The Shadow Factory
The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
The Shadow Factory
Buy for $13.50
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Paul Michael
-
By:
-
James Bamford
About this listen
Today's National Security Agency is the largest, most costly, and most technologically advanced spy organization the world has ever known. It is also the most intrusive, secretly filtering millions of phone calls and e-mails an hour in the United States and around the world. Half a million people live on its watch list, and the number grows by the thousands every month. Has America become a surveillance state?
In The Shadow Factory, James Bamford, the foremost expert on the National Security Agency, charts its transformation since 9/11, as the legendary code breakers turned their ears away from outside enemies, such as the Soviet Union, and inward to enemies whose communications increasingly crisscross America.
Fast-paced and riveting, The Shadow Factory is about a world unseen by Americans without the highest security clearances. But it is a world in which even their most intimate whispers may no longer be private.
©2008 James Bamford (P)2008 Books on TapeListeners also enjoyed...
-
A Pretext for War
- 9/11, Iraq, and the Abuse of America's Intelligence Agencies
- By: James Bamford
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 122
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42
This book says outright what many have merely hinted at: that President George W. Bush knowingly misused the findings of the erroneous and incompetent U.S. intelligence community to provide a pretext for war with Iraq. The author hones in on the systematic weaknesses of the intelligence agencies that caused them to ignore the crucial signs leading up to the attacks of 9/11.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A must read before you vote
- By FGP on 09-30-04
By: James Bamford
-
The Puzzle Palace
- Inside the National Security Agency, America's Most Secret Intelligence Organization
- By: James Bamford
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 20 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 73
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 63
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 63
In this remarkable tour de force of investigative reporting, James Bamford exposes the inner workings of America's largest, most secretive, and arguably most intrusive intelligence agency. The NSA has long eluded public scrutiny, but The Puzzle Palace penetrates its vast network of power and unmasks the people who control it, often with shocking disregard for the law.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great NSA genesis - but watch the publication date
- By E. M. on 12-05-18
By: James Bamford
-
Permanent Record
- By: Edward Snowden
- Narrated by: Holter Graham
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 12,925
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 11,257
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 11,229
Edward Snowden, the man who risked everything to expose the US government’s system of mass surveillance, reveals for the first time the story of his life, including how he helped to build that system and what motivated him to try to bring it down.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great (if incomplete) account
- By Ryan L on 09-22-19
By: Edward Snowden
-
No Place to Hide
- Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State
- By: Glenn Greenwald
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,938
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,615
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,609
In May 2013, Glenn Greenwald set out for Hong Kong to meet an anonymous source who claimed to have astonishing evidence of pervasive government spying and insisted on communicating only through heavily encrypted channels. That source turned out to be the 29-year-old NSA contractor Edward Snowden, and his revelations about the agency’s widespread, systemic overreach proved to be some of the most explosive and consequential news in recent history, triggering a fierce debate over national security....
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Best Read in Print Format
- By Alfredo Ramirez on 11-22-14
By: Glenn Greenwald
-
Code Warriors
- NSA's Codebreakers and the Secret Intelligence War Against the Soviet Union
- By: Stephen Budiansky
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 201
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 181
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 180
The National Security Agency was born out of the legendary codebreaking programs of World War II that cracked the famed Enigma machine and other German and Japanese codes, thereby turning the tide of Allied victory. In the postwar years, as the United States developed a new enemy in the Soviet Union, our intelligence community found itself targeting not soldiers on the battlefield, but suspected spies, foreign leaders, and even American citizens.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Did Vladimir Putin Steal the American Election?
