The Cipher Brief Book Store
Cipher Brief Experts are literally writing the history of national security, sharing their expertise, research and
often first-hand knowledge of events that are shaping our world. Here are books, authored or co-authored by The Cipher
Brief team:
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When you purchase a book through our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission.


The Melting Point: High Command and War in the 21st Century
General Frank McKenzie (Ret.)
Gen. McKenzie (Ret.) is Executive Director of the University of South Florida’s Global and National Security Institute. In July 2022, he also...

2054: A Novel
Admiral James Stavridis (Ret.)
Admiral Stavridis (Ret.) was the 16th Supreme Allied Commander at NATO and 12th Dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts...

Drug Capo
Michael Vigil
Mike Vigil is the former Chief of International Operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration. He is one of the most highly decorated agents...

End Game First: A Leadership Strategy for Navigating a Crisis
Vice Admiral Mike LeFever
Mike LeFever recently retired from the United States Navy after serving for over 38 years, finishing his military career as the Director of...

By All Means Available: Memoirs of a Life in Intelligence, Special Operations and Strategy
Michael Vickers
Dr. Michael Vickers served as Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence from 2011 to 2015 and as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special...

How to Survive a Crisis: Lessons in Resilience and Avoiding Disaster
Sir David Omand GCB
Sir David Omand GCB is a Visiting Professor in the Department of War Studies, King’s College London and at PSIA Sciences Po in Paris where he...

Sailing Upwind: Leadership and Risk from TopGun to the Situation Room
Admiral James 'Sandy' Winnefeld (Ret.)
Admiral Winnefeld served for 37 years in the United States Navy. He retired in 2015 after serving four years as the ninth Vice Chairman of the...

To Risk It All: Nine Conflicts and the Crucible of Decision
Admiral James Stavridis (Ret.)
Admiral Stavridis (Ret.) was the 16th Supreme Allied Commander at NATO and 12th Dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts...
Book Reviews
Read the latest Undercover Book Reviews

Before Midnight Hammer There Was Doom 34
BOOK REVIEW: DOOM 34: A Firsthand Account of the Top-Secret Mission that Launched Operation Desert StormBy Colonel Trey Morriss, U.S. Air Force [...]

Churchill–de Gaulle: Men of Destiny, Artists of History
BOOK REVIEW: The Last Titans: How Churchill and de Gaulle Saved Their Nations and Transformed the WorldBy Richard Vinen / Simon & [...]

A Murder in Mexico
BOOK REVIEW: THE DEATH OF TROTSKY: THE TRUE STORY OF THE PLOT TO KILL STALIN’S GREATEST ENEMYBy Josh Ireland/ DuttonReviewed by Michael J. [...]

Carter's China Gambit Revisited
BOOK REVIEW: Jimmy Carter and China: Multilateral Competition in the Global Cold War.By Sheng Peng / Columbia University PressReviewed by: [...]

Gray Zone Games: Idov's Thriller Mirrors Today's Shadowy Reality
BOOK REVIEW: The Cormorant HuntBy Michael Idov / ScribnerReviewed by: Anne and Jay GrunerThe Reviewers: Anne and Jay Gruner are retired CIA [...]

The Original Sin of Vietnam
BOOK REVIEW: Kennedy's Coup: A White House Plot, a Saigon Murder, and America’s Descent Into VietnamBy JACK CHEEVERS / SIMON & SCHUSTERReviewed [...]

A Narrow Lens on China's Red Revolution
BOOK REVIEW: Red Dawn Over China How Communism Conquered a Quarter of a HumanityBy Frank Dikötter / Bloomsbury PublishingReviewed by: Martin [...]

The Struggles for a Two-State Solution – An Israeli Perspective
BOOK REVIEW: A Forever War: Israel, Palestine and the Struggles for StatehoodBy Colin Shindler / Swift PressReviewed by: Jean-Thomas NicoleThe [...]











