The Master of Disguise: My Secret Life in the CIAHarper Collins, 2009 M10 13 - 382 pages The award-winning spy and author of the New York Times bestseller Argo recounts his service with the CIA during the Cold War. On the fiftieth anniversary of the CIA, Antonio J. Mendez was named one of the fifty all-time stars of the spy trade, and he was granted exclusive permission to tell his fascinating story—all of it. 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 analytic 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. |
Contents
Border Crossings | 23 |
Onto the Shadowy Battlefield | 51 |
Murky Waters Southeast Asia | 78 |
Kiplings Beat | 122 |
HONOR and GAMBIT | 158 |
Pinball | 176 |
Moscow Rules | 196 |
RAPTOR in the Dark | 256 |
Other editions - View all
The Master of Disguise: My Secret Life in the CIA Antonio J. Mendez,Malcolm McConnell Limited preview - 2009 |
Common terms and phrases
afternoon Agency Agency's agent airline airport alias documents American arrived artist asked assigned audio Bangkok building cable cachets Canadian Chief Directorate CIA officers CIA's clandestine Cold Cold War Communist counterintelligence dead drops debriefing defector desk diplomatic disguise East embassy espionage exfiltration face flight foreign GAMBIT Graphics hand Hanoi Headquarters Hong Kong HONOR hour identity identity documents immigration intelligence service Iranian Jacob Jacques Jerome Jonna Julio Karen KGB's knew Langley Laos later looked Mary Peters meeting Mehrabad military morning Moscow needed NESTOR night nonofficial cover one-time pads operation overseas pass passport Pathet Lao polygraph RAPTOR recruited Revolutionary Guards route Russian safe house secret Seventh Chief South Soviet bloc Soviet Union station street surveillance teams Swissair taxi technical techniques Tehran tion told tradecraft TRINITY TRINITY'S turned Vientiane Vietnam visa watched young