- By Cynthia on 12-01-16
-
Legacy of Ashes
- The History of the CIA
- By: Tim Weiner
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 21 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 4,599
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,867
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,851
This is the book the CIA does not want you to read. For the last 60 years, the CIA has maintained a formidable reputation in spite of its terrible record, never disclosing its blunders to the American public. It spun its own truth to the nation while reality lay buried in classified archives. Now, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter Tim Weiner offers a stunning indictment of the CIA, a deeply flawed organization that has never deserved America's confidence.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Flawed but Important
- By Michael on 07-18-08
By: Tim Weiner
-
A Pretext for War
- 9/11, Iraq, and the Abuse of America's Intelligence Agencies
- By: James Bamford
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 122
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42
This book says outright what many have merely hinted at: that President George W. Bush knowingly misused the findings of the erroneous and incompetent U.S. intelligence community to provide a pretext for war with Iraq. The author hones in on the systematic weaknesses of the intelligence agencies that caused them to ignore the crucial signs leading up to the attacks of 9/11.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A must read before you vote
- By FGP on 09-30-04
By: James Bamford
-
The Puzzle Palace
- Inside the National Security Agency, America's Most Secret Intelligence Organization
- By: James Bamford
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 20 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 73
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 63
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 63
In this remarkable tour de force of investigative reporting, James Bamford exposes the inner workings of America's largest, most secretive, and arguably most intrusive intelligence agency. The NSA has long eluded public scrutiny, but The Puzzle Palace penetrates its vast network of power and unmasks the people who control it, often with shocking disregard for the law.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great NSA genesis - but watch the publication date
- By E. M. on 12-05-18
By: James Bamford
-
Permanent Record
- By: Edward Snowden
- Narrated by: Holter Graham
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 12,925
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 11,257
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 11,229
Edward Snowden, the man who risked everything to expose the US government’s system of mass surveillance, reveals for the first time the story of his life, including how he helped to build that system and what motivated him to try to bring it down.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great (if incomplete) account
- By Ryan L on 09-22-19
By: Edward Snowden
-
No Place to Hide
- Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State
- By: Glenn Greenwald
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,938
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,615
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,609
In May 2013, Glenn Greenwald set out for Hong Kong to meet an anonymous source who claimed to have astonishing evidence of pervasive government spying and insisted on communicating only through heavily encrypted channels. That source turned out to be the 29-year-old NSA contractor Edward Snowden, and his revelations about the agency’s widespread, systemic overreach proved to be some of the most explosive and consequential news in recent history, triggering a fierce debate over national security....
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Best Read in Print Format
- By Alfredo Ramirez on 11-22-14
By: Glenn Greenwald
-
Code Warriors
- NSA's Codebreakers and the Secret Intelligence War Against the Soviet Union
- By: Stephen Budiansky
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 201
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 181
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 180
The National Security Agency was born out of the legendary codebreaking programs of World War II that cracked the famed Enigma machine and other German and Japanese codes, thereby turning the tide of Allied victory. In the postwar years, as the United States developed a new enemy in the Soviet Union, our intelligence community found itself targeting not soldiers on the battlefield, but suspected spies, foreign leaders, and even American citizens.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Did Vladimir Putin Steal the American Election?
- By Cynthia on 12-01-16
-
Legacy of Ashes
- The History of the CIA
- By: Tim Weiner
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 21 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 4,599
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,867
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,851
This is the book the CIA does not want you to read. For the last 60 years, the CIA has maintained a formidable reputation in spite of its terrible record, never disclosing its blunders to the American public. It spun its own truth to the nation while reality lay buried in classified archives. Now, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter Tim Weiner offers a stunning indictment of the CIA, a deeply flawed organization that has never deserved America's confidence.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Flawed but Important
- By Michael on 07-18-08
By: Tim Weiner
-
Spies, Lies, and Algorithms
- The History and Future of American Intelligence
- By: Amy B. Zegart
- Narrated by: Amy B. Zegart
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 276
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 238
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 238
In Spies, Lies, and Algorithms, Amy Zegart separates fact from fiction as she offers an engaging and enlightening account of the past, present, and future of American espionage as it faces a revolution driven by digital technology. Drawing on decades of research and hundreds of interviews with intelligence officials, Zegart provides a history of US espionage, gives an overview of intelligence basics and life inside America's intelligence agencies, and explores the vexed issues of traitors, covert action, and congressional oversight.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Superb and insightful!
