{"product_id":"the-mission-the-cia-in-the-21st-century-isbn-9780063270206","title":"The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Bestseller * A \u003ci\u003eNew Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e Best Book of the Year * A \u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e Notable Book of the Year * A \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Editors' Choice \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"No one has opened up the CIA to us like Weiner has, and \u003ci\u003eThe Mission \u003c\/i\u003edeserves to win Weiner a second Pulitzer.\" —\u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA masterpiece of reporting based on-the-record interviews with six former CIA directors and scores of spies, station chiefs, and top operations officers: \u003ci\u003eThe Mission \u003c\/i\u003eis a gripping and revelatory history of the modern CIA, reaching from 9\/11 through its covert operations in Afghanistan and Iraq to today’s secret battles with Russia and China, concluding with the Agency's own fight for survival under the current president of the United States \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTim Weiner's epic successor to \u003ci\u003eLegacy of Ashes, \u003c\/i\u003ehis National Book Award–winning classic about the CIA's first sixty years\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the turn of the century, the Central Intelligence Agency was in crisis. The end of the Cold War had robbed the agency of its mission. More than thirty overseas stations and bases had been shuttered, and scores that remained had been severely cut back. Many countries where surveillance was once deemed crucial went uncovered. Essential intelligence wasn’t being collected. At the dawn of the information age, the CIA’s officers and analysts worked with outmoded technology, struggling to distinguish the clear signals of significant facts from the cacophony of background noise.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThen came September 11th, 2001. After the attacks, the CIA transformed itself into a lethal paramilitary force, running secret prisons and brutal interrogations, mounting deadly drone attacks, and all but abandoning its core missions of espionage and counterespionage. The consequences were grave: the deaths of scores of its recruited foreign agents, the theft of its personnel files by Chinese spies, the penetration of its computer networks by Russian intelligence and American hackers, and the tragedies of Afghanistan and Iraq. A new generation of spies now must fight the hardest targets—Moscow, Beijing, Tehran—while confronting a president who has attacked the CIA as a subversive force.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom Pulitzer Prize winner Tim Weiner, \u003ci\u003eThe Mission \u003c\/i\u003etells the gripping, high-stakes story of the CIA through the first quarter of the twenty-first century, revealing how the agency fought to rebuild the espionage powers it lost during the war on terror—and finally succeeded in penetrating the Kremlin. The struggle has life-and-death consequences for America and its allies. The CIA must reclaim its original mission: know thy enemies. The fate of the free world hangs in the balance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA masterpiece of reporting, \u003ci\u003eThe Mission\u003c\/i\u003e includes exclusive on-the-record interviews with six former CIA directors, the top spymaster, thirteen station chiefs, and scores of top operations officers who served undercover for decades and have never spoken to a journalist before.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e\"A riveting, must-read, deeply reported continuation of Weiner’s prize winner, \u003cem\u003eLegacy of Ashes\u003c\/em\u003e.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Esquire, \"The Best Books of Summer 2025\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Weiner draws on deep sourcing to lay bare the errancies of American intelligence—this time, as the war on terror endlessly expands. He documents the agency’s torture programs and its growing reliance on drone strikes, tracking how the campaign against terrorism blurred legal and ethical boundaries. But \u003cem\u003eThe Mission\u003c\/em\u003e also brings the story into the disorienting present, chronicling the astonishing reversal in the C.I.A.’s public standing during Trump’s first term, when the President openly feuded with the agency over Russian election interference. Weiner closes with a cautious faith in the agency’s rank and file, shadowed by a clear sense of foreboding.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"This masterful new history should be required reading. . . . Astonishing. . . . A singular triumph.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"In this triumphant follow-up to \u003cem\u003eLegacy of Ashes, \u003c\/em\u003eNational Book Award winner Weiner continues his history of the CIA. . . . Chilling. . . . A crucial document of the present times.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Riveting. . . . How Weiner persuaded so many people to talk on the record is a journalistic feat that should make \u003cem\u003eThe Mission\u003c\/em\u003e impossible to dismiss.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAssociated Press\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"This masterful new history should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand the CIA’s place in U.S. foreign policy in the 21st century. Weiner takes us through every foreign policy crisis since 9\/11 and describes the CIA’s role, often in astonishing detail. . . . Weiner’s new book stands out for his unprecedented access to CIA officers past and present. . . . A singular triumph—an intimate chronicle of the CIA, its crises, and its opportunities since 9\/11.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eThe Mission\u003c\/em\u003e is an outstanding book. The most important CIA intelligence activities of this century are examined here, fairly and in lively prose.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLoch K. Johnson, SpyTalk\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An absorbing, informative portrait of an embattled organization that is facing formidable challenges abroad and at home.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMinneapolis Star Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"In 2007, Weiner, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, rankled U.S. spy organizations with \u003cem\u003eLegacy of Ashes\u003c\/em\u003e, a chronicle of the C.I.A.’s 20th-century failings that won a National Book Award. He’s back with the story of the agency’s evolution since Sept. 11 — a period when American covert services took an increasingly militaristic role in the Middle East and, Weiner contends, pushed the business of war deeper into the dark.