"As a key component of the United  States intelligence community, the CIA has played a pivotal yet often unseen role in some of the most significant geopolitical events of the 20th and 21st centuries. From infiltrating Nazi ranks during World War Il to attempts to undermine Fidel Castro’s regime during the Cold War, the Agency frequently operated with unclear boundaries between diplomatic and clandestine activities. Public perception of the CIA ranges from vilifying to sensationalistic, magnified by Hollywood portrayals.

This book provides an inside look at the CIA’s evolution, scrutinizing both accomplishments and controversies. The events and evidence unfold through the lens of insiders and policy analysts. The assessment casts new light on the outsized role this agency has assumed in guiding geopolitics from the shadows. Both novices and scholars of security affairs will find ample information to make their own judgments on the necessity and ethical dilemmas inherent to intelligence work."