- By Cameron on 02-01-22
By: Amy B. Zegart
-
Countdown to Zero Day
- Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon
- By: Kim Zetter
- Narrated by: Joe Ochman
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,355
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,053
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,049
The virus now known as Stuxnet was unlike any other piece of malware built before: Rather than simply hijacking targeted computers or stealing information from them, it proved that a piece of code could escape the digital realm and wreak actual, physical destruction—in this case, on an Iranian nuclear facility.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazingly detailed, sober and above all, damning
- By Greg on 11-22-14
By: Kim Zetter
-
Spycraft
- The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs from Communism to Al-Qaeda
- By: Robert Wallace, Henry Robert Schelsinger
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 19 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,067
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 670
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 675
Now, in the first book ever written about this ultrasecretive department, the former director of OTS teams up with an internationally renowned intelligence historian to give listeners an unprecedented look at the devices and operations deemed "inappropriate for public disclosure" by the CIA just two years ago.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Unique, informative history of the CIA
- By Richard on 07-29-08
By: Robert Wallace, and others
-
Sandworm
- A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin's Most Dangerous Hackers
- By: Andy Greenberg
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,134
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,776
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,772
In 2014, the world witnessed the start of a mysterious series of cyberattacks. Targeting American utility companies, NATO, and electric grids in Eastern Europe, the strikes grew ever more brazen. They culminated in the summer of 2017, when the malware known as NotPetya was unleashed, penetrating, disrupting, and paralyzing some of the world's largest businesses—from drug manufacturers to software developers to shipping companies. At the attack's epicenter in Ukraine, ATMs froze. The railway and postal systems shut down. Hospitals went dark.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Thru the eyes of the Sandworm's hunters and prey
- By ndru1 on 11-12-19
By: Andy Greenberg
-
The Art of Intelligence
- Lessons from a Life in the CIA's Clandestine Service
- By: Henry A. Crumpton
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,227
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,076
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,064
A legendary CIA spy and counterterrorism expert here tells the spellbinding story of his high-risk, action-packed career while illustrating the growing importance of America's intelligence officers and their secret missions. The Art of Intelligence draws from the full arc of Henry Crumpton's espionage and covert action exploits to explain what America's spies do and why their service is more valuable than ever.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Looking for a place in History?
- By Anne on 05-20-12
-
Spies
- The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West
- By: Calder Walton
- Narrated by: Dugald Bruce-Lockhart
- Length: 20 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 116
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 98
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 98
Spies is the history of the secret war that Russia and the West have been waging for a century. Espionage, sabotage, and subversion were the Kremlin’s means to equalize the imbalance of resources between the East and West before, during, and after the Cold War. There was nothing “unprecedented” about Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. It was simply business as usual, new means used for old ends.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A detailed history, inexcusably marred by politics
- By Thomas Randolph on 08-12-23
By: Calder Walton
-
The Pentagon's Brain
- An Uncensored History of DARPA, America's Top-Secret Military Research Agency
- By: Annie Jacobsen
- Narrated by: Annie Jacobsen
- Length: 18 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,938
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,605
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,593
Discover the definitive history of DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, in this Pulitzer Prize finalist from the author of the New York Times best seller Area 51. No one has ever written the history of the Defense Department's most secret, most powerful, and most controversial military science R&D agency. In the first-ever history about the organization, New York Times best-selling author Annie Jacobsen draws on inside sources, exclusive interviews, private documents, and declassified memos to paint a picture of DARPA, or "the Pentagon's brain".