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times, Editors' Choice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"No one has opened up the CIA to us like Weiner has, and \u003cem\u003eThe Mission \u003c\/em\u003edeserves to win Weiner a second Pulitzer.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJohn Simpson, The Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Weiner has made tracking the fluctuating fortunes of the American intelligence community his life's work. His masterly \u003cem\u003eLegacy of Ashes\u003c\/em\u003e, detailing the C.I.A.'s first half-century, won a National Book Award in 2007. \u003cem\u003eThe Mission\u003c\/em\u003e picks up where that book left off, narrating the agency's history well beyond the fall of communism. It is exhaustive and prodigiously researched.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eScott Anderson, New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A remarkable piece of journalism and history, based on scores of on-the-record interviews with CIA veterans. Weiner takes us deep into that covert world, exposing its scandals and chronicling the agency’s little-known successes. . . . I marvel at Weiner’s accomplishment.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDavid Corn, Mother Jones\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eThe Mission\u003c\/em\u003e reads like a thriller. . . . a remarkable collection of information we never had before and wouldn’t have without Weiner.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRachel Maddow\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Readers of \u003cem\u003eThe Mission\u003c\/em\u003e may wonder whether spy fiction and political dramas have a future. The author certainly provides rich background for aspiring thriller writers. But he suggests that reality, in the US at any rate, is intriguing enough, and scary. . . . Weiner brings a sharpness and added value mainly through his interviews with many of the players involved, along with his cutting and perceptive observations.\"    - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTimes Literary Supplement (London)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Mission\u003c\/i\u003e is a fantastic read. . . . reminds us of the importance of the human element when it comes to high-stakes diplomacy, and the life-and-death decisions on which our national security depends.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Observer (London)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Weiner meticulously documents a level of chaos, deception and politicization in the upper echelons of the CIA that put in perspective current debates over Donald Trump’s own efforts to reshape and purge the agencies.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Economist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Any serious student of U.S. national security should immediately pick up a copy of “The Mission.” Beyond the history-making details uncovered through on-the-record interviews with former senior CIA officials, it is guaranteed to serve as fertile ground for investigations which extend beyond the boundaries of the book itself.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJack Poulson, All-Source Intelligence\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Drawing the threads of these personal stories together into a broader narrative. . . . is the stuff of good popular history, as \u003cem\u003eThe Mission\u003c\/em\u003e is.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Times (London)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Riveting. . . . \u003cem\u003eThe Mission\u003c\/em\u003e is a penetrating portrait of the nation's most powerful intelligence service and its existential evolution as a last line of defense against enemies foreign and domestic.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness, starred review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Rudnicki takes Weiner's impeccable research and storytelling to near cinematic heights as he shares victories and losses by America's--and the world's--premier spy agency. This audiobook covers the irrefutable damage the two Trump administrations have inflicted on the Agency. But more than that, it offers a real-life look at the work of spycraft. It's for anyone who cares about the current state of the CIA--or who wants to learn how much fact there may be in spy fiction. ”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAudioFile, “Earphones Award Winner\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA riveting history of the agency for anyone fascinated by real-life global espionage. Sourced from exclusive interviews with six former CIA directors, \u003ci\u003eThe Mission\u003c\/i\u003e is highly readable, enlightening and chillingly timed. - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSeven Days\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Weiner constructs a detailed genealogy of the political pathologies that now shape American life. . . . By zeroing in on the CIA’s institutional failures, Tim Weiner does a great job of explaining how the United States went wrong.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Battleground\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Powerful. . . . \u003ci\u003eThe Mission\u003c\/i\u003e is the product of massive research, including on-the-record interviews with more than 100 veterans of the agency. . . . Weiner’s stories of danger, courage and — not infrequently — pure folly will keep readers turning briskly through these pages.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post, A Notable Book of the Year\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Weiner, who has spent decades reporting on the Central Intelligence Agency, chronicles the CIA’s struggle to understand its mission after the end of the Cold War with rare on-the-record interviews. After the 9\/11 attacks, the CIA found itself in charge overnight of a global war against an enemy about which it knew almost nothing. . . . More hair-raising because it is less well known is Weiner’s definitive treatment of Russia’s massive, unprecedented political warfare on Donald Trump’s behalf in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eForeign Affairs\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mariner Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48588063572197,"sku":"NP9780063270206","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780063270206.jpg?v=1773961551","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-mission-the-cia-in-the-21st-century-isbn-9780063270206","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}