A Rapp Sheet Worth Writing About

By Bill Rapp

Bill Rapp is a former CIA Officer who began his professional life as an academic, teaching European History at Iowa State University. A graduate of Notre Dame, The University of Toronto and Vanderbilt, Rapp spent 35 years working for the U. S. Government. His books include the mystery novels Angel in Black, A Pale Rain, Burning Altars, Berlin Breakdown, Tears of Innocence, and The Hapsburg Variation.

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 the country was still divided after World War II.  He also worked in Turkey and the Aegean, Canada, Iraq and London. It wasn’t where he set out to go. Pre-CIA, Rapp’s love for history led him to an early career as a professional historian.  With a PhD from Vanderbilt University, he taught history before finding the inspiration to take his passions further, eventually finding his calling first with the CIA, and later, as an author.  

The CIA is a bit of a family affair for the Rapps. Bill’s wife, Cynthia (better known as Didi), also works for the Agency, and as Dead Drop readers were among the first to learn, was recently named Deputy Director for Analysis. 

“The Cipher Brief has become the most popular outlet for former intelligence officers; no media outlet is even a close second to The Cipher Brief in terms of the number of articles published by formers.” —Sept. 2018, Studies in Intelligence, Vol. 62

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