Identify Regarding Books The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames
| Title | : | The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames |
| Author | : | Kai Bird |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 448 pages |
| Published | : | May 20th 2014 by Crown |
| Categories | : | Nonfiction. History. Biography. Spy Thriller. Espionage. Politics. Biography Memoir. War |
Kai Bird
Hardcover | Pages: 448 pages Rating: 3.91 | 2869 Users | 390 Reviews
Relation Conducive To Books The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames
The Good Spy is Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Kai Bird’s compelling portrait of the remarkable life and death of one of the most important operatives in CIA history – a man who, had he lived, might have helped heal the rift between Arabs and the West.On April 18, 1983, a bomb exploded outside the American Embassy in Beirut, killing 63 people. The attack was a geopolitical turning point. It marked the beginning of Hezbollah as a political force, but even more important, it eliminated America’s most influential and effective intelligence officer in the Middle East – CIA operative Robert Ames. What set Ames apart from his peers was his extraordinary ability to form deep, meaningful connections with key Arab intelligence figures. Some operatives relied on threats and subterfuge, but Ames worked by building friendships and emphasizing shared values – never more notably than with Yasir Arafat’s charismatic intelligence chief and heir apparent Ali Hassan Salameh (aka “The Red Prince”). Ames’ deepening relationship with Salameh held the potential for a lasting peace. Within a few years, though, both men were killed by assassins, and America’s relations with the Arab world began heading down a path that culminated in 9/11, the War on Terror, and the current fog of mistrust.
Bird, who as a child lived in the Beirut Embassy and knew Ames as a neighbor when he was twelve years old, spent years researching The Good Spy. Not only does the book draw on hours of interviews with Ames’ widow, and quotes from hundreds of Ames’ private letters, it’s woven from interviews with scores of current and former American, Israeli, and Palestinian intelligence officers as well as other players in the Middle East “Great Game.”
What emerges is a masterpiece-level narrative of the making of a CIA officer, a uniquely insightful history of twentieth-century conflict in the Middle East, and an absorbing hour-by-hour account of the Beirut Embassy bombing. Even more impressive, Bird draws on his reporter’s skills to deliver a full dossier on the bombers and expose the shocking truth of where the attack’s mastermind resides today.
Mention Books In Favor Of The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames
| Original Title: | The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames |
| ISBN: | 0307889750 (ISBN13: 9780307889751) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Literary Awards: | Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for History & Biography (2014) |
Rating Regarding Books The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames
Ratings: 3.91 From 2869 Users | 390 ReviewsRate Regarding Books The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames
This is a very timely book, even though it tells the story of a man who died on April 18, 1983 in the suicide bombing of the US Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. That man was Robert Ames, a CIA expert on the Middle East. In the course of telling his story, the Pulitzer Prize winning author also provides excellent background on the roots of the current problems in the Middle East.Bob Ames was highly regarded in the CIA because for one thing, he could speak Arabic fluidly. He even acted as aThe Good Spy is a fascinating look at just how hard it actually is, to be a good spy. The most fascinating aspect of it may have been the hard stance the author took on Israel. We are so used to the United States always backing Israel and considering the Arabs to be nothing but bloodthirsty terrorist. But Bob Ames was able to form strong relationships, even friendships, with high ranking members of the PLO. Ames was convinced that the PLO wanted to reach some kind of peace accord with Israel.
This is a remarkable book. I'll be thinking about it for a long time.The thing that makes this book remarkable is not the writing itself (though it's not bad). It's not the level of detail either: there are understandable gaps given the sensitivity and classified nature of Bob Ames' life and career that will leave curious readers begging for more (though I think one would be hard pressed to find a biography of a high-level clandestine agent come anywhere close to being this extensive).The thing
This was one of the sources cited by Ronen Bergman in "Rise and Kill First" and it seemed less a biography of Ames than a vehicle through which to delve into Middle East history...which actually turns out to be a lot of American history, surprise, surprise. Ames is a spy for the CIA from the 1960s to the 1980s. He becomes the nation's top Arabists, able to speak the language and establish back channel contacts with important figures within the Palestine Liberation movement, mainly Ali Hassan
I thought this recounting of Robert Ames' life was an interesting and seemingly objective exploration of complex Middle East politics and its intersection with intelligence/spy work. Being Lebanese myself, it was very difficult to read through the recounting of the Sabra and Shatila massacres of the Lebanese civil war, because it was very graphic, and I did not know (still don't) the full details of what happened during the civil war. It was still definitely interesting reading about it through
This was a phenomenal read! Really will forever make me feel different about a number of things. This is basically a biography of a CIA officer, Bob Ames, who died tragically in a bombing in Beirut in the early 1980s. He is the good spy. What made him good, according to Bird, was his quest for knowledge, his ability to listen, his even-handedness, and his ability to empathize with many different people. Perhaps for people who have read a lot about the Middle East and intelligence, none of this
Since I'm into history and the publisher mailed me this book a while back, I've just finished Pulitzer-prize winner Kai Bird's The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames. I'd never heard of Robert Ames before, but now I'll never forget him. I've made a very lengthy post at the nonfiction page of my online reading journal, so if you want the long of it, click through. Otherwise, you're just getting my impression of the book here. Ames' life and work as a CIA agent and then Intelligence
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