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Scientia Est Potentia/Knowledge is Power
- By Cynthia on 10-08-15
By: Annie Jacobsen
-
Facts and Fears
- Hard Truths from a Life in Intelligence
- By: Trey Brown, James R. Clapper
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 18 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,558
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,293
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,287
When he stepped down in January 2017 as the fourth US Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper had been President Obama's senior intelligence advisor for six and a half years, longer than his three predecessors combined. He led the US Intelligence Community through a period that included the raid on Osama bin Laden, the Benghazi attack, the leaks of Edward Snowden, and Russia's influence operation on the 2016 US election.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Speaking Straight, Unbiased Truth to Power
- By Cynthia on 05-29-18
By: Trey Brown, and others
-
Enemies
- A History of the FBI
- By: Tim Weiner
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 18 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 848
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 730
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 733
We think of the FBI as America’s police force. But secret intelligence is the Bureau’s first and foremost mission. Enemies is the story of how presidents have used the FBI as the most formidable intelligence force in American history. This is the first definitive history of the FBI’s secret intelligence operations, from an author whose work on the Pentagon and the CIA won him the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good book, just not for me
- By a on 11-12-12
By: Tim Weiner
-
Dark Aeon
- Transhumanism and the War Against Humanity
- By: Joe Allen
- Narrated by: Dave Clark
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 37
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 33
Like a thief in the night, artificial intelligence has inserted itself into our lives. It makes important decisions for us every day. Often, we barely notice. As Joe Allen writes in this groundbreaking book, “Transhumanism is the great merger of humankind with the Machine. At this stage in history, it consists of billions using smartphones. Going forward, we’ll be hardwiring our brains to artificial intelligence systems.” With an academic background in both science and theology, Allen confronts the paradox of what he calls “good people constructing a digital abomination.”
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
maintaining humanity in the digital Era
- By scott novak on 01-03-24
By: Joe Allen
-
The Perfect Weapon
- War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age
- By: David E. Sanger
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,459
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,276
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,267
The Perfect Weapon is the startling inside story of how the rise of cyberweapons transformed geopolitics like nothing since the invention of the atomic bomb. Cheap to acquire, easy to deny, and usable for a variety of malicious purposes, cyber is now the weapon of choice for democracies, dictators, and terrorists. Two presidents - Bush and Obama - drew first blood with Operation Olympic Games, which used malicious code to blow up Iran’s nuclear centrifuges, and yet America proved remarkably unprepared when its own weapons were stolen from its arsenal.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
mix of information and propaganda
- By Inthego on 06-14-19
By: David E. Sanger
-
By All Means Available
- Memoirs of a Life in Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy
- By: Michael G. Vickers
- Narrated by: Michael G. Vickers
- Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 85
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 77
In 1984, Michael Vickers took charge of the CIA’s secret war against the Soviets in Afghanistan. After inheriting a strategy aimed at imposing costs on the Soviets for their invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, Vickers transformed the covert campaign into an all-out effort to help the Afghan resistance win their war. More than any other American, he was responsible for the outcome in Afghanistan that led to the end of the Cold War. In By All Means Available, Vickers recounts his remarkable career.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great listen, interesting information
- By Amazon Customer on 08-02-23
Related to this topic
-
The Watchers
- The Rise of America's Surveillance State
- By: Shane Harris
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 15 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 36
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36
Our surveillance state was born in the brain of Admiral John Poindexter in 1983. Poindexter, President Ronald Reagan's national security adviser, realized that the United States might have prevented the terrorist massacre of 241 Marines in Beirut if only intelligence agencies had been able to analyze in real time data they had on the attackers. Poindexter poured government know-how and funds into his dream---a system that would sift reams of data for signs of terrorist activity.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Important context for privacy debate
- By Keefer on 09-17-11
By: Shane Harris
-
The Puzzle Palace
- Inside the National Security Agency, America's Most Secret Intelligence Organization
- By: James Bamford
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 20 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 73
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 63
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 63
In this remarkable tour de force of investigative reporting, James Bamford exposes the inner workings of America's largest, most secretive, and arguably most intrusive intelligence agency. The NSA has long eluded public scrutiny, but The Puzzle Palace penetrates its vast network of power and unmasks the people who control it, often with shocking disregard for the law.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great NSA genesis - but watch the publication date
- By E. M. on 12-05-18
By: James Bamford
-
A Pretext for War
- 9/11, Iraq, and the Abuse of America's Intelligence Agencies
- By: James Bamford
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 122
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42
This book says outright what many have merely hinted at: that President George W. Bush knowingly misused the findings of the erroneous and incompetent U.S. intelligence community to provide a pretext for war with Iraq. The author hones in on the systematic weaknesses of the intelligence agencies that caused them to ignore the crucial signs leading up to the attacks of 9/11.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A must read before you vote
- By FGP on 09-30-04
By: James Bamford
-
Dark Territory
- The Secret History of Cyber War
- By: Fred Kaplan
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,254
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,971
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,960
As cyber attacks dominate front-page news, as hackers join the list of global threats, and as top generals warn of a coming cyber war, few books are more timely and enlightening than Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War by Slate columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Fred Kaplan.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Best narrator - Malcolm Hillgartner
- By Greg Davis on 07-20-16
By: Fred Kaplan
-
Failures of Imagination
- The Deadliest Threats to Our Homeland - and How to Thwart Them
- By: Michael McCaul
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 53
Congressman and Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, Michael McCaul, has spent years in Washington watching the administration turn a blind eye to the most pressing possible threats to the country. Now, in Failures of Imagination, McCaul turns away from the over-sensationalized, unrealistic fears circulated through the media in order to expose the most legitimate and looming national security threats, which have long been swept under the rug by the administration.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Spot on.
