This list of best books about the CIA includes many notable books, from novels telling the history of covert operations to memoirs by former CIA Directors and other company men. Sorted by popularity, the highest rated books about the Central Intelligence Agency are at the top of the list and include a range of authors that have backgrounds in secret agencies or as investigative reporters. This well-researched Central Intelligence Agency bibliography includes both out-of-print titles and new CIA books and generally contains the most popular, famous, or otherwise notable books about the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) both true and fictional.
If you're looking for a list of top books on the CIA then you're in the right place. If you are searching for CIA fiction novels, the best secret agent books, books on CIA history, and the best books on intelligence agencies, you'll find answers here. If you want to read an ex CIA agent book, there are several CIA history books that are written by operatives and people who were in the know about covert ops, black ops, and secret survellance, such as See No Evil by former CIA case officer Robert Baer, At the Center of the Storm by former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency George Tenet, or Facts and Fears, by former Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper.
This CIA reading list includes more books such as Curveball: Spies, Lies, and the Con Man Who Caused a War, The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters and more books. You should be able to answer the question, "What are the best books about the CIA?" after checking out this list.
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4716A Look Over My Shoulder: A Life in the Central Intelligence Agency
William Hood, Richard HelmsFirst Published: 2003-04
Subjects: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Richard Helms
Genres (Book): Non-fiction
A Look Over My Shoulder: A Life in the Central Intelligence Agency is a book by Richard Helms...
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3512The CIA and the Cult of Intelligence
John D. MarksFirst Published: 1974-06-12
Subjects: Cold War, Espionage, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Genres (Book): Non-fiction
The CIA and the Cult of Intelligence is a 1974 controversial non-fiction political book... more3
3613Age of Secrets: The Conspiracy that Toppled Richard Nixon and the Hidden Death of Howard... more4
167Killing Hope
William BlumFirst Published: 2003
Subjects: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Genres (Book): History
Killing Hope: U.S. Military and C.I.A. Interventions since World War II is a history book on... more5
1811All the Shah's Men
Stephen KinzerFirst Published: 2003-07-18
Subjects: Espionage, Foreign relations of the United States, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror is a book written by... more6
102The Secret Agent
Francine MathewsFirst Published: 2002
Subjects: Bangkok, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Jim Thompson
Genres (Book): Thriller
The Secret Agent is a book by Francine Mathews....7
First Published: 2007-10
Subjects: Iraq War, Curveball, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Genres (Book): Non-fiction
Curveball: Spies, Lies, and the Con Man Who Caused a War is a book by Bob Drogin....8
92First Published: 2005-10
Subjects: President of the United States, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Genres (Book): Non-fiction
Burn Before Reading: Presidents, CIA Directors, and Secret Intelligence is a book by...9
First Published: 2003-01-07
Subjects: Politics of the United States, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), United States of America, Espionage, Current events
Genres (Book): Non-fiction, Autobiography, Memoir
See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War Against Terrorism is a 2003... more10
139The Mighty Wurlitzer: How the CIA Played America
Hugh WilfordFirst Published: 2008-01
Subjects: Cold War, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Genres (Book): Non-fiction
The Mighty Wurlitzer: How the CIA Played America is a book by Hugh Wilford....11
72From the Company of Shadows
Kevin Michael ShippFirst Published: 2012
From the Company of Shadows is a book by Kevin Michael Shipp. Read firsthand accounts of fascinating events inside the CIA and learn how the CIA conducts operations, recruits agents and protects defectors from assassination.
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119First Published: 2005-01
Subjects: Espionage, Lindsay Moran, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Genres (Book): Non-fiction, Autobiography
Blowing My Cover: My Life as a CIA Spy and Other Misadventures is a book by Lindsay Moran....13
40The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters
Frances Stonor SaundersFirst Published: 2000
Subjects: Office of Strategic Services, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Genres (Book): Non-fiction
The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters is a book by Frances Stonor...14
2023First Published: 2000
Subjects: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Genres (Book): Non-fiction
Creating the Secret State: The Origins of the Central Intelligence Agency, 1943-1947 is a book...15
54Overthrow
Stephen KinzerSubjects: International relations, Military, United States of America, Foreign relations of the United States, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change is a book published in 2006 by New York Times... more16
78Harlot's Ghost
Norman MailerFirst Published: 1991
Subjects: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Genres (Book): Fiction
Harlot's Ghost, a fictional chronicle of the Central Intelligence Agency by Norman Mailer. The... more17
70First Published: 1996
Subjects: Cold War, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Genres (Book): Non-fiction
From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insider's Story of Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold...18
50A Spy for All Seasons: My Life in the CIA
Duane R. ClaridgeFirst Published: 1997
Subjects: CIA
Genres (Book): Autobiography
A Spy for All Seasons: My Life in the CIA is an espionage true account novel from Duane R. Claridge. This book follows Clarridge on his trajectory through the CIA and his alleged involvement in the Iran-contra affair.
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40The Way of the World
Ron SuskindSubjects: George Bush, Politics of the United States, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Terrorism
The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism is a 2008 non-fiction... more20
10Mary's Mosaic
Peter JanneyFirst Published: 2016
Subjects: Hoaxes and Deceptions, Political corruption
Mary's Mosaic: The CIA Conspiracy to Murder John F. Kennedy, Mary Pinchot Meyer, and Their Vision for World Peace is a book by Peter Janney. The book explores the murder of Mary Pinchot Meyer and her connection to President Kennedy.
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68First Published: 2008-02
Subjects: Winston Mackinley Scott, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Genres (Book): Non-fiction
Our Man in Mexico: Winston Scott and the Hidden History of the CIA is a book by Jefferson...22
10Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life
Jason HansonFirst Published: 2015
Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life: A Former CIA Officer Reveals Safety and Survival Techniques to Keep You and Your Family Protected is a book by former CIA officer Jason Hanson. The book details techniques from escaping handcuffs to improvising a self-defense weapon and honing "positive awareness" for defense and prevention.
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First Published: 2016
Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath is a book by investigator Ted Koppel. The book covers what would happen in a major cyberattack on America's power grid.
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46Reflections of a Cold Warrior: From Yalta to the Bay of Pigs
Richard M. Bissell, Jr.First Published: 1996
Subjects: Richard M. Bissell, Jr., Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Genres (Book): Memoir
Reflections of a Cold Warrior: From Yalta to the Bay of Pigs is a book by Richard M. Bissell,...25
First Published: 2014
Company Man is a book by lawyer John Rizzo. After serving under eleven CIA directors over his 34-year career, Rizo writes about virtually every significant CIA activity and controversy over a tumultuous, thirty-year period.
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