Rating: 
Summary: Familes of CIA Agents
Review: "The Book of Honor" is an extremely well written account of the lives and families of CIA agents who died for their country. Unfortunately, the author spends more time describing the homes where these heroes grew up rather than the circumstances under which they perished. Not only does it not place enough emphasis on covert operation (or the reasons for them), the book is written from an antagonistic perspective. Throughout the book, the author continually takes jabs at the CIA and U.S. covert operations community. There are some interesting historical facts lightly sprinkled through out its pages, but not nearly enough to make it worthwhile. If you want a little action and insight into the lives of individuals as CIA operatives, please look for another book to read. If you are looking for mundane letters between boyfriend and girlfriend or mother and son, this book is for you.
Rating:
Summary: Familes of CIA Agents
Review: "The Book of Honor" is an extremely well written account of the lives and families of CIA agents who died for their country. Unfortunately, the author spends more time describing the homes where these heroes grew up rather than the circumstances under which they perished. Not only does it not place enough emphasis on covert operation (or the reasons for them), the book is written from an antagonistic perspective. Throughout the book, the author continually takes jabs at the CIA and U.S. covert operations community. There are some interesting historical facts lightly sprinkled through out its pages, but not nearly enough to make it worthwhile. If you want a little action and insight into the lives of individuals as CIA operatives, please look for another book to read. If you are looking for mundane letters between boyfriend and girlfriend or mother and son, this book is for you.
Rating: 
Summary: non-sensational book on controversial issue
Review: After hearing the author interviewed on National Public Radio, I ordered the book because of my interest in covert actions and the people involved. The book is extremely well-written--it's clear, without the sensationalism that could easily creep in. How the families handled the blatant misinformation about the deaths of loved is fascinating. I wasn't surprised by the CIA's actions and doublespeak, though, which is a sad commentary.
A few minor editing issues are probably just that, and not enough to cast dispersions of the thorough research performed over many years as a labor of love and dedication by Mr. Gup.
Rating: 
Summary: Facts checked out?
Review: Although I enjoyed this book, I have to admit that after page 351 when Mr. Gup wrote that Agent Freedman retired on February 31 (???),1990 I wondered how many other facts were not checked out before printing. An error such as this in a non-fiction book is a big disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: Book of Honorable Men & Women
Review: An interesting and timely book. "The Book of Honor" sheds light on the extreme sacrifices made by a unique breed of Americans who were involved in the clandestine services and risked all for their country's security. It's appropriate to note and honor those brave men and women--including those who are still "out there"--engaged in our Nation's intelligence business. It is understandable, of course, that in some instances there are valid reasons why certain identities cannot be revealed, when this revelation may implicate others who might still be in the service and may endanger both them and/or their work. In reading about those in the book who have paid the highest price, I hope that others will become aware that there have been--and still are--thousands of men and women doing this dangerous work, all over the world, often under hazardous conditions and in places in which they undergo risks and hardships that would make most Americans cringe. They do it, not only out of a sense of adventure, but out of patriotism and a dedication that is not unlike that of young Americans who have gone to war throughout our country's history. These individuals are highly trained and educated; most could earn much higher salaries in the private sector, but they choose service instead, taking an oath of allegiance to our country and its Constitution. While the author is unable to name all of the fallen heroes that the stars represent, it is hoped that one day it will be possible that they all may be recognized and appropriately honored. For them, it was enough that they be known to their family, colleagues and friends. In the meantime, I hope this book will go a long way towards awakening the reader to the stories of these courageous Americans. The book is a service to their surviving families, who can be proud.
Rating:
Summary: Moving, Honest, Classy Tribute To Fallen CIA Agents
Review: At first I wasn't planning on reading this book merely because it was almost 400 pages, but after getting started I couldn't stop. The stories of talented, intelligent people whose lives and deaths were covered up by the CIA for the sake of keeping clandestine actions hidden moved me to the core. Though these agents were putting their lives on the line when they chose to join the CIA they, as amplified by Gup, are like you and me. An agent that is imprisoned for too many years struggles to live to see his mother for fleeting moments and pushes to keep his marriage alive from the cell walls-only to find his beloved CIA has "forgotten" about him. The book also goes into detail about the wives and families of the fallen agents and their struggle to tell lies in their grief and live for years with unanswered questions. The author's writing is impressive and beautiful to the last page. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in human spirit, history, and the stuggle for truth and justice.