- By Prince Parker on 02-27-16
By: Michael McCaul
-
Pay Any Price
- Greed, Power, and Endless War
- By: James Risen
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 291
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 255
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 255
Ever since 9/11 America has fought an endless war on terror, seeking enemies everywhere and never promising peace. In Pay Any Price, James Risen reveals an extraordinary litany of the hidden costs of that war: from squandered and stolen dollars, to outrageous abuses of power, to wars on normalcy, decency, and truth. In the name of fighting terrorism, our government has done things every bit as shameful as its historic wartime abuses - and until this audiobook, it has worked very hard to cover them up.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
If you care about our liberties, read this book.
- By John L. Moncrief on 11-02-14
By: James Risen
-
The Watchers
- The Rise of America's Surveillance State
- By: Shane Harris
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 15 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 36
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36
Our surveillance state was born in the brain of Admiral John Poindexter in 1983. Poindexter, President Ronald Reagan's national security adviser, realized that the United States might have prevented the terrorist massacre of 241 Marines in Beirut if only intelligence agencies had been able to analyze in real time data they had on the attackers. Poindexter poured government know-how and funds into his dream---a system that would sift reams of data for signs of terrorist activity.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Important context for privacy debate
- By Keefer on 09-17-11
By: Shane Harris
-
The Puzzle Palace
- Inside the National Security Agency, America's Most Secret Intelligence Organization
- By: James Bamford
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 20 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 73
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 63
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 63
In this remarkable tour de force of investigative reporting, James Bamford exposes the inner workings of America's largest, most secretive, and arguably most intrusive intelligence agency. The NSA has long eluded public scrutiny, but The Puzzle Palace penetrates its vast network of power and unmasks the people who control it, often with shocking disregard for the law.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great NSA genesis - but watch the publication date
- By E. M. on 12-05-18
By: James Bamford
-
A Pretext for War
- 9/11, Iraq, and the Abuse of America's Intelligence Agencies
- By: James Bamford
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 122
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42
This book says outright what many have merely hinted at: that President George W. Bush knowingly misused the findings of the erroneous and incompetent U.S. intelligence community to provide a pretext for war with Iraq. The author hones in on the systematic weaknesses of the intelligence agencies that caused them to ignore the crucial signs leading up to the attacks of 9/11.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A must read before you vote
- By FGP on 09-30-04
By: James Bamford
-
Dark Territory
- The Secret History of Cyber War
- By: Fred Kaplan
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,254
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,971
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,960
As cyber attacks dominate front-page news, as hackers join the list of global threats, and as top generals warn of a coming cyber war, few books are more timely and enlightening than Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War by Slate columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Fred Kaplan.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Best narrator - Malcolm Hillgartner
- By Greg Davis on 07-20-16
By: Fred Kaplan
-
Failures of Imagination
- The Deadliest Threats to Our Homeland - and How to Thwart Them
- By: Michael McCaul
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 53
Congressman and Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, Michael McCaul, has spent years in Washington watching the administration turn a blind eye to the most pressing possible threats to the country. Now, in Failures of Imagination, McCaul turns away from the over-sensationalized, unrealistic fears circulated through the media in order to expose the most legitimate and looming national security threats, which have long been swept under the rug by the administration.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Spot on.
