Hersh, Burton. The Old Boys: The American Elite and the Origins of the CIA. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1992. 536 pages.

Ten years of work, hundreds of interviews, and access to numerous library collections have produced this narrative of CIA history, from its emergence out of William Donovan's OSS to its first publicized failure at the Bay of Pigs. While this book is name-intensive and rich in anecdotal detail, several figures reappear frequently as they weave in and out of this somewhat scattered narrative. These include Donovan, the Dulles brothers with their Nazi connections, William C. Bullitt, Reinhard Gehlen, Frank Wisner, and Carmel Offie.

Hersh's writing style is different -- a bit haughty (or even elitist), but seldom boring. His view of the CIA's self-anointed Ivy Leaguers playing in their international sandbox, while the effects of their work are best described with Cold War body counts, is basically critical. However, one cannot shake the suspicion that Hersh's objections are based more on closet envy than on ethical considerations. This book is well- received among Hersh's colleagues in the Association of Former Intelligence Officers, most of whom would like nothing better than to return to the glory days before all of the embarrassing revelations and congressional oversight. If a book can be judged by its fans, then perhaps Hersh's critical style ought to be a bit more direct.
ISBN 0-684-19348-5

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