Rating: 
Summary: a slow starter, but stick with it...
Review: ...and the reader is rewarded with a fascinating narrative of the events surrounding and supporting the evolution of what is by far the largest intelligence-gathering agency in the world. Things start a little slowly; for the first fifty or so pages, Bamford somehow describes very drily what should actually be pretty vivid events: The formation of the first non-military signals intelligence organization, dashing through the French countryside at the end of WWII in an effort to recover Nazi code machines and other material before destruction or passage into Russian hands, and the like. But after these first pages, something just clicks and the book starts to read more like a novel. Bamford treats the reader to a VERY highly detailed, bird's-eye view of some of the most dramatic, explosive moments in military and political history since WWII, some of which you'll recognize and some of which you won't. The book uses these anecdotes powerfully to describe the ascent of the NSA from a couple of codebreakers to the powerful agency in its current form. The book winds down its last quarter with a description of the agency's structure and capabilites, and finally leaves readers to ponder philosophical questions around intelligence gathering and NSA capacity for analysis, the potential effect of the internet and IP telephony on signals intelligence gathering and a few others, and includes a thoughtful afterword pertaining to 9/11.
Rating: 
Summary: Opinionated but definitely worthwhile
Review: Body of Secrets is essentially a sequel to The Puzzle Palace, published twenty years ago to give something of a face to the National Security Agency (NSA). The NSA is responsible for signals and electronic intelligence for the US government and in fact is several times larger than its better known cousin, the Central Intelligence Agency. The book is presented primarily as a chronological history of the famously-secretive agency, starting with its beginnings at the close of World War II and the beginning of the US struggle against Communism and progressing to the post-September 11th era.NSA operations against North Korea are discussed, including some early diplomatic/military problems caused by operational mistakes. The agency's early technology and organization are described in some detail, using now-declassified documents as sources. Some of the key figures in this era are described, and quick mini-biographies give the reader a basic understanding of who these individuals were and what motivated them. A great deal of time is also spent discussing reconnaissance overflights of the USSR, including the infamous U2 flight by Gary Powers that was shot down. Bamford takes this opportunity to criticize President Eisenhower, who is represented in the book as a corrupt, scheming politico scared to take responsibility for his actions. But his criticism isn't limited to Eisenhower: the NSA's role in Cuba is dissected as well, such as for the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban missile crisis. The Joint Chiefs of Staff bear the brunt of Bamford's fury here, as he documents numerous efforts to incite a US-Cuba war (including a treasonous terrorism campaign to be waged in the US and blamed on the Cubans). The use of naval ships to gather signals intelligence (Sigint) and electronics intelligence (Elint) is also outlined, including a number of episodes that resulted in captured ships and men, including one ship captured by the North Koreans as well as the NSA role in the Gulf of Tonkin incident that President Johnson used as a pretext for the Vietnam war. The author takes great pains to describe the USS Liberty incident involving Israel's attack on an NSA ship during the Six Day War. Interestingly, while this review was being written, the NSA released additional information on this incident that supports the author's position. Bamford also catalogues NSA activity in Vietnam, including the first US soldier killed there (an NSA operative). While he may have little respect for much of the senior command structure, his respect and admiration for the grunts is clear as he outlines the many sacrifices they made in the service of their country even when poor decisions were being made far above them. This is a key theme of the book, actually: while the President and his staff sometimes didn't do what the author believes to be the right thing, the individual NSAers were sweating it out in impossible conditions to follow orders and protect their cause. Given so much discussion of the monitoring activity and technology of the NSA, the issue of civil liberties is important here. Transgressions were made, and many of them are listed and analyzed in the book. Body of Secrets has multiple meanings here: certainly this sort of airing of past sins is revealing of a lot of secrets that many folks would rather never see out in the open. In particular, Bamford presents large amounts of evidence regarding the targeting of individuals in violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. As the book reaches the modern era (post-1980), its tone changes from a historical account to a more general statistical analysis and description. This is probably due to the recent (and therefore still-classified) nature of the data that would provide more texture here. Hopefully, in another twenty years these stories can be told as well, particularly those involving satellite imagery and Echelon. The book also discusses the modern challenges facing the NSA, both technological (the telecom explosion, the Internet, etc.) and organizational (funding, competition for talent, etc.). An afterword addresses September 11th, but in reality the NSA involvement in this section is only tangential. Both a well-researched archive and a riveting account of the history of the NSA, Body of Secrets is a fascinating look inside one of the most reclusive and insular US government agencies. It provides another perspective on many key events in modern US history and is well worth the time a reader invests in it. Bamford's leanings in the book are clear and, while occasionally distracting, probably inevitable. For those interested in the NSA, it's indispensible and unmatched.
