The CIA's Secret Arabists and the Shaping of the Modern Middle East by Hugh Wilford
Mostly about the acts and after-effects of Kim and Archie Roosevelt
Monday, July 29, 2019
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Now Listing Book by Book
The Art of Intelligence: Lessons from a Life in the CIA's Clandestine Service by Henry A Crumpton
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Off Theme: House to House - An Epic Memoir of War by David Bellavia
A couple of weeks ago, I watched the ceremony that awarded David Bellavia the medal of honor, the first Iraqi war veteran to receive it. He was an average looking American on the TV who brought his entire company with him, as he believed they were equally heroic in the battle of Fallujah. My eyes actually teared up as I read the chapter of his reunion with his wife and young son.
I say this biography is off my 2019 espionage theme but since I'm not going to write posts of each of the spy books, rather to summarize in one or two blogs the personal reasons why I chose this theme this year and what I learned about myself and my county by choosing it. So reading about a military hero is not really the obverse of a spy. Spies and even double agents tend to be heroes to their nations and often served in the military or defense industry in some capacity before or after being a "spook."
As a preview of one of my rationales, I attempt to discover what makes a person stand above their peers, doing things the vast majority of the populace would never dream of doing, not being a showman and seeking attention or notoriety, but solidly grounded on higher ethical and patriotic grounds.
Sgt Bellavia served in Kosovo before the Middle East and served several tours in Iran. His beliefs in democracy, religion, and leadership ground him through horrific battles. He is a vicious infantryman, using 21st century military weapons but leading his men in a brotherhood that is a timeless as the Old Testament.
So one of the things I am subconsciously seeking in this years' books are people whose inspiration I can aspire to, if not attain this late in my career/life. Bellavia, fights in filth against fanatics hopped up on drugs. Every time an enemy combatant yells Allahu Akbar, he responds with a line from the Exorcist "The Power of Christ Compels You." To him it means, if not you, who else has to and will do what has to be done.
I hope these don't sound like platitudes, but Bellavia's code of honor personifies many ideals that others might think are platitudinous:
Be an example for your subordinates; don't have them do something you would not do, but rather lead them into that action.
Break the rules for purpose and to advance the desired end game.
Notice not just the heritages of your staff, but their quirks as well as talents. Cohesion makes results attainable.
Do I think all spies are heroes or act for honorable reasons? Many of the books I've read so far this year are set during wars, from the American Revolution, WW II, and now into the various wars in the Middle East. Spies who are working for and not double crossing their nations are heroes who avert fighting. A double agent is like a fighter who fights not for freedom but for expansionism ,,, to conquer an opposing nation's territory or to fatten a personal wallet.
I say this biography is off my 2019 espionage theme but since I'm not going to write posts of each of the spy books, rather to summarize in one or two blogs the personal reasons why I chose this theme this year and what I learned about myself and my county by choosing it. So reading about a military hero is not really the obverse of a spy. Spies and even double agents tend to be heroes to their nations and often served in the military or defense industry in some capacity before or after being a "spook."
As a preview of one of my rationales, I attempt to discover what makes a person stand above their peers, doing things the vast majority of the populace would never dream of doing, not being a showman and seeking attention or notoriety, but solidly grounded on higher ethical and patriotic grounds.
Sgt Bellavia served in Kosovo before the Middle East and served several tours in Iran. His beliefs in democracy, religion, and leadership ground him through horrific battles. He is a vicious infantryman, using 21st century military weapons but leading his men in a brotherhood that is a timeless as the Old Testament.
So one of the things I am subconsciously seeking in this years' books are people whose inspiration I can aspire to, if not attain this late in my career/life. Bellavia, fights in filth against fanatics hopped up on drugs. Every time an enemy combatant yells Allahu Akbar, he responds with a line from the Exorcist "The Power of Christ Compels You." To him it means, if not you, who else has to and will do what has to be done.
I hope these don't sound like platitudes, but Bellavia's code of honor personifies many ideals that others might think are platitudinous:
Be an example for your subordinates; don't have them do something you would not do, but rather lead them into that action.
Break the rules for purpose and to advance the desired end game.
Notice not just the heritages of your staff, but their quirks as well as talents. Cohesion makes results attainable.
Do I think all spies are heroes or act for honorable reasons? Many of the books I've read so far this year are set during wars, from the American Revolution, WW II, and now into the various wars in the Middle East. Spies who are working for and not double crossing their nations are heroes who avert fighting. A double agent is like a fighter who fights not for freedom but for expansionism ,,, to conquer an opposing nation's territory or to fatten a personal wallet.
Sunday, July 7, 2019
Monday, July 1, 2019
The latest books are longer/heavier and family vacations intervene
Operation Paperclip: The Secret Intelligence Program that Brought Nazi Scientists to America by Annie Jacobsen
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