Former CIA Officer Alex Finley and her Oligarch Yachts
AUTHOR INTERVIEW — When The Cipher Brief last crossed paths with author Alex Finley, we delved into the exploits of Victor Caro, the central character […] More
Author Interview
9 Good Questions for First Casualty Author Toby Harnden
Cipher Brief UnderCover senior editor, Bill Harlow talks with journalist and author Toby Harnden about his new book, First Casualty: The Untold Story of the […] More
Holiday Shopping Tips for the Best National Security Books
(The Cipher Brief is an amazon affiliate and may make a small commission on books purchased via The Cipher Brief. ) UnderCover Senior Book Editor […] More
UnderCover with Spymasters Author Chris Whipple
[Editors Note: Cipher Brief Senior Book Editor Bill Harlow recently had a conversation with author Chris Whipple about his new book: The Spymasters. A review […] More
The Latest
How a CIA Analyst Spots Fake News
Ever wonder how a CIA Analyst spots fake news? A new book out today by former CIA Analyst Cindy Otis, True or False: A CIA […] More
A Guide for the Transition Mission
Alison Bouwmeester spent 28 years working as a CIA case officer. When she retired and went to work in the private sector, she found that […] More
An Inside Account of the US Evacuation from Libya
Sarah Carlson is the author of a new book, In the Dark of War: A CIA Officer’s Inside Account of the U.S. Evacuation from Libya based in […] More
Not Your Typical CIA Officer, Or?
The Unexpected Spy: From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking Down Some of the World’s Most Notorious Terrorists By Tracy Walder | […] More
The Ex-Spy’s Reading List in the Age of COVID-19
In the age of COVID-19, The Cipher Brief reached out to our expert network to ask what they were reading. Cipher Brief Expert Marc Polymeropoulos […] More
Author Gordon Corera talks about the Russians Among Us
Long-time BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera recently published a new book, Russians Among Us: Sleeper Cells, Ghost Stories and the Hunt for Putin’s Spies. […] More
Behind the Budapest Escape
Undercover readers might remember that we introduced you this past spring to Bill Rapp, a former CIA analyst turned author. He’s an interesting character in […] More
What Really Happened at CIA Black Sites
Former CIA and FBI official Phil Mudd knows a lot of details you probably don’t about CIA black sites. He knows, because he was associated […] More
Author Alex Finley Dishes on Life as a Spy
Alex Finley worked for CIA’s Directorate of Operations for about six years in the early 2000s. Her roles took her to places like West Africa […] More
Daniel Silva’s New Girl
Editors note: Daniel Silva is one of America’s most prolific and popular novelists. His latest book, The New Girl, is officially out today, July 16th. […] More
Life as a Female CIA Targeting Officer
[ED NOTE from Cipher Brief CEO Suzanne Kelly: I met Nada Bakos, the author of The Targeter: My Life in the CIA, Hunting Terrorists and […] More
So You Think You’ve Got 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
The Moral Future of the Internet
Investigative journalist Joseph Menn, author of the recently released Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World has […] More
A Rapp Sheet Worth Writing About
Bill Rapp’s real story is just as interesting as the ones he makes up. The former CIA Analyst began working in West Germany back when […] More
Why the U.S. is Losing the War on Extremism
Extremist organizations are successfully preying on a rising generation of nearly one billion Muslim millennials in order to add to their ranks, according a new […] More