Rating: 
Summary: Mind numbing
Review: Although some of the historical events covered in the book should lend themselves to the thrilling type of stuff other reviews seem to say exists, I find the whole book as boring as it must be to sit for hours eavesdropping on meaningless conversations. Its interesting to learn how electronic eavesdropping is done for about 100 pages then........
Rating: 
Summary: Still a Mixed Bag
Review: I did a tour of duty some 30 years ago as a 'spook' with the Naval Security Group and have knowledge of some of the events and SIGINT (Signal Intelligence) processes Bamford writes about. Bamford's descriptions of the mechanics of SIGINT operations and quotations from interviews with former military SIGINT operators ring true. Bamford starts with a coherent description of how NSA (National Security Agency) grew out of the communications intercept and cryptologic successes of WWII. Then he has sections that provide detailed accounts of major Cold War incidents that have already been widely written about (Ivy Bells, the Pueblo, the Liberty, Maddox) along with accounts of some activities that have not been so widely written about from a SIGINT perspective (Suez incident, Africa, Cuba) and a provocative, thought provoking perspective on the successes and failures of SIGINT in Vietnam. Finally he devotes, in my opinion, far too much space to chapters describing the details of NSA buildings, computers and bureaucratic infighting that will only interest hardcore SIGINT geeks or foreign intelligence operatives. Many incidents Bamford writes about are, by definition, controversial and there are other seemingly well-researched accounts that provide different perspectives than found in this book. I recommend you consult those other sources as well if you wish to get a more complete picture of specific incidents. I give this book a three star rating because the writing is not that good and it covers such a broad range of material that few readers will be interested in everything he writes about. Finally, many of Bamford's assertions are based on still-classified documents that Bamford says were somehow made available to him for this book. Who knows?
Rating:
Summary: No Such Agency
Review: Bamford has previously written a best seller The Puzzle Palace about the NSA[National Security Agency]. I find this book troubling in two general areas. Since I am no security expert I would wish that someone who is would comment on the validity of these two areas. Bamford discusses the 1960's Cuban crisis in some detail. He seems to be saying that Eisenhower,his National Security Council,Alan Dulles'CIA and the Joint Chiefs of Staff including General Lemnitzer the Chairman were wrong on Cuba and that JFK,RFK and McNamara were right. He particularly singles Lemnitzer out for much abuse. The other area that concerned me was the allegation that during the 6 days war in 1967 Israel deliberately attempted to sink a USA NSA ship The Liberty off the Sinai peninsula. The motive is supposed to have been war atrocities against the Egyptians carried out by Israel. This was then covered up by the LBJ administration. As Ambose Bierce might say 'can such things be true?' I have no political agenda whatsoever but these things disturb me a great deal.Are they taken out of context and not fully explained or are they true? . Both strain my credulity.
Rating:
Summary: Another 'Landmark' book by a real INSIDER !!!
