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

Want a Security Clearance? Stop Smoking Pot and Read This
BOOK REVIEW: TRUST ME: A GUIDE TO SECRETS: WHO GETS THEM AND WHY WE HAVE SUCH A MIXED TRACK RECORD WITH THEMBy Lindy Kyzer / Post Hill [...]

When the Chekists Took Up the Pen
BOOK REVIEW: KGB Literati: Spy Fiction and State Security in the Soviet UnionBy Filip Kovacevic / University of Toronto PressReviewed by: Bill [...]

The Nazis Never Left. A Worthy Successor to a Classic Thriller
BOOK REVIEW: REVENGE OF ODESSABy Frederick Forsyth with Tony Kent / G.P. Putnam’s SonsReviewed by: Susan GorgioskiThe Reviewer — Susan [...]

From OSS to AI: How Intelligence Must Evolve—Again
BOOK REVIEW: THE FOURTH INTELLIGENCE REVOLUTION: The Future of Espionage and the Battle to Save AmericaBy: Anthony Vinci/ Henry Holt and [...]

A Cultural Autopsy of the Soviet Legacy
Book Review: The Dark Side of the Earth: Russia’s Short-lived Victory over Totalitarianism By Mikhail Zygar, ScribnerThe Reviewer —Jean-Thomas [...]

Central Europe Survives: A Battlefield of Ideas Still Unfolding Today
BOOK REVIEW: Central Europe: The Death of a Civilization and the Life of an IdeaBy Luka Ivan Jukic / Hurst & Co.Reviewed by: Jean-Thomas [...]
Realism and Rivals: McCloskey’s The Persian Rings True
BOOK REVIEW: The Persian: A NovelBy David McCloskey/ W.W. NortonReviewed by: Joe ZacksThe Reviewer: Joe Zacks is the Co-founder and Managing [...]
Does the Arctic Have an Unfrozen Future?
BOOK REVIEW: UNFROZEN: THE FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE OF THE ARCTICBy Mia Bennett and Klaus Dodds / Yale University PressReviewed by: Jean-Thomas [...]














