Agent Sonya’s Faustian Bargain
BOOK REVIEW: Agent Sonya: Moscow’s Most Daring Wartime Spy by Ben Macintyre / Crown “The Cipher Brief has become the most popular outlet for former intelligence […] More
Archive for ‘Undercover’
Mapping This World and the Next
BOOK REVIEW: Geospatial Intelligence: Origins and Evolution by Robert Clark / Georgetown University Press “The Cipher Brief has become the most popular outlet for former […] More
Breaking the Code on Bytes, Bombs and Spies
BOOK REVIEW: Bytes, Bombs, and Spies: The Strategic Dimensions of Offensive Cyber Operations Edited by Herbert Lin and Amy Zegart, Brookings Institution Press “The Cipher Brief […] More
So You Think You Have a Book in You?
Under/Cover is constantly probing for insights that will help readers (and writers) understand how to gauge demand, and how to know if that story they […] More
An Easy to Read Study for Laymen Interested in Modern Day Russia
BOOK REVIEW: Putin’s World: Russia Against the West and With the Rest By Angela Stent Reviewed by Cipher Brief expert, Michael Sulick Vladimir Putin, enormously […] More
Part Two: On Becoming Brad Meltzer
Thriller writer Brad Meltzer has written 32 books. Most of them are children’s books, many are thrillers, 2 are ‘How-To’ books, 1 is a TV […] More
Truth, Fiction and Capturing the Best Story
Bill Harlow knows how to use a word. The Under/Cover Co-Editor and prolific author has worked with some of the very best in the national […] More
The Cyber War is Upon Us
John Carlin brings a wealth of government experience to his new book, co-written with author Garrett M. Graff, Dawn of the Code War: America’s Battle […] More
A British Review of The Skripal Files Hits Close to Home
By Mark Urban Reviewed by Cipher Brief Expert and Former Senior Member of the British Foreign Office, Nick Fishwick “The Cipher Brief has become the […] More
Thriller Writer Brad Thor Spills Secrets
Brad Thor has made a career out of secrets and espionage, and using them to craft the kind of adventures most people only ever dream […] More
Waking Up to the Social Media Risk
BOOK REVIEW: LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media by Peter W. Singer and Emerson T. Brooking Reviewed by Niloofar Razi Howe When famed Prussian war […] More
What Book Agents Want
In the mid-2000s, I was working as an Executive Producer at CNN’s global headquarters in Atlanta. Like many reporters, I was looking for post 9/11 […] More
BOOK REVIEW: Mike4
Since its launch in early October, Under/Cover has focused largely on reviewing non-fiction books from major publishing houses. This week, we are featuring a review […] More
Author Interview: J.R. Seeger on Mike4
Under/Cover’s Senior Editor, Bill Harlow, spoke with J.R. Seeger, author of Mike4, about the journey from CIA Officer to author. J.R. Seeger served as a […] More
REVIEW: The Spy Who Was Left Behind
THE SPY WHO WAS LEFT BEHIND by Michael Pullara, Scribner, New York, 2018 “The Cipher Brief has become the most popular outlet for former intelligence […] More
Book Review: The Skripal Files
By Mark Urban Reviewed by Cipher Brief Expert and former Chief of Station, CIA Dan Hoffman “The Cipher Brief has become the most popular outlet […] More
Author Interview: Lea Carpenter on Red, White, Blue
Lea Carpenter’s second novel, Red, White, Blue is a love story wrapped in a novel about what it means to be a spy. It’s a […] More
Book Review: Beirut Rules: The Murder of a CIA Station Chief and Hezbollah’s War Against America
By Fred Burton and Samuel M. Katz, Berkley Reviewed by Under/Cover Senior Editor Bill Harlow Young people today would be forgiven if they believed that […] More
Author Interview: Stan McChrystal on Leaders: Myth and Reality
Leaders: Myth and Reality, was a bestseller, even before it hit the bookstores. According to Amazon, the book being released today by General Stanley McChrystal […] More
BOOK REVIEW: Terrorism, Betrayal & Resilience: My Story of the 1998 U.S. Embassy Bombings
Reviewed by James L. Bullock It is an oft-told tale in Foreign Service circles that America’s diplomats, not its soldiers and sailors, are the nation’s […] More
An Interview with the CIA’s former Magic Man
In “Under Cover” we bring readers reviews of current books on national security matters, news about new releases, and Q’s & A’s with authors, publishers, […] More
BOOK REVIEW: The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War
THE SPY AND THE TRAITOR: THE GREATEST ESPIONAGE STORY OF THE COLD WAR by Ben MacIntyre, Crown, New York, 2018 Reviewed by Joseph W. Augustyn […] More