Review: I was very surprised by Mr. Bamford's new book. The book was suggested to me by a friend who had enjoyed his last book, The Puzzle Palace, which was a 'landmark' book in my mind. At first I did not think I would like it because I felt that it would be too technical. But I was wrong. Rather than being a dry history filled with technical data, it reads like a thriller. He does this by focusing not on the spy machines but the people behind them. I am very surprised that he was able to get so many former NSA officials to cooperate with him. Having read the TOP books in the Government Cover-up Genre; "Unconventional Flying Objects" (NASA UFO Investigator for 30 years) by the scientist Dr. Paul Hill; my FAVORITE is "Alien Rapture" by Edgar Fouche (Top Secret Black Programs Insider) and Brad Steiger (Great fiction-soon to be a movie); "Alien Agenda" by the best selling author of 'Crossfire' Jim Marrs (Best reference on UFOlogy); and "The Day After Roswell," by Colonel Corso - I'd say this book is a MUST READ also! Why would a respected, decorated, connected Military Officer (Corso) swear in a Court of Law that the UFO Conspiracy is real and that the facts and agenda in these books ARE TRUE? Why did NASA try to ban Dr. Paul Hill's book? Why were Fouche's home, car, and hotel rooms broken into? Why did he go underground after delivering his 'insider presentation to the International UFO Congress? Why has the great researcher and bestseller, Jim Marrs, been slandered? Why are there still questions about the deaths of Corso and Hill? Were their sudden demise a product of this conspiracy? Why? If you read this excellent book and the others, you will know that they are indeed true. Two well-respected American Astronauts have come forward to proclaim they had seen evidence of the Roswell UFO crash and stated they know the cover-up is real. You be the judge. Read this book and check out the reviews of the other TOP books I have mentioned.
Rating:
Summary: information overload!
Review: a very intersting and detailed book about the NSA. however, i found myself feeling like an analyst at NSA in that i had to plow through a LOT of information, some of which was interesting but could have been condensed.
my only complaint is that the author looses his objectivity in the afterword when describing the actions of george w. bush in response to the events of 09/11.
Rating:
Summary: False Pretexts and Damaging Secrets - A Consistent Theme
Review: Sure, some of his claims of NSA's present day technical capabilities and current invasion into US civilian privacy were somewhat exaggerated in the Puzzle Palace, but you can't deny that this guy's responsible for blowing the lid off a significant amount of dirt stored in this nation's vaults. Case in point: Operation Northwoods. The plans by the JCS under the direction of Gen. Lemnitzer and extreme right wingers in the defense planning establishment to attack American cities, ships, aircraft, and bases and blame it on Cuba in order to get us into war...and beyond. A lot of people go on and on about CIA and JFK, but in reality by that time CIA was removed from most Cuban activities and the pentagon became the chief player under the Cuba Project. Makes you wonder who was posing as Lee Harvey Oswald in Mexico City and making calls to a KGB assassin. We know Oswald was there, along with an imposter following behind him. We know CIA monitored both. We also know CIA got spooked when the assassination occurred and tried to suppress what they eavesdropped on. KGB certainly had no interest in creating a false KGB-Oswald connection. CIA wasn't actively involved in Cuban ops anymore because they'd once again proved inept. So that only leaves the DoD establishment as the likely operator in Mexico City. This would certainly explain why CIA covered it up and bit the bullet. God bless 'em if they've been taking the heat for so long to prevent the revolt this revelation would bring. Hoover and LBJ both said it was either a communist conspiracy or a conspiracy by the right wingers in the pentagon trying to make it look like Soviets/Cubans. We know they did everything in their power to make sure the Warren Commission testimony and evidence supported a lone gunman, preventing WWIII. It's also consistent with LBJ's troubles with the military, including the famous and real line with the Pentagon brass, "You just get me elected and you'll get the war you want." Since there never was the WWIII the JCS and right wingers wanted, I suppose you can still rationalize that LBJ and Hoover did the right thing; though they died thinking Cuba and the KGB were responsible. Bamford achieves a first in describing and documenting the DoD, JCS, and NSA's rival with the CIA, which DoD felt was encroaching on its covert ops territory. NSA is not only a civilian intell agency, but is also responsible for funding and coordinating the military's SIGINT and IMINT activities. Iran-Contra was NSA and the Pentagon under the direction