Historical Dictionary of United States Intelligence follows the one on British intelligence, perhaps rightly so since the Americans actually got started while throwing off the British yoke during the Revolution and later cooperated very closely with the British. While the Americans could certainly learn a trick or two about espionage during the early period, it quickly became apparent that no one could outperform them in most areas and especially not for technical collection of intelligence. And there is no question that intelligence was decisive in defeating the Axis during World War II and the Soviet Union and communism during the Cold War. Alas, since 11 September 2001 and the war on terrorism, the United States is pitted against an enemy in which old-fashioned human intelligence is far more important than any fancy gadgetry, and it will have to revamp its intelligence organizations and train more agents to face a tenacious and bitter foe. Thus, once again, the United States intelligence community is undergoing realignment and tighter oversight, in the midst of a crisis that has certainly shaken the faith in its ability to do the job.
The chronology follows the twists and turns of over two centuries of history. The introduction explains just what intelligence is and does and shows how U. S. intelligence operations have evolved over those centuries. The dictionary then looks at essential aspects more closely, including the various organizations, the persons who created and managed them, who worked for or defied them, and the many reforms and laws adopted to improve their operations or bring them under government control. This section includes entries on the successes, and also on the failures, as well as the present challenges, which are very different and particularly difficult to cope with. The bibliography is helpful for those who want to learn more. Meanwhile, the list of acronyms is there for anyone who needs to figure out which letters represent which organizations or functions.
This book was written by Michael A. Turner, who has learned about U. S. intelligence from within and without. After a brief stint as professor, he joined the Central Intelligence Agency and spent nearly 15 years in various positions, including analysis, congressional liaison, and public affairs. He has spent the past decade in academia as Cannon Professor of International Relations and Peace Studies at Alliant International University. So he is well placed to know about the trade and also to explain it to others, which he has been doing in lectures to his students, and books and articles in learned journals. While not revealing any secrets, he has performed the precious task of making sense of a very complicated and increasingly vital activity.
Jon Woronoff Series Editor
World History
