The Quiet Americans Four CIA Spies at the Dawn of the Cold War – a Tragedy in Three Acts by Scott Anderson

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The Quiet Americans Four CIA Spies at the Dawn of the Cold War – a Tragedy in Three Acts by Scott Anderson

Author: Scott Anderson

From the bestselling author of LAWRENCE IN ARABIA, a gripping history of the early years of the Cold War, the CIA’s covert battles against communism, and the tragic consequences which still affect America and the world today

At the end of World War II, the United States dominated the world militarily, economically, and in moral standing – seen as the victor over tyranny and a champion of freedom. But it was clear – to some – that the Soviet Union was already executing a plan to expand and foment revolution around the world. The American government’s strategy in response relied on the secret efforts of a newly-formed CIA.

THE QUIET AMERICANS chronicles the exploits of four spies – Michael Burke, a charming former football star fallen on hard times, Frank Wisner, the scion of a wealthy Southern family, Peter Sichel, a sophisticated German Jew who escaped the Nazis, and Edward Lansdale, a brilliant ad executive. The four ran covert operations across the globe, trying to outwit the ruthless KGB in Berlin, parachuting commandos into Eastern Europe, plotting coups, and directing wars against Communist insurgents in Asia.

But time and again their efforts went awry, thwarted by a combination of stupidity and ideological rigidity at the highest levels of the government – and more profoundly, the decision to abandon American ideals. By the mid-1950s, the Soviet Union had a stranglehold on Eastern Europe, the U.S. had begun its disastrous intervention in Vietnam, and America, the beacon of democracy, was overthrowing democratically-elected governments and earning the hatred of much of the world.

All of this culminated in an act of betrayal and cowardice that would lock the Cold War into place for decades to come. Anderson brings to the telling of this story all the narrative brio, deep research, skeptical eye, and lively prose that made LAWRENCE IN ARABIA a major international bestseller. The intertwined lives of these men began in a common purpose of defending freedom, but the ravages of the Cold War led them to different fates. Two would quit the CIA in despair, stricken by the moral compromises they had to make; one became the archetype of the duplicitous and destructive American spy; and one would be so heartbroken he would take his own life.

THE QUIET AMERICANS is the story of these four men. It is also the story of how the United States, at the very pinnacle of its power, managed to permanently damage its moral standing in the world.

[highlight color=”green”]Goodreads users review :[/highlight] 

I so enjoyed this book. Filled with stories of the unintended outcomes of American idealism via the actions of the CIA during the Cold War. Frank Wisner, Michael Burke, Peter Sichel, and Edward Lansdale were flawed, but fascinating men who came together within the CIA to defend freedom, but were all morally compromised by decisions they made. Jill Mackin                                                                                               rated it: 5.0 from 5.0

nothing short of a masterpiece. I’ve always been interested in America’s foreign policy rhetoric of “values” and “interests”, and this book does an exceptional job of examining the origins of those concepts being at odds with each other – all while being a cracking spy story at the same time. It’s difficult for me to state how much I enjoyed this – at times it felt like it was written just for me. I thoroughly enjoyed Scott Anderson’s previous LAWRENCE IN ARABIA, and will now have to search out everything else he’s ever done. Do not miss this one! Brandon Forsyth                                                                                      rated it: 5.0 from 5.0

This was an astonishingly fascinating book; I couldn’t put it down. Covering the history of the CIA from its modern conception immediately after WWII to the mid-60s, the author focussed on four particular agents and their roles in operations reaching from Eastern Europe to the Philippines to Vietnam, with side trips to Central America and Egypt. The book is no American adventure story, though. The author detailed the incredibly cynical, ruthless, and frankly disgusting behaviours of one presidential administration after another, focussing in particular on the Eisenhower years, with his rigidly ideological Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. It is truly a terrible litany of cynicism and manipulation of human beings around the world. What is so painful about this is the knowledge that absolutely nothing has changed; substitute Vietnam for Afghanistan, Guatemala for Iraq, etc. It’s just the same. Joanne                                                                                                   rated it: 5.0 from 5.0