- Hardcover: 355 pages
- Publisher: William Morrow & Company (Jun 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0060757515
- ISBN-13: 978-0060757519
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 16 x 3.3 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,139,085 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Direct Action
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First Sentence
ON 21 SEPTEMBER 1995, AT 11:47 A.M., five senior officers from the Central Intelligence Agency's Directorate of Operationsthe CIA's clandestine servicequietly gathered in room 4D-627A, one of the sensitive compartmentalized information facilities colloquially known as bubble rooms, on the fourth floor of the headquarters building at Langley, Virginia. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
ON 21 SEPTEMBER 1995, AT 11:47 A.M., five senior officers from the Central Intelligence Agency's Directorate of Operationsthe CIA's clandestine servicequietly gathered in room 4D-627A, one of the sensitive compartmentalized information facilities colloquially known as bubble rooms, on the fourth floor of the headquarters building at Langley, Virginia. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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16 reviews
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Direct Action
24 Jun 2005
Format:Hardcover
The best (so far) of John Weisman's recent batch of post Rogue Warrior thrillers that will take readers inside the CIA and the War on Terror. The story detials how the CIA is hiring independent contractors from private security firms to perform tasks that the agency is not able to do on its own, either because of a lack of qualified officers or because of the leadership bureaucracy at Langley. The story revolves around efforts to track down an al-Qaeda bomb maker planning a series of upcoming attacks, combining fact and fiction. Aside from being entertaining, the narrative also includes tons of details on the current state of the CIA and past intelligence operations. It is also a primer on how the War on Terror needs to be fought effectively. Weisman has done for the War on Terror in novels what Clancy did for the Cold War. Hopefully he'll continue writing books like this.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Many fronts in the GWOT ....
1 July 2005
Format:Hardcover
Mr Weisman's latest novel is outstanding. A very well written story covering the turbulence of the intelligence community of the United States. Few can cover the special operations and covert-clandestine worlds better than Mr Weisman. He has related the "second" front of the intelligence war - ourselves. Giving up spies for satelites, tradecraft for technology, and a reliance on zero defect mentality vice leadership. The story fills in the gaps since the day America changed, September 11th, to present time. It is not always fun to read if you have half your brain tuned into the current events. It will upset you with pretty accurate description of managers and bureaucrats poorly filling in for leaders and opertives and re-assure you that many sleep well in their beds at night for the few warriors that man the "walls" remain. The set up and flow is excellent. The explanation supportive to the story, not tedious or insulting. The theme is clear and well presented. If you enjoy the covert action story that is clearly related to our present situation as a nation of people, you will enjoy this book. If you do not regulary enjoy this kind of reading, take a chance on this one - it is well worth the time.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Fact in a fiction story...
23 Jun 2005
Format:Hardcover
John Weisman is an excellent author, and Direct Action will not disappoint. After listening to the author in a lengthy radio interview, I realized that he was telling a tell-all about the CIA couched in a fictional storyline. That approach seems like the best approach, since no author can name names of real operational field agents. It is the story of the gutting of the CIA in the previous administration, where the president wanted to "clean up" the CIA by getting rid of field agents who by necessity had to interact with "unsavory" people as sources. The presidential directive was to rely largely on signals intelligence and satellite imagry. The result was a CIA who falsely said about WMD in Iraq, "it's a slam-dunk". It is the story of a CIA that was broken.
Direct Action is not a dry story, but a compelling story of "outsourcing" intelligence fieldwork, and the daring efforts of former CIA agents who now do the same work but without the stifling bureaucracy in "the company". It's a page-turner, but keep in mind that it is largely fact in a fictional story.
Direct Action is not a dry story, but a compelling story of "outsourcing" intelligence fieldwork, and the daring efforts of former CIA agents who now do the same work but without the stifling bureaucracy in "the company". It's a page-turner, but keep in mind that it is largely fact in a fictional story.
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