Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating on Afghanistan
Review: It is good to see a book written about the late stages and aftermath of the Cold War by someone who was actually involved in it and committed to the American side at the time. The straight CIA-KGB stuff at the beginning can be a tad frustrating as it is more anecdotal than analytic, more spy story than retrospective scrutiny. And when the spy narratives resurface at the end amid the USSR's dissolution they go little beyond what was known at the time from the headlines. But the Afghanistan stuff is truly fascinating. Bearden reveals how flawed, indeed sometimes ludicrous, the Soviet rationale both for invading Afghanistan and staying there after 1985 truly was. The Stinger missile technology was only used in Afghanistan after the US became convinced that the Soviets already knew of it so using it in a place where the USSR was bound to capture some evidence of it did not jeopardize the integrity of the technology. This is illustrative of an epistemological paradox--tools which can be effectively deployed are tools whose secret is already known and thus cannot be given away; transparency was, in this case, more efficacious against the enemy than mystery. By being known, the Stingers escaped the net of deterrence that held everything in seeming deadlock, and this was certainly a turning point in the Afghanistan war and perhaps the Cold War as well. Another memorable episode occurs when the Mujahedin use a Stinger to shoot down a Soviet MI-24D attack helicopter and Bearden, monitoring events in Islamabad, sees a video of a dead Soviet soldier of about twenty; realizing it looks too much like a 'typical' American soldier for comfort, he does not transmit it back to Washington along with the rest of the information about the effectiveness of the Stingers. This is not only a moving revelation of humanity and compassion on the part of a hardened operative in the midst of the global chess game but an anecdote rife with implications both for the nature of the Cold War as well, of course, for events in Afghanistan today. Bearden explicitly compares Operating Enduring Freedom to the Soviet Afghan experience. In fact sometimes the similarities he observes are misleading if taken literally because, though the terrain and even some of the personalities have remained the same, the global framework is so different. Bearden is a straight shooter but he has also thought about the events in which he was involved. He and his collaborator James Risen have made this a rich and rewarding book, written with narrative flair, that is a quick and riveting reading experience. Though an ardent Cold Warrior, and justifiably so, he is an independent thinker and does not necessarily ratify consensus. The photographs included also tell many stories in themselves.
Rating:
Summary: The Cold War was actually quite hot
Review: Milt Bearden's second book is a must read for those of us baby boomers who lived through the cold war, but had no idea how hot it really was. For the first time, we get the straight story on the possible link between the Russians and the Kennedy assasination, as well as a true understanding of the deep seated fear of Regan that permeated the Kremlin. If we had only known how close we were to real disaster, it might have been more difficult to mindlessly enjoy the Beatles, Woodstock and Disco.The story evolves to fully describe the roots of the Afganistan situation, and the impact that the US-backed campaign to oust the Russians had on the future of that region. For those who are seeking to understand the real geopolitical forces that shaped the second half of the 20th Century, and be caught up in the facinating global chess game we played with the Russians...read this book. You will not be able to stop thinking about it.
Rating:
Summary: Learn about how the world really works...a page turning book
Review: Superbly written, page burning, riveting book. All of the excitement and word craft of a Tom Clancy novel but real history from a man who lived it. This book is a great read and about a subject that anyone interested in history, politics, or current events should absolutely read.
The Main Enemy chronicles the secret war of spying from 1985 until the end of the cold war. What makes this book so interesting, and different, is that one of the authors lived the story. In addition this book shows how men make history while not even knowing the ultimate consequences of their actions. Milt Bearden puts the stories and the lessons learned in a global context. Instead of being simply a collection of anecdotes or a another narcissistic (and self-serving) biography, this book opens up a very poorly understood period of history and of a profession.
The Main Enemy also clearly shows us the debt we owe countless men and woman who protect and serve this country whose actions and sacrifices will never be known. The authors show how the information acquired by these brave people contribute to saving lives on the battlefield, contribute to better US-World negotiations, and impact every American's life, without our even knowing it.
Not only have Mr. Bearden and Mr. Risen written a great book, but they have served this country by better educating us on how the world really works and what is needed in the future. I believe that this book should be required reading by every student and politician. It could save grave errors and costly mistakes in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: for Cold War junkies, worth reading
Review: This book is a curious mix: for the Cold War/espionage junkie, there will be much here that's known or familiar from other reading. Still, one can't fail to read the recollections and opinions of someone like Bearden who was involved with so much. The first 40-50% of the book (and it's a big book!) is hard to follow because it skips around among different persons and places; it's hard to keep them straight, especially the Russians. When the narrative comes back to someone mentioned previously, it's often hard to remember who they are. After that, as it moves into the recent decade--fall of the Iron Curtain--readers will be fascinated to read of the inside look at things still fresh in their own memory. Bearden had quite a career and you can get a good feel for it here; the epilogue alone is a good summary of the recent ordeals of the CIA.
