Cloak and Dollar: The History of American Secret Intelligence

Rating:
Summary: Where was the editor?
Review: Actually, I couldn't finish the book. I started several chapters, but finally put it down in disgust. Where was the editor at Yale Press? The writing is terrible, more acceptable from a high school freshman than from a professor of history. My ex-wife is an instructor in English and composition, and I'm sure she would appreciate this book as a gift for its collection of bad examples. My advice - browse before you buy.

Rating:
Summary: Where was the editor?
Review: Actually, I couldn't finish the book. I started several chapters, but finally put it down in disgust. Where was the editor at Yale Press? The writing is terrible, more acceptable from a high school freshman than from a professor of history. My ex-wife is an instructor in English and composition, and I'm sure she would appreciate this book as a gift for its collection of bad examples. My advice - browse before you buy.

Rating:
Summary: Amazingly bad
Review: As I've mentioned in other books, the secret services history is far from simple. The author manages to make it unnerving to read. Not because of facts presented but because there's no sequence, no effort to write the book adequately. He goes un using exaggerted words, which come out of context with the book.
It is as if a highschool student wanted to make a display of his extense vocabulary, grabbed words out of a dictionary and made a great example of not knowing how to use them. The book is also too opinionated. It is leading you to the author's opinion, he leads on a battle without backing, to direct you to think that secret services are over funded, still filled with a seemingly patriotic belief in their good intentions.
On the whole, the author set on an ambitious idea of writing a book, tried to fit anectotic facts with hard history and set his opinions, and managed to make a hideous menage. There are better books on the subject, and I wouldn't recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Poorly written in the passive UK tense
Review: The British have a perculiar way of writing, that, coupled with the passive tense, makes this book a nuisance to read. Puruse the on-line exerpts provided by Amazon for a preview.

Other than that it's a good book, not that I've read it, but from what I've heard.