Rating:
Summary: Superb Read
Review: Even though I'm a compulsive reader of books about espionage and intelligence issues, I wasn't sure I was going to like "The Book of Honor." Some of the life stories it tells happened so long ago that at first blush they don't seem relevant to the present day. Yet I found the book very hard to put down and the story of the first man who died in CIA service (1949) to be one of the most poignant. I won't spoil the tale here but will simply say oh, to have come so far after suffering so much and then to die like that! James Bond addicts are not going to find much here to their liking. The deaths Gup chronicles are either very ordinary --a car accident, a plane crash-- or provide dramatic proof that even intelligence officers are not immune to a bullet or bomb. But the character sketches of the often heroic men and women who died these sad deaths are quite compelling. And even though I accept that some of the recent entries in the Book of Honor have to remain annonymous (at least for the time being), it is very difficult to understand why a 21 year old secretary who died in a car bombing 35 years ago in Saigon cannot be acknowledged as one of the Agency's own. I think refusing to do so is cruel to her survivors.
Rating:
Summary: Superb Read
Review: Even though I'm a compulsive reader of books about espionage and intelligence issues, I wasn't sure I was going to like "The Book of Honor." Some of the life stories it tells happened so long ago that at first blush they don't seem relevant to the present day. Yet I found the book very hard to put down and the story of the first man who died in CIA service (1949) to be one of the most poignant. I won't spoil the tale here but will simply say oh, to have come so far after suffering so much and then to die like that! James Bond addicts are not going to find much here to their liking. The deaths Gup chronicles are either very ordinary --a car accident, a plane crash-- or provide dramatic proof that even intelligence officers are not immune to a bullet or bomb. But the character sketches of the often heroic men and women who died these sad deaths are quite compelling. And even though I accept that some of the recent entries in the Book of Honor have to remain annonymous (at least for the time being), it is very difficult to understand why a 21 year old secretary who died in a car bombing 35 years ago in Saigon cannot be acknowledged as one of the Agency's own. I think refusing to do so is cruel to her survivors.
Rating:
Summary: Much needed sunshine on CIA operations
Review: First a five-star award for non-fiction by this reviewer (retired after 35 years service) is rare, very rare for my review of books about intelligence. This is a good book! It is good reading for anyone age 16 or older, casual reader to university professor. It is required reading for anyone serving in the intelligence or diplomatic fields - soldier or statesman. I was impressed that this is Ted Gup's first book, it is truly superb. Gup's research is among the best and most complete I have ever reviewed regarding this subject area. Book of Honor is about a small part of the CIA called the Deputy Director for Operations or DDO and about an even smaller part of the DDO that conducts clandestine, covert, and surreptitious operations overseas. It is a series of true action stories about the events of the men and women that died in the service of the CIA from its inception after WW II to the present. The author is fidelis honoring those who died and earned a listing in the "Book of Honor." You'll meet real heroes here. My favorite, whom I have long considered one of the bravest men I ever knew - Dick Holm. But, that's only part of the value of this living history. There is a second story between the lines for the more experienced reader. It is a story about an intelligence agency often more involved with nitwitery (like that in Laos) than sound objective or purpose. The reader will bounce between admiration of exceptional individual accomplishment and disbelief at the level of institutional incompetence by often unqualified managers - more mangers than leaders. This is a story too often about "playing army" than spying. Readers will cringe at a bureaucratic contest between better equipped and better trained military special operations units and CIA teams usually comprised of ex-military contract employees. Policy and law makers will see first hand the inherent problems of an intelligence agency wasting limited resources and valuable time trying to fight violent enemies at the expense of making sound intelligence about critical issues needed by others. The author includes a lucid passage attributed to members of US Army Detachment Delta - You just didn't know if you could trust the CIA. They were speaking about the reliability of both CIA intelligence and operational truthfulness and their assessment is directly on target. The CIA plays games when professionalism is needed. Too many CIA secrets are maintained more to protect incompetence than national security. The author with the help of many within the agency provides needed sunshine with the right blend of integrity and caution. There is no horse manure in this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Intriguing and enlighting
Review: Forever interested in the CIA and it's operatives, I was anxious to pick up a copy of "THE BOOK OF HONOR" and nearly content with what I learned. Ted Gup's writing is enthralling and very real as he delves into the lives of a handful of CIA operatives and the classified missions that ultimately led to their deaths. I was most amazed to find out that these operatives are far from the James Bond characters I had imagined! I truly recommend this book as it explains two sides to each story: one from a human-interest point of view, with many in-depth interviews of surviving friends and family members, while also explaining the secrecy of cover-ups by the CIA. Definitely NOT for the conspiracy-theory types out there!
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