Jeffreys-Jones, Rhodri. Cloak and Dollar: A History of American Secret Intelligence. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2002. Jeffreys-Jones, Rhodri. Cloak and Dollar: A History of American Secret Intelligence. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2002.
Jonkers, AFIO WIN 1-03, 7 Jan 2003, notes that Jeffreys-Jones "presents a thesis of an American Intelligence Community possessed by a 'Confidence Man' mentality that developed during the Cold War.... The culminating chapter ... is a wholly critical treatment of 1991 to the present." The author "manages to describe every major occurrence and every key player in virtually every field of intelligence with a critical slant that is relentless."
For Peake, IJI&C 15.3, this is the author's "latest assault on American intelligence." It contains "[p]rovocative but misleading, if not deceptive, analysis," and is a "distorted, unbalanced assessment."
Schwab, IJI&C 16.1, comments that while the author's earlier CIA and American Democracy (1989) was "a penetrating and dispassionate study," his latest work "generally lacks both of these attributes.... [M]any of Jeffreys-Jones's criticisms ... are either undocumented or poorly substantiated.... [E]vidence and analysis ... are largely absent from Cloak and Dollar, which often reads like 'yellow journalism.'"
To Hanyok, I&NS 17.4, the author's thesis of a conspiracy of spies "does not hold together very well.... It is too bad that Jeffreys-Jones chose this approach by which to organize his history, because it detracts from the rest of his work that, on the whole, contains some fair assessments of American intelligence over the last 150 years.... [However,] there are nagging factual errors in the book."
Robarge, Studies 46.4, finds that "Cloak and Dollar is a provoking, sometimes insightful, but ultimately overblown and unsatisfying book." The "clever-sounding idea" of intelligence officer as "confidence man" "probably could support a magazine piece or journal article, but it is too weak to carry an entire book." However, the book "has some strong points. The chapters on the late 19th and early 20th centuries offer a good case study of Americans' ambivalence toward spying.... The discussion of the Department of State's centralized intelligence element between the world wars -- U-1 -- is enlightening.... The book's description of how politics distorted historical analyses of Pearl Harbor is well done, and its treatment of the CIA's 'time of troubles' in the 1970s is even-handed."
Similarly, the reviewer for Publisher's Weekly, 25 Mar. 2002, finds that this book "is more balanced in its content than the author's rhetoric might lead you to believe."
For Roades, Intelligencer 13.2, "[i]f readers can recognize the fact that here is a very talented author providing a vast range of information with a pervasive personal critical bias,... this is ... a book worth reading."
Haines, Diplomatic History 28.3, was "sadly disappointed" by this book. It "is not only bad history, full of errors and distortions, but [the author's] main concept ... is not only wrong, but silly.... Jeffrey-Jones's con man theory ... is irritating; [and] his large number of factual errors and sweeping generalizations, with no supporting evidence, can grind."
Jeffreys-Jones, Rhodri. "US Intelligence and Cult of the Confidence Man" The Chronicle Review 22 Mar. 2002, B12.
Johnson, Loch K. Bombs, Bugs, Drugs, and Thugs: Intelligence and America's Quest for Security. New York and London: New York University Press, 2000. [pb] 2002.
For Chapman, IJI&C 15.1, "the content [of this work] is often puzzling"; but, "all things considered, there is much of value" here. "[A]nyone concerned about the current state of the American intelligence services should read it. Professor Johnson exposes many significant problems threatening the U.S. security system."
Turner, IJI&C 15.2, says that this is "a neat, insightful, and readable volume written by an eminently qualified and knowledgeable expert in the field, and intended primarily for those who know little or nothing about intelligence." Although the title might imply a wider subject area, the CIA is the real centerpiece in the author's study. Johnson's "principal message is that U.S. Intelligence needs to focus less on gadgets and more on Human Intelligence."
Johnson, Loch, ed. Handbook of Intelligence Studies. London: Routledge, 2007.
Peake, Studies 51.2 (2007), finds that this work provides "broad, authoritative coverage of the subject.... Johnson has assembled 26 articles from 27 academics and professionals that discuss aspects of the literature, history, and the intelligence cycle." However, to the reviewer, the treatments of open source intelligence and counterintelligence leave much to be desired. Access to the book may be limited by its "hefty, $170, price tag."
Johnson, Loch K. "Harry Howe Ransom and American Intelligence Studies." Intelligence and National Security 22, no. 3 (Jun. 2007): 402-428.
Interview conducted on 23 September 2006. Johnson provides a detailed introduction to the interview.
Johnson, Loch K., ed. Strategic Intelligence, 5 vols. Westport, CT: Praeger Security International, 2006.
Volume 1: Understanding the Hidden Side of Government
Volume 2: The Intelligence Cycle: The Flow of Secret Information from Overseas to the Highest Councils of Government
Volume 3: Covert Action: Behind the Veils of Secret Foreign Policy
Volume 4: Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism: Defending the Nation Against Hostile Forces
Volume 5: Intelligence and Accountability: Safeguards Against the Abuse of Secret Power
Peake, Studies 51.3 (2007), finds that these "volumes draw on the past to offer a broad view of the role intelligence is supposed to play in today's world and the realities of its challenging existence. The conscientious reader will learn of the myriad problems while developing an understanding of the difficult solutions required."
For Winn, Parameters 38.1 (Spring 2008), this "comprehensive survey" provides "unique insight into a world built on the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information.... The five volumes present empirical inquiries, historical views, theoretical frameworks, memoirs, case studies, interviews, legal analyses, comparative essays, and ethical assessments. The authors come from varying backgrounds" and each "has different personal experiences and writes from his or her own perspective. The books provide an excellent reference for students of the military, political affairs, foreign policy, or strategic planning. The supporting notes at the end of each chapter are especially helpful."
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