Casey: From the OSS to the CIA

Rating:
Summary: Great book on a complex character!
Review: Casey was a very complex character. He was always on the edge -- always straddling that ethical line (and frequently crossing it). The book is fair and it gives a good overview of the former chief of two much feared agencies: the SEC and the CIA.

Rating:
Summary: An informative and balanced look at a controversial American
Review: Persico provides a balanced look at the deceased former Director of Central Intelligence. William Casey has served as both a lightning rod for criticism of the Reagan Administration's proactive foreign policy and as a right-wing hero. Unfortunately both of these views display an amazing inability to take into consideration all of the facts. The author presents Casey in an objective light, showing that the former OSS man often did what he felt was right for the country but in a fashion that just as often went outside the rule of law. Most importantly, Persico gives a more balanced and accurate view of Casey's role in the Iran-Contra scandal than the view presented in Bob Woodward's Secret Wars. Anyone interested in the career of one of the most respected and disrespected of America's former spy chiefs is encouraged to read Casey, from the OSS to the CIA.