Playing to the Edge; American Intelligence in the Age of Terror
New York, New York: Penguin Press, 2016. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. xiv, 448, [2] pages. Inscribed by the author on the title page. The inscription reads: Ed & Kathy, Many Thanks for your interest and your support! Mike Hayden. Book includes footnotes, acknowledgments, and an Index. Michael Vincent Hayden (born March 17, 1945) is a retired United States Air Force four-star general and former Director of the National Security Agency, Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Hayden currently co-chairs the Bipartisan Policy Center's Electric Grid Cyber Security Initiative. In 2017, Hayden became a national security analyst for CNN. He was Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) from 1999 to 2005. During his tenure as director, he oversaw the controversial NSA surveillance of technological communications between persons in the United States and alleged foreign terrorist groups, which resulted in the NSA warrantless surveillance controversy. Derived from a Kirkus review: The former director of the National Security Agency and the CIA defends espionage as vital to American safety, but he spices the conversation with sharp portraits of politicians, military commanders, and rulers of other nations. Hayden's memoir rests on the foundation of his oft-stated belief in personal privacy for American citizens and why government spying in the name of national security must sometimes trump that privacy. Given the magnitude of the tragedy of 9/11, the role of espionage to combat terrorist attacks dominates the narrative. But espionage in a broader context enters the story as well, especially in relation to Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Syria, Pakistan, and other global hot spots. Hayden provides interesting discussions of the lethal use of drones against alleged terrorists. He humanizes the work of spies and he makes distinctions about various interrogation methods. For readers of all political and ideological persuasions, Hayden is a worthy guide to a secretive realm. Condition: Very good / Very good.
Keywords: Michael Hayden, National Security Agency, CIA, George W. Bush, Detainees, Rendition, Espionage, Spies, Intelligence Agency, Enhanced Interrogation, Stellarwind
ISBN: 9781594206566
[Book #79075]
Price: $100.00