Written by Caroline McCullagh, book review editor, Mensa Bulletin: The Magazine of American Mensa, May 2022, pp. 20.
Another book from Ed Mickolus, another good review from me. His latest, Stories from Langley: A Glimpse Inside the CIA, is fascinating. Mickolus had a 33-year career with the CIA, and he tells us that there is a lot more of interest there than just the spies.
In war, only one out of every 10 soldiers actually fights. The rest are in various support positions that make it possible for the frontline guys to function. The CIA is structured the same way. For each individual out collecting intelligence “on the front lines,” there’s a cadre of people collating, analyzing, prioritizing, and writing reports for the very few people who have to make the big decisions about American foreign policy.
This engaging book includes 29 memoir chapters written by those people “behind the lines.” It’s a must-read for anyone considering a career in government service but also interesting for those of us who aren’t. I found it heartening to get a taste of the competency, dedication, and patriotism of these 29 people and the others they represent. I think you will too.
And Mickolus is still sending in more books.
