Rating: 
Summary: Flag Waving At Its Worst
Review: "The Master of Disguise" is a boring read and offers nothing beyond tired flag waving and Mendez's relentless self-congratulatory back slapping of his accomplishments.So...if you want to read why Antonio Mendez thinks he's cool, this is the book for you! Mendez spends the majority of the book (and no, I didn't finish it because it was so annoying) talking about his accomplishments with the CIA: his CIA intelligence star, his successful missions, etc... All this would be well and good if his story was interesting, but it's not. How'd you like to read page after page about how he learned how to counterfeit foreign currencies working for the CIA in the 60s-70s? It's about as exciting a reading the telephone book. And if you're looking for an inside skinny on how the Agency works, don't look here either. The contents of the book itself have been totally sanitized. What about Langely now? Zero. What goes on at the Agency? Zilch. Nothing is specific. Nothing is revealed. And, no, I wasn't expecting him to violate national security by telling us true secrets. Sadly, Mendez's anecodtes are tired and well-worn. Looking to hear about intelligence in the 70s and 80s? Well, he's got tons of boring stories about playing tailing games in Moscow (oooh, frightening!) and dressing up some people in foreign countries to smuggle them out of the country (ooooh, a mask...I never would have thought of that). All in all, this is a tired, boring story. Any episode from "Hart To Hart" or "Magnum P.I." offers more intrigue and insight into the workings of intelligence officers. If you're looking for a good book about the CIA and covert operations, try "Rainbow Six" by Tom Clancy. It's fictional, but an amazing read. I'm not unpatriotic, this book is just terrible. And that's some "intelligence" you can rely on.
Rating: 
Summary: Educational but lacking entertainment
Review: A good book on the "real" world of the CIA. However, unlike Dewey Claridge's A Spy for All Seasons for example, this book is not very "fun" to read (except chapter 8 and 9, which are great). Mendez is a painter by training, not an author, so perhaps this is not very suprising.All in all, if you want to learn more about the CIA, even at the cost of being slightly bored, go for it. Otherwise, skip it.
Rating: 
Summary: Well Written
Review: A great book if you want a real life account, filled with action and drama. Nothing beats a real life story. The book was very well written and I hope I am able to read another one that will match up.
Rating:
Summary: Believe the great reviews!
Review: After seeing the author on Good Morning America, I bought copies for both my husband (47 & not a great reader), and my father (73 & someone who reads three books a week), for Christmas. What a find! My husband, the engineer, couldn't put it down (and we were in Maui on vacation), and my father read it straight through. Kudos to the authors.
Rating: 
Summary: EXCELLENT IDEA BADLY EXECUTED
Review: Although this book does shed light on a few details of tradecraft and mission, it is poorly written and has nil factor in entertainment value (except chapters 8 and 9 about work in Moscow and Teheran). I read "Master of Disguise" while also rereading Pete Early's "Confessions of a Spy" and I couldn't help but to think how wonderful "Master" could have been with the level of scholarship and thought in Pete Early's book. On top of it all this book doesn't have an index and in a book this boring it would have been really nice to have one.
Rating:
Summary: A Waste of Time
Review: As another reviewer has noted, there is a paradox in involved in "insider" stories from the espiocrats. It is completely understandable and commendable that the intelligence community seeks to inform the public of the original, brave work that goes into serving the country's security, but, considering most of the successful work must occur secretively, such promotional efforts ultimately make for dime-store dramas. Such is this book, which I found to be a complete waste of time. I intended to drop it off at the Strand, NYC's great used bookstore, but they already had nearly a shelf-full of these. I was forced to dispose of this book more permanently.
Rating:
Summary: Suitable For Someone Who Has Not Read Much About Espionage
Review: Books like "The Master of Disguise," "A Spy for All Seasons," and other memoirs written by intelligence community insiders present with a paradox that is known to those who are well-read in espionage related subjects. Such books always offer the tantalizing prospect of detailed information that only an insider could possibly possess, but consistently fail to deliver when it comes to revealing significant information beyond what has already been pointed out by technically attentive fiction writers like Tom Clancy. The paradox arises because, as anyone with serious interest in espionage knows, it is quite absurd to expect ex-CIA agents to reveal anything remotely important or significant from their former occupation. Not surprisingly, "The Master of Disguise" seems to consist of slightly sensationalized, self-aggrandizing baubles for the casual reader. If you have not read much about the CIA, this is an entertaining account which you can ooh and ahh over after forking over the dollars the author seems to need for his retirement fund. If you have already read your share of insider accounts, save your money and buy the paperback if you must-- this book does not provide anything new or significantly enlightening.
Rating:
Summary: Suitable For Someone Who Has Not Read Much About Espionage
Review: Books like "The Master of Disguise," "A Spy for All Seasons," and other memoirs written by intelligence community insiders present with a paradox that is known to those who are well-read in espionage related subjects. Such books always offer the tantalizing prospect of detailed information that only an insider could possibly possess, but consistently fail to deliver when it comes to revealing significant information beyond what has already been pointed out by technically attentive fiction writers like Tom Clancy. The paradox arises because, as anyone with serious interest in espionage knows, it is quite absurd to expect ex-CIA agents to reveal anything remotely important or significant from their former occupation. Not surprisingly, "The Master of Disguise" seems to consist of slightly sensationalized, self-aggrandizing baubles for the casual reader. If you have not read much about the CIA, this is an entertaining account which you can ooh and ahh over after forking over the dollars the author seems to need for his retirement fund. If you have already read your share of insider accounts, save your money and buy the paperback if you must-- this book does not provide anything new or significantly enlightening.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting behind-the-scenes look at the CIA
Review: Heard the taped version of THE MASTER OF DISGUISE: MY
SECRET LIFE IN THE CIA by Antonio J. Mendez . . . forget
James Bond or MISSION IMPOSSIBLE movies; this is the
real thing! . . . Mendez gives an interesting behind-the-scenes
look at what it is like to work for the CIA . . . it's all true, too, which makes it even more enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Seem,s real it is great self accomplishment !
Review: i am from Karachi pakistan , due to CIA,s deep involvement in my country i am always finding some thing about CIA i orderd this book from amazon.com , i found this book a real good story of Antonio J. Mendez from recuritement to the top offical in CIA , he reflects the agency,s upgradtion from the early 60,s to modern 80,s when he spy in Moscow it is hard to belive how he breaks KJB,s Tough Surviellince if this is really a true story then American,s Must feel proud of the CIA,s old human intelligence professionals who gathers information more by themsleves nor by depending on latest equipments used by modern day Spy,s i think CIA & FBI still missing thoese great brains which they had in Past , that is why CIA Geroge Tent admitis CIA lacks HUMANINT he said after 9/11 trajic attacks ! surly i like to meet Antonio J. Mendez in real !
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