The Master of Disguise: My Secret Life in the CIA

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HarperCollins, 2000 M11 7 - 376 pages

For the first time, the CIA has authorized a top-level operative to tell all in an unforgettable behind-the-scenes look at espionage in action.  an undisputed genius who could create an entirely new identity for anybody, anywhere, anytime, Antonio J. Mendez combined the cunning tricks of a magician with the analytical insight of a psychologist to help hundreds of people escape potentially fatal situations. From "Wild West" adventures in East Asia to Cold War intrigue in Moscow and helping six Americans escape revolutionary Tehran in 1980, Mendez was on the scene.  Here he gives us a privileged look at what really happens in the field and behind closed doors at the highest levels of international espionage, some of it shocking, frightening, and wildly inventive--all of it unforgettable.

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About the author (2000)

Antonio J. Mendez was born in Eureka, Nevada, and worked as a plumber and illustrator before joining the CIA's technical staff and eventually becoming its Chief of Disguise. He has now retired with his wife to rural Maryland, where he pursues hsi lifelong passion, painting.

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