A SPY FOR ALL SEASONS : My Life In The CIA

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Summary: A top rate spy and patriot who was sold out by politics.
Review: A spy can only be a spy when he can spy effectively. I worked in NSA and Naval Intelligence for several years and I can certify that Dewey saw the transition from what once was an effective and respected clandestine service in the CIA to a time when being a spy was equal to being subhuman. American culture changed and the notion of secrecy and intelligence changed. The injection of "ACCOUNTABILITY" virtually eliminated America's espianage capabilities. Dewey knew his job probably better than anyone in the CIA. This book offers up the true to life dynamics that reverberate within the halls of the American intelligence community and in the life of a real spy. Just like in other large organizations, when something goes wrong somebody has to take the fall. Dewey, Oliver North and many others were duped by the Reagan administration but Dewey remained a patriot throughout it all. Espianiage, wars, insurgency and counterinsurgency are at best messy operations but are sometimes necessary to achieve an end. This book is a must read for anyone serious about understanding the world of intelligence and espianage. Dewey was truly a spy for all seasons.

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Summary: Good Guy in a Very Bad System
Review: Dewey was a Division Chief when I was a junior case officer, and I continue to admire him. His pocket handkerchiefs were amazing-you could parachute from a plane with one in an emergency. Dewey's bottom line is clear: he concludes that "the Clandestine Services (sic) is finished as a really effective intelligence service." He has other worthwhile insights, ranging from the inadequacy of the information reaching CIA analysts from open sources (e.g. Nepal), to the "wog factor" dominating CIA analytical assessments (e.g. Pakistan will never attack India), to the sterile and politically-safe approaches to intelligence by the leadership of NSA and the some of the military intelligence services. My bottom line on Dewey is also clear: he was typical of the case officer talent pool, he tried very hard, and the system still failed. He was a good person in a very bad system.

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Summary: Dewey was one of the last and best of the real operatives.
Review: Duane "Dewey" Clarridge is old school CIA. He came up through the organization and knows the operations directorate from top to bottom. He survived the "reorganization" by a certain admiral who gutted the directorate and went on to rise to the top of his field. When Dewey speaks, he tells the story in the vernacular of the old CIA. The agency operates under a completely different set of rules now and the experience level of those who make the calls and do the work is not as high as it was in the "old days." Long time students of American intelligence are well aware of this. Students who are just starting to study the apparatus would do very well to read this book while trying to understand the genesis of our current legislative controls over intelligence. Technology is not the answer to every intelligence question. Sometimes you have to do it the old fashioned way. And sometimes that makes our political element a bit nervous. Dewey's career ended too soon.

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Summary: At least it is a good read
Review: The book is a great help for those intrested in what has happened behind the doors during the Cold War. It also helps reader to understand how the western hemisphere has been caught unprepared to the new threats like terrorism towards the end of the Cold War. Clarridge's emphasis on West European countries', and particularly Italy's tolerance regarding terrorism is important. The book also gives a through perspective on the US covert operations in other countries from the eyes of an insider and raises questions on limits of national sovereignity, democracy and international conflicts.

Rating:
Summary: Superior Read on CIA Operations
Review: This book is a great source of information for anybody even remotely interested in the intelligence community. Clarridge does a first-rate job at describing (as much as legally possible) the tradecraft and modus operandi of the Cold War-era CIA Case Officer. Overall, very entertaining and nicely written.

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Summary: A true American patriot
Review: This was a very good book about a good man who got jilted by a system that was skewed to the left. This is a great book to read in these times due to the fact that the times could somewhat be compared. He should be a model for all Americans that to fight a menace such as terrorism or Communism you have to take the fight to them.