Rating:
Summary: Fast Read in Spy Novel Style
Review: This book is indeed a quick and delightful read that shows an insider's view of the CIA during the late 80s and early 90s. It is also a condensed 'point of view' based on the author's interpretation of events and his level of access to information of those events. As the book went through CIA review prior to publishing, it no doubt has been sanitized to some extent, but should prove worthy in the end of those who desire that some light be shed on the demise of the Soviet Union. While it reads like a good spy novel, it does reveal some insight into the waning years and months of the Soviet Union and should be logged into the annals of historical documentation from an individual on the inside of an extremely strong governmental force that worked toward the end of the Soviet Union. Read it with an open mind, and enjoy the style and pace with which it is written. It is not boring and it does provide a window into our country's 'dirty work'.
Rating:
Summary: a great read
Review: This has to be the best book on spies that I have ever read. I am a junkie for spy books, and this one reads like a novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Oleg Knows Better
Review: This is a strange book consisting on 50% of a repetition of well known cases and personalities, 30% of a description of the author's heroic deeds in Afganistan secretly fighting against the Soviets, and the rest 20% of an attempt to show how good the team of Gerber, Reynolds and Bearden was in the time span of ten years between 1985 and 1995, when the Agency lost ALL ITS AGENTS in the USSR due to the treason of Howard, Ames, Hanssen (FBI), Nicolson and others under Mr Bearden & Co. As a result, the author strangely claims that the West has won the Cold War. I cannot guess what makes him think so. In almost ten years of Mr Bearden's involvement with the SE Division, his best achievement was probably the so called Gavrilov channel - a secret channel of cooperation/communication proposed by the KGB, which was established in Vienna before the end of the Cold War. It culminated in the author's proud publication of a photo where he was shown embracing KGB Gen. Rem Krasilnikov - practically a sole executioner of the American agents and officers in Moscow, when Bearden was in charge. Congratulations! Among the best reviews of "The Main Enemy" (the title is evidently ill selected and generally erroneous: should be 'Main Adversary') the most professional is certainly Oleg Gordievsky's article in the London Literary Review. Oleg knows much better than Milt.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping Clash of Cultures
Review: This is a work about diverging cultures on two levels. It is the conflict between the cultures of the two world powers, the USSR and the United States. But a theme running throughout the book is how the world of intelligence is a culture unto itself. This story is better than any fictional tale around. Tom Clancy only wishes he could produce something like this. We are back in the final days of the Cold War, with both sides working through proxies and attempting to trump the other side in any way possible. What strikes one throughout is the motive difference between those who chose to spy for the other side. The few Americans did so for money or revenge. The volunteers behind the Iron Curtain - and this included generals, high-up party members, scientists - did so for ideological reasons. The two worse US spies - Hannson (FBI) and Ames (CIA) both loved the thrill and the money; both were contemptuous of the Soviets. In the end, this is an old-fashioned spy tale with all that that implies - skulking in the dark alleys, the drops, the chase, the planting of devices, transfers of cash, discreet signs, suicide pills, bravery, cowardice and a battle of wills in the agencies that exemplified the clash between the two cultures. This is one of those books you just can't put down.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping Clash of Cultures
Review: This is a work about diverging cultures on two levels. It is the conflict between the cultures of the two world powers, the USSR and the United States. But a theme running throughout the book is how the world of intelligence is a culture unto itself. This story is better than any fictional tale around. Tom Clancy only wishes he could produce something like this. We are back in the final days of the Cold War, with both sides working through proxies and attempting to trump the other side in any way possible. What strikes one throughout is the motive difference between those who chose to spy for the other side. The few Americans did so for money or revenge. The volunteers behind the Iron Curtain - and this included generals, high-up party members, scientists - did so for ideological reasons. The two worse US spies - Hannson (FBI) and Ames (CIA) both loved the thrill and the money; both were contemptuous of the Soviets. In the end, this is an old-fashioned spy tale with all that that implies - skulking in the dark alleys, the drops, the chase, the planting of devices, transfers of cash, discreet signs, suicide pills, bravery, cowardice and a battle of wills in the agencies that exemplified the clash between the two cultures. This is one of those books you just can't put down.
Rating:
Summary: I LOVE SPY BOOKS
Review: This is another terrific spy book that is worth reading. Was completeley drawn in by this one !!! Another Cold War era book I would recommend is the one by Benjamin Weiser titled " A Secret Life" about a Polish Colonel ( Ryszard Kuklinski ) on the Polish General Staff who passed on some 40,000 Warsaw Pact and Soviet documents to the CIA from 1972 to 1981.
|
