snowden, and Russia's influence operation on the 2016 US election.
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Speaking Straight, Unbiased Truth to Power
- By Cynthia on 05-29-18
By: Trey Brown, and others
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Spies, Lies, and Algorithms
- The History and Future of American Intelligence
- By: Amy B. Zegart
- Narrated by: Amy B. Zegart
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
In Spies, Lies, and Algorithms, Amy Zegart separates fact from fiction as she offers an engaging and enlightening account of the past, present, and future of American espionage as it faces a revolution driven by digital technology. Drawing on decades of research and hundreds of interviews with intelligence officials, Zegart provides a history of US espionage, gives an overview of intelligence basics and life inside America's intelligence agencies, and explores the vexed issues of traitors, covert action, and congressional oversight.
-
-
Too political
- By Joel on 02-15-22
By: Amy B. Zegart
-
Dawn of the Code War
- America's Battle Against Russia, China, and the Rising Global Cyber Threat
- By: John P. Carlin, Garrett M. Graff
- Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell
- Length: 16 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The inside story of how America's enemies launched a cyberwar against us - and how we've learned to fight back. In this dramatic audiobook, former assistant attorney general John P. Carlin takes listeners to the front lines of a global but little-understood fight as the Justice Department and the FBI chases down hackers, online terrorist recruiters, and spies.
-
-
Exhausting
- By Raz on 01-08-19
By: John P. Carlin, and others
-
The Shadow War
- Inside Russia's and China's Secret Operations to Defeat America
- By: Jim Sciutto
- Narrated by: Jim Sciutto
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
CNN’s chief national security correspondent reveals the invisible fronts of 21st-century warfare and identifies the ongoing battles being waged - often without the public’s full knowledge - from disinformation campaigns to advanced satellite weaponry.
-
-
Informative and interesting, but incomplete.
- By ZenBowman on 05-25-19
By: Jim Sciutto
-
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.
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Looking for a place in History?
- By Anne on 05-20-12
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Dereliction of Duty
- Johnson, McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam
- By: H. R. McMaster
- Narrated by: H. R. McMaster
- Length: 15 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Dereliction of Duty is a stunning analysis of how and why the United States became involved in an all-out and disastrous war in Southeast Asia. Fully and convincingly researched, based on transcripts and personal accounts of crucial meetings, confrontations, and decisions, it is the only book that fully re-creates what happened and why. McMaster pinpoints the policies and decisions that got the United States into the morass and reveals who made these decisions and the motives behind them, disproving the published theories of other historians and excuses of the participants.
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Rough narration
- By AC Griffin on 12-04-19
By: H. R. McMaster
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The Shadow Factory
- The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America
- By: James Bamford
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 13 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In The Shadow Factory, James Bamford, the foremost expert on National Security Agency, charts its transformation since 9/11, as the legendary code breakers turned their ears away from outside enemies, such as the Soviet Union, and inward to enemies whose communications increasingly crisscross America.
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Every American needs to know what's in this book!
- By George on 06-29-14
By: James Bamford