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See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism Paperback – January 7, 2003

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,013 ratings

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In his explosive New York Times bestseller, top CIA operative Robert Baer paints a chilling picture of how terrorism works on the inside and provides startling evidence of how Washington politics sabotaged the CIA’s efforts to root out the world’s deadliest terrorists, allowing for the rise of Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda and the continued entrenchment of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

A veteran case officer in the CIA’s Directorate of Operations in the Middle East, Baer witnessed the rise of terrorism first hand and the CIA’s inadequate response to it, leading to the attacks of September 11, 2001. This riveting book is both an indictment of an agency that lost its way and an unprecedented look at the roots of modern terrorism, and includes a new afterword in which Baer speaks out about the American war on terrorism and its profound implications throughout the Middle East.

“Robert Baer was considered perhaps the best on-the-ground field
officer in the Middle East.”
–Seymour M. Hersh, The New Yorker

From The Preface
This book is a memoir of one foot soldier’s career in the other cold war, the one against terrorist networks. It’s a story about places most Americans will never travel to, about people many Americans would prefer to think we don’t need to do business with.

This memoir, I hope, will show the reader how spying is supposed to work, where the CIA lost its way, and how we can bring it back again. But I hope this book will accomplish one more purpose as well: I hope it will show why I am angry about what happened to the CIA. And I want to show why every American and everyone who cares about the preservation of this country should be angry and alarmed, too.

The CIA was systematically destroyed by political correctness, by petty Beltway wars, by careerism, and much more. At a time when terrorist threats were compounding globally, the agency that should have been monitoring them was being scrubbed clean instead. Americans were making too much money to bother. Life was good. The White House and the National Security Council became cathedrals of commerce where the interests of big business outweighed the interests of protecting American citizens at home and abroad. Defanged and dispirited, the CIA went along for the ride. And then on September 11, 2001, the reckoning for such vast carelessness was presented for all the world to see.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“See No Evil is a compelling account of America’s failed efforts to ‘listen in’ on the rest of the world, especially the parts of it that intend to do us harm.”
–Wall Street Journal

“Robert Baer was considered perhaps the best on-the-ground field
officer in the Middle East.”
–Seymour M. Hersh, The New Yorker

From the Inside Flap

In his explosive New York Times bestseller, top CIA operative Robert Baer paints a chilling picture of how terrorism works on the inside and provides startling evidence of how Washington politics sabotaged the CIA's efforts to root out the world's deadliest terrorists, allowing for the rise of Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda and the continued entrenchment of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

A veteran case officer in the CIA's Directorate of Operations in the Middle East, Baer witnessed the rise of terrorism first hand and the CIA's inadequate response to it, leading to the attacks of September 11, 2001. This riveting book is both an indictment of an agency that lost its way and an unprecedented look at the roots of modern terrorism, and includes a new afterword in which Baer speaks out about the American war on terrorism and its profound implications throughout the Middle East.

"Robert Baer was considered perhaps the best on-the-ground field
officer in the Middle East."
–Seymour M. Hersh, The New Yorker

From The Preface
This book is a memoir of one foot soldier's career in the other cold war, the one against terrorist networks. It's a story about places most Americans will never travel to, about people many Americans would prefer to think we don't need to do business with.

This memoir, I hope, will show the reader how spying is supposed to work, where the CIA lost its way, and how we can bring it back again. But I hope this book will accomplish one more purpose as well: I hope it will show why I am angry about what happened to the CIA. And I want to show why every American and everyone who cares about the preservation of this country should be angry and alarmed, too.

The CIA was systematically destroyed by political correctness, by petty Beltway wars, by careerism, and much more. At a time when terrorist threats were compounding globally, the agency that should have been monitoring them was being scrubbed clean instead. Americans were making too much money to bother. Life was good. The White House and the National Security Council became cathedrals of commerce where the interests of big business outweighed the interests of protecting American citizens at home and abroad. Defanged and dispirited, the CIA went along for the ride. And then on September 11, 2001, the reckoning for such vast carelessness was presented for all the world to see.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crown; Reprint edition (January 7, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 140004684X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1400046843
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.19 x 0.89 x 9.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,013 ratings

About the author

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Robert Baer
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ROBERT BAER is the author of two New York Times bestsellers: Sleeping with the Devil, about the Saudi royal family and its relationship with the United States; and See No Evil, which recounts Baer's years as a top CIA operative. See No Evil was the basis for the acclaimed film Syriana, which earned George Clooney an Oscar for his portrayal of Baer. Baer writes regularly for Time.com and has contributed to Vanity Fair, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. He is considered one of the world's foremost authorities on the Middle East.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,013 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book fascinating and informative. It provides a compelling story that keeps them engaged. The writing is well-crafted and easy to understand. Readers appreciate the insider's view of CIA operations and covert activities.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

113 customers mention "Readability"113 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and educational. They say it's worth reading and an eye-opener about programs that worked and those that didn't. Readers mention it's better than the movie and a real eye-opener about what it's like in the Middle East.

"...in Syria, Lebanon, and throughout the Middle East make for a fascinating read...." Read more

"...remove their shoes to board a domestic flight, this book is worth your time...." Read more

"...Overall, this is a great book...." Read more

"...For those of us interested in espionage procedurals, this part of the book is exhilarating. I couldn't put it down...." Read more

69 customers mention "Insight"66 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the book's insights into intelligence gathering and counterintelligence. They find it informative and engaging, especially when real-life descriptions are presented. The book provides a good understanding of the challenges faced by CIA agents and their work. Readers appreciate the book's important perspective on U.S. government priorities and activities of spies and terrorists.

"The author is easy to connect with and understand at some points of his motivations...." Read more

"...Baer's is a first-hand account as a case worker, recruiting local people for gathering intelligence...." Read more

"...At the time, it made a big impression, giving readers a rare look inside the secret wars of America’s intelligence services like the CIA, author Bob..." Read more

"...It's surprising the sheer amount of information that Baer is allowed to present in this book...." Read more

40 customers mention "Story quality"32 positive8 negative

Customers find the story compelling and poignant. They say it keeps the story flowing and engaging. The author is praised for his ability to build suspense and tell a good story. Many describe it as a true 21st-century spy novel about real events and history with real people.

"...Simply riveting stories. A good contribution to the ever-increasing quantity of geopolitical treatises on the Middle East." Read more

"Baer provides a compelling story of his 21 years as a DO officer in the CIA and his tireless efforts to bring understanding to the conflicts..." Read more

"...book review The first half of this book is a great adventure story. The second reveals a personality...." Read more

"...This is deeply disturbing material. If you ever wondered how foriegn spies are recruited, read this...." Read more

34 customