The Quiet Americans: Four CIA Spies at the Dawn of the Cold War - a Tragedy in Three Acts

Name: The Quiet Americans: Four CIA Spies at the Dawn of the Cold War - a Tragedy in Three Acts
SKU: 174563
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4.5 | 1,446 ratings

Price: 23.63

Last update: 02-24-2025

About this item

From the bestselling author of Lawrence in Arabia—the gripping story of four CIA agents during the early days of the Cold War—and how the United States, at the very pinnacle of its power, managed to permanently damage its moral standing in the world.

“Enthralling … captivating reading.” —The New York Times Book Review

At the end of World War II, the United States was considered the victor over tyranny and a champion of freedom. But it was clear—to some—that the Soviet Union was already seeking to expand and foment revolution around the world, and the American government’s strategy in response relied on the secret efforts of a newly formed CIA. Chronicling the fascinating lives of four agents, Scott Anderson follows the exploits of four spies: Michael Burke, who organized parachute commandos from an Italian villa; Frank Wisner, an ingenious spymaster who directed actions around the world; Peter Sichel, a German Jew who outwitted the ruthless KGB in Berlin; and Edward Lansdale, a mastermind of psychological warfare in the Far East. But despite their lofty ambitions, time and again their efforts went awry, thwarted by a combination of ham-fisted politicking and ideological rigidity at the highest levels of the government.

EarlyBird

A True Insider's Look Into the Early CIA

Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2021

This book was a terrific read. While it doesn't break new ground for anyone already familiar with the CIA's early struggles with the Soviets, the overthrow of Mossadegh in Iran, the coup in Guatemala and our misadventures in Vietnam, it narrows the focus from the global to the personal, into planning rooms and secret cables, the personalities of four spies who made history, and the limits put upon them by their superiors and the era of anti-communism fervor.

Part of what made such a good page-turning read was that the lives of the four men profiled - especially Ed Landsdale and Michael Burke - were so dashing and adventurous as to seem out of Hollywood.

But the real story, and the tragedy, is how reflexive anti-communist paranoia, Red Scare reactionism and bureaucratic self-serving led America to not only miss opportunities to dramatically shorten the Cold War, but led it to abandon allies, alienate potential allies, and betray our own principles of self government in the developing world - mistakes the US and the world are still paying for dearly. We would very likely not, for instance, be currently at dangerous odds with Iran in 2021, had we not overthrown Mossadegh in '53. Who knows what kinds of governments there might be in Central America today had we not been so busy overthrowing popularly elected leaders and replacing them with right wing tyrants in the name of keeping the hemisphere safe from communism.

This is a really good book, a combination of the wide lens history and on the ground, hinge of history decision making which made up the early CIA and much of our relations with the world today.

mark

Clod War Hi-Jinx

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2025

I liked this otherwise untold stories for four OSS officers and the transition to CIA.
Lots of mistakes made as they were ignored in dealing with the Commies as Washington politics overrode thier knowledge of the facts on the ground.

Sylvia J

Cold War Quartet

Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2021

Excellent storytelling weaves together four personalities at the beginning of a new chapter in American history. This is the story of the Cold War against communism, and the choices that were made fighting against the totalitarian states led by the USSR. Even if you are familiar with the tale, this author brings compassion to the story by attempting to understand the points of view and motivations of those who conducted this war. It is in many ways a sad tale, as much went wrong. The reliance on secrecy was in my opinion a mistake, as a lack of accountability compounded the errors. There was little incentive for the covert cold warriors to try different approaches, or even acknowledge that their strategies led to undesirable consequences. What’s perhaps little known is just how enthusiastic Eisenhower was to use covert power to reshape the world. What’s sad is that even his successes - Iran, Guatemala - made things worse in the long run. While I do believe that communist totalitarianism was indeed a threat, some of the choices Americans made to counter it just ushered in a different flavor of authoritarian control. Perhaps I’m a dreamer, but I think we can do better. Certainly looking honestly at what we have done as a nation is useful. Not for recrimination, but to figure out how to we might face such challenges more effectively.

JamesMN

An Outstanding and Enlightening Read

Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2020

I can't say enough good things about this book to possibly convey the pleasure that reading it has given me.

Very interesting historical perspective, through the lens of four men I didn't really know much about, and enlightening all the more for it.

Anderson's not on a crusade here, he's telling an important story from a different point of view, and it's enthralling. I had a hard time putting this book down. An appreciation for the Red and Lavender Scares, the machinations of Allen and John Foster Dulles, a renewed stoking for a dislike that I have long had for J. Edgar Hoover, all of this and so much more was an outcome of reading this book.

Entertaining, very well-written, a total pleasure to read and absorb, this book will get me looking into things that have niggled at the back of my head for a while, and now I'll have renewed reason to chase them.

If you want to better understand where this country came from, how it's attained the reputation it has in the world that's not the positive love story too many of us think it is (and I have news for those who think otherwise - no, they're not envious of us), how the Red and Lavender scares warped this country and its government, and how a man like Donald Trump came to be (you have to infer the latter from reading this, but in my mind the trail is there), this is a must-read tome - I was sorry to have to finish it.

hildegard

How the U.S. went wrong in the Cold War.

Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2020

This book is a winner in every way -- it is a page turner and exceedingly well written, but it also uses the fascinating stories of 4 different CIA spies in different areas of the world -- in the crucial years 1944 to 1956 -- to show how the U.S. got misled into obsessing about socialists and began supporting right-wing dictators instead. For those of us who had often wondered how we went so wrong after supporting the "good guys" in WWII, here is the answer. Brilliant!
And if you want a similar look at how the British and French made a mess of the Middle East after WWI, the same author's Lawrence in Arabia is just as wonderful.

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