To Catch a Spy, James M. Olson
To Catch a Spy, James M. Olson
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To Catch a Spy
The Art of Counterintelligence

Author: James M. Olson

Narrator: John McLain

Unabridged: 9 hr 52 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 07/31/2019

Synopsis

The United States is losing the counterintelligence war. Foreign intelligence services, particularly those of China, Russia, and Cuba, are recruiting spies in our midst and stealing our secrets and cutting-edge technologies.

In To Catch a Spy: The Art of Counterintelligence, James M. Olson, former chief of CIA counterintelligence, offers a wake-up call for the American public and also a guide for how our country can do a better job of protecting its national security and trade secrets. Olson takes the listener into the arcane world of counterintelligence as he lived it during his thirty-year career in the CIA.

After an overview of what the Chinese, Russian, and Cuban spy services are doing to the United States, Olson explains the nitty-gritty of the principles and methods of counterintelligence. Listeners will learn about specific aspects of counterintelligence such as running double-agent operations and surveillance. The book also analyzes twelve actual case studies to illustrate why people spy against their country, the tradecraft of counterintelligence, and where counterintelligence breaks down or succeeds.

About James M. Olson

James M. Olson served for over thirty years in the Directorate of Operations of the Central Intelligence Agency, mostly overseas in clandestine operations. In addition to several foreign assignments, he was chief of counterintelligence at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Currently, he is a Professor of the Practice at the Bush School of Government and Public Service of Texas A& M University. He is the author of To Catch a Spy: The Art of Counterintelligence and Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Mark on May 15, 2021

Mixed feelings. The book felt a little self-indulgent. Just a little. But kind of deserved. The guy did important and interesting work. And he made a point that feels right, namely that Chinese industrial and technological espionage is a threat Americans should take more seriously. But I felt as if he......more

Goodreads review by Chris on May 21, 2019

This is an excellent work for anyone (from CI professionals to “armchair agents”) to learn from and enjoy. This book is very engaging and accessible with its numerous case studies. James Olson is the real deal. He has first hand experience with his years in the CIA and is incredibly knowledgeable in......more

Goodreads review by Chris on July 13, 2024

Most of the enjoyment I found in this one was about the subject matter in general. It was a bit more like reading a series of newspaper articles and op-eds than it was reading a complete text.......more

Goodreads review by John on February 01, 2023

I'm surprised and relieved that To Catch a Spy is publicly available and not suppressed with a convenient label of 'classified', not so much for the tradecraft it reveals in the business of practising counterintelligence, but for the author's professional insight into the philosophy, mindset and ge......more

Goodreads review by Catherine on March 08, 2025

4.5 basic but in a good way very accessible yet informative......more

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