To Catch a Spy

The Art of Counterintelligence

By: James M. Olson

Narrated by: John McLain

The United States is losing the counterintelligence war. Foreign intelligence services, particularly those of China, Russia, and Cuba, are recruiting spies in our midst and stealing our secrets and cutting-edge technologies.

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.

After an overview of what the Chinese, Russian, and Cuban spy services are doing to the United States, Olson explains the nitty-gritty of the principles and methods of counterintelligence. Listeners will learn about specific aspects of counterintelligence such as running double-agent operations and surveillance. The book also analyzes 12 actual case studies to illustrate why people spy against their country, the tradecraft of counterintelligence, and where counterintelligence breaks down or succeeds.

©2019 James M. Olson (P)2019 Tantor

Fascinating history of traders and spies.

Great explanation of how our spy agencies are run. Includes the successes and failures and what we can do better.

Fantastic overview

I’m a fiction author with an ongoing Spy thriller x sci-fi series, (total fiction), but this book gives some great overviews about real counter-intelligence. I would highly recommend it as mandatory reading (listening) for any author!

Umm...

Just a personal thing - I didn't care much for the written style nor narration. I put it back on the shelf for months. That said, I gave it another go & adjusted myself to it. Not sorry I did but other books would've been better time spent in my case.

Learn about counterintelligence success and failures from an expert.

Ok, this book is not a how to manual on tradecraft, but if the subject of counterintelligence is of interest to you, you’ll enjoy it. The author begins with a brief survey of the counterintelligence threat. He then discusses his 10 commandments of counter intelligence. He next uses case studies (12 I think) based on real world spy cases to highlight the application of those commandments in action. He does this in a lessons learned fashion. Given the authors career in CI, the lessons of his book would be of interest to anyone considering service in the intelligence world. The book was well organized and the narration solid.

Interesting and practical

General observations backed up by real cases. It would be interesting to read an extension into the cyber era. Highly recommended book.