of an office of the NSC. The Office of Public Diplomacy (OPD) was responsible for all sorts of illegal activities related to Iran-Contra, including the Nicaraguan Migs story. It was closed by Congress for breaking the law. Like I said, a lot of people go on and on about CIA mistakes, but in reality, the CIA did just that...screw up. Allende's assassination was an accident, not intentional. Most of the super sensitive MK Ultra and Bluebird activities were actually run by DoD and its subsidiaries, not CIA. There was a saying back in the day, "If a bomb went off and killed everyone except the intended target, it must be CIA." I think between this book and Marchetti and Mark's CIA and the Cult of Intelligence, you have about as accurate a look at the history of U.S. intell you could possibly get. We can now further see that the use of 9/11 as a pretext for going into Iraq was coordinated out of the Office of Special Plans in the pentagon under the direction of Rumsfeld and Cheney. This office was also responsible for compiling and selecting biased and misleading intelligence, bypassing the objectivity mandate the CIA is now beholden to. It's no wonder that OPD's former head Otto Reich was appointed by Bush to the State Department. If we go back even further, we can see the thread all the way back to the 40 Committee under Kissinger and the DoD's PSYOPs in Brazil, probably the most successful news manipulation and overthrow of a democratic government in the history of the world. So successful that to this day Brazilians still think the progressive, Catholic, anti-monopolist Goulart was a hardcore Commie. As a result, I think Bamford's next book needs to broaden to include the entire DoD, JCS, and NSA structure and its integrated history, rather than fixate on the NSA. The worst corruption has always occurred within the Pentagon and the numerous secret planning committees and defense advisory boards, many with deep connections to corporate America (e.g. ITT, United Fruit Company, Bell Helicopter, Halliburton, etc) often using defense issues to mask hidden profit motives...more false pretexts. Body of Secrets' best moments are when he starts doing this, but it's always cut a little short...as if he fears being called a radical. I think it is also this fixation that tends to tempt him to go off on NSA technical capabilities, the more extreme of which he is speculating about and has little evidence for. The EU did probably the best recent study of the NSA's likely capabilities and it has turned out to be very consistent with revelations post-9/11, like NSA still relying heavily on manual transcripts of audio conversations, not massive voice recognition computers...though we know NSA and DARPA are making advances in that department. But the trail of evidence when looked at in terms of trends and common themes should force more radical directions in his writing, not the geeky techno indulgences he sometimes gets side-tracked with.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!
Review: Bamford has done a masterful job of laying out the full details of the NSA's history - it's origins, inception and early years. He further offers up in stunning detail Israel's deliberate attack on the U.S.S. Liberty during the 1967 Israeli conflict with Egypt and the capture of the U.S.S. Pueblo by North Korea in early 1968 and President Johnson's maddening inaction. The author also lays out specifics of the agency in such detail that I sometimes asked myself, "Should he really be writing this stuff? Shouldn't this be still secret/classified?" He obviously had some great access to write this important book. I was a little surprised at Bamford's occasional liberal slant on events, specifically his criticism of President Bush regarding the 9-11 terrorist attacks. As a liberal myself, I wasn't offended, just surprised to read it here. (I was also outraged all over again at Bush's behavior on the morning and afternoon of 9/11/01.) He also does a nice job of telling how the NSA slipped in the 1990s in keeping up with rapidly emerging technology. He also wrote very insightfully about what the NSA is doing in the future to catch up. The only significant thing that disappointed me about the book was the lack of discussion about important events in the 1980s and 1990s. It's almost as if he got to the end of the 70s and said, "That's good enough." Since the book was published in 2001, I would have expected a lot more. Perhaps another book is forthcoming? Anyone wishing to know about this super-secret agency, it's beginnings and it's role in many important 20th century events will be thrilled to read and own this book.
Rating:
Summary: Could of been better
Review: This book had interesting tibits of information. However, there were several points that were in error. Such as the description of the cockpit layout of a RB47. I felt to much time was taken pointing out what "Body of Secrets" had uncovered rather than providing facts or telling a story.
|
