Covert Action

School Library Journal

Gr 7-12-- This readable overview of the history and impact of covert activity in the U. S. government examines presidential involvement from Washington to Reagan. The major focus is the CIA: its cost, organization, operations, and moral implications. While the pros and cons of the subject are introduced, Kronenwetter's skeptical viewpoint is obvious in the discussion of operation successes and failures. The tone is similar to the more extensive The CIA and the Cult of Intelligence (Dell, 1989) by Victor Marchetti and John D. Marks, but Kronenwetter updates that book with the inclusion of information on Nicaragua and Iran-Contra operations. While not an all-inclusive history, the material provides a provocative introduction to a controversial area. --Carrol McCarthy, Tower Hill School, Wilmington, DE