Executive Secrets: Covert Action & the Presidency

“Clears up some common misconceptions of the CIA . . . an insider’s perspective on how covert action really works, or fails” (Savannah Morning News).   Covert action has been used as an instrument of statecraft by America’s leaders since its earliest days. Some presidents have used it wisely, contributing to our success and security. Others have used it poorly, not understanding its limitations and weaknesses, with disastrous results. Surrounded by secrecy as it is, it’s not surprising that covert action can provoke confusion, ambivalence, and strong feelings among the citizens of a democracy.  Executive Secrets shines a light on the development and execution of foreign policy and the role covert action has played—forging a deeper and more nuanced understanding of both its value and its drawbacks in the ongoing project of keeping the United States safe from its adversaries and respected by its allies.   “A most informative study of covert action. . . . A valuable work that will be treasured by scholars and professionals in the field. Highly recommended.” —Choice   “Daugherty has done us all a tremendous service by attempting to rescue the Agency from the myths, both well-meaning and malevolent, that shape our understanding of it. . . . This book ought to dispel some of the fog that obscures our understanding of the C.I.A. and that prompts the gigantic mood swings in our attitude toward intelligence gathering and covert actions.” —Mark Bowden, from the forewordA History Book Club Selection