LATEST Book Review COLUMNS

A British Review of The Skripal Files Hits Close to Home

Cipher Brief Expert and former senior member of the British Foreign Office, Nick Fishwick provides an interesting perspective on the attempted assassination of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal. Nick...

Waking Up to the Social Media Risk

by Like War

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 theorist Carl von Clausewitz wrote, “All...

The Perils of Red War

by red war

BOOK REVIEW:  Red War (A Mitch Rapp Novel Book 15) by (the late) Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills Reviewed by Robert Richer First of all, I need to highlight that I was a personal friend of the late Vince...

Dawn of the Code War: The End of Innocence for IT

BOOK REVIEW: Dawn of The Code War: Americas Battle Against Russia, China, and the Rising Global Cyber Threat By: John P. Carlin with Garrett M. Graff, Public Affairs, New York, 2018 Reviewed by Peter...

BOOK REVIEW: Mike4

This is Cipher Brief Level I Member Only content. It can be accessed via login or by signing up to become a Cipher Brief Member.  Joining this high-level, security-focused community is only...

REVIEW: The Spy Who Was Left Behind

THE SPY WHO WAS LEFT BEHIND by Michael Pullara, Scribner, New York, 2018 Reviewed by Joseph Augustyn There are currently 129 stars carved into the white Alabama marble wall in the lobby of CIA...

Book Review: The Skripal Files

Reviewed by Cipher Brief Expert and former Chief of Station, CIA Dan Hoffman The Skripal Files, Henry Holt & Company, 2018 BBC Diplomatic Editor Mark Urban’s latest book is a gripping...

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 they live in a time of unprecedented hate and...

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 first line of defense. Certainly more U.S....

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 What most experienced intelligence officers will tell you...