- By Prince Parker on 02-27-16
By: Michael McCaul
-
Pay Any Price
- Greed, Power, and Endless War
- By: James Risen
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 291
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 255
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 255
Ever since 9/11 America has fought an endless war on terror, seeking enemies everywhere and never promising peace. In Pay Any Price, James Risen reveals an extraordinary litany of the hidden costs of that war: from squandered and stolen dollars, to outrageous abuses of power, to wars on normalcy, decency, and truth. In the name of fighting terrorism, our government has done things every bit as shameful as its historic wartime abuses - and until this audiobook, it has worked very hard to cover them up.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
If you care about our liberties, read this book.
- By John L. Moncrief on 11-02-14
By: James Risen
-
@War
- The Rise of the Military-Internet Complex
- By: Shane Harris
- Narrated by: Stephen R. Thorne
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 663
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 578
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 573
The United States military currently views cyberspace as the "fifth domain" of warfare - alongside land, sea, air, and space - and the Department of Defense, National Security Agency, and CIA all field teams of hackers who can - and do - launch computer virus strikes against enemy targets. In fact, as @War shows, US hackers were crucial to our victory in Iraq.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
The short history of the US and Cyber War
- By Greg on 02-06-15
By: Shane Harris
-
Dawn of the Code War
- America's Battle Against Russia, China, and the Rising Global Cyber Threat
- By: John P. Carlin, Garrett M. Graff
- Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell
- Length: 16 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 514
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 446
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 444
The inside story of how America's enemies launched a cyberwar against us - and how we've learned to fight back. In this dramatic audiobook, former assistant attorney general John P. Carlin takes listeners to the front lines of a global but little-understood fight as the Justice Department and the FBI chases down hackers, online terrorist recruiters, and spies.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Exhausting
- By Raz on 01-08-19
By: John P. Carlin, and others
-
The Perfect Weapon
- War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age
- By: David E. Sanger
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,459
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,276
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,267
The Perfect Weapon is the startling inside story of how the rise of cyberweapons transformed geopolitics like nothing since the invention of the atomic bomb. Cheap to acquire, easy to deny, and usable for a variety of malicious purposes, cyber is now the weapon of choice for democracies, dictators, and terrorists. Two presidents - Bush and Obama - drew first blood with Operation Olympic Games, which used malicious code to blow up Iran’s nuclear centrifuges, and yet America proved remarkably unprepared when its own weapons were stolen from its arsenal.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
mix of information and propaganda
- By Inthego on 06-14-19
By: David E. Sanger
-
Spycraft
- The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs from Communism to Al-Qaeda
- By: Robert Wallace, Henry Robert Schelsinger
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 19 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,067
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 670
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 675
Now, in the first book ever written about this ultrasecretive department, the former director of OTS teams up with an internationally renowned intelligence historian to give listeners an unprecedented look at the devices and operations deemed "inappropriate for public disclosure" by the CIA just two years ago.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Unique, informative history of the CIA
- By Richard on 07-29-08
By: Robert Wallace, and others
-
Code Warriors
- NSA's Codebreakers and the Secret Intelligence War Against the Soviet Union
- By: Stephen Budiansky
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 201
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 181
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 180
The National Security Agency was born out of the legendary codebreaking programs of World War II that cracked the famed Enigma machine and other German and Japanese codes, thereby turning the tide of Allied victory. In the postwar years, as the United States developed a new enemy in the Soviet Union, our intelligence community found itself targeting not soldiers on the battlefield, but suspected spies, foreign leaders, and even American citizens.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Did Vladimir Putin Steal the American Election?
- By Cynthia on 12-01-16
-
Operation Shakespeare
- The True Story of an Elite International Sting
- By: John Shiffman
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 63
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 54
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 54
In Operation Shakespeare, investigative journalist John Shiffman traces a high-risk undercover operation launched by an elite undercover Homeland Security unit created to stop the Iranians, Russians, Chinese, Pakistanis, and North Koreans from acquiring sophisticated American-made electronics capable of guiding missiles, jamming radar, and triggering countless weapons - from wireless IEDs to nuclear bombs.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
under our noses
- By Andy on 08-20-14
By: John Shiffman
-
The Secrets of the FBI
- By: Ronald Kessler
- Narrated by: Michael Bybee
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 296
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 233
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 232
The Secrets of the FBI by New York Times best-selling author Ronald Kessler reveals the FBIs most closely guarded secrets and the secrets of celebrities, politicians, and movie stars uncovered by agents during their investigations.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Even-handed; an interesting history of the FBI
- By G-Man on 08-08-11
By: Ronald Kessler
-
Raven Rock
- The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself - While the Rest of Us Die
- By: Garrett M. Graff
- Narrated by: Jacques Roy
- Length: 18 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,275
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,143
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,133
A fresh window on American history: the eye-opening truth about the government's secret plans to survive a catastrophic attack on US soil, even if the rest of us die - a road map that spans from the dawn of the nuclear age to today.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Awesome Read!!
- By Brewer Richardson on 05-05-17
By: Garrett M. Graff
-
The One Percent Doctrine
- Deep Inside America's Pursuit of Its Enemies Since 9/11
- By: Ron Suskind
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 262
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 55
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 54
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and best-selling author Ron Suskind takes you deep inside America's real battles with violent, unrelenting terrorists, a game of kill-or-be-killed, from the Oval Office to the streets of Karachi.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
The Agenda is Clear
- By Penny on 09-28-11
By: Ron Suskind
-
Countdown to Zero Day
- Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon
- By: Kim Zetter
- Narrated by: Joe Ochman
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,355
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,053
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,049
The virus now known as Stuxnet was unlike any other piece of malware built before: Rather than simply hijacking targeted computers or stealing information from them, it proved that a piece of code could escape the digital realm and wreak actual, physical destruction—in this case, on an Iranian nuclear facility.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazingly detailed, sober and above all, damning
- By Greg on 11-22-14
By: Kim Zetter
-
Enemies Within
- Inside the NYPD's Secret Spying Unit and bin Laden's Final Plot Against America
- By: Matt Apuzzo, Adam Goldman
- Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 45
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 40
In Enemies Within Matt Apuzzo and Adam Goldman lay bare the complex and often contradictory state of counterterrorism and intelligence in America through the pursuit of Najibullah Zazi, a terrorist bomber who trained under one of bin Laden's most trusted deputies. Zazi and his coconspirators represented America's greatest fear: a terrorist cell operating inside America. Apuzzo and Goldman lift the veil of secrecy to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of our counterterrorism measures.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Very in depth. I highly detailed account.
- By Patrick on 10-08-20
By: Matt Apuzzo, and others
-
Good Hunting
- An American Spymaster's Story
- By: Jack Devine
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 354
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 307
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 308
Good Hunting: An American Spymaster's Story is the spellbinding memoir of Devine's time in the CIA, where he served for more than 30 years, rising to become the acting deputy director of operations, responsible for all of the agency's spying operations. This is a story of intrigue and high-stakes maneuvering - all the more gripping when the fate of our geopolitical order hangs in the balance. But this audiobook also sounds a warning to our nation's decision makers.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating, An education on spying
- By Anthony on 12-13-15
By: Jack Devine
What listeners say about The Shadow Factory
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Devon
- 12-08-15
spine chilling
if you weren't paranoid before this book you will be after it.
this book in detail sheds light on just what lenghths the government goes to in order to collect data and erode personal privacy in the name of security. . listened to it straight through couldn't stop
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Robert E. Claytor
- 06-13-19
Technical
Great story, but at times you are swamped by technical computer capability data toward the end of the book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall1 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story1 out of 5 stars
- Johanna
- 08-31-14
does not work
This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?
nobody because it doesn't work
What was most disappointing about James Bamford’s story?
that i bought the audiobook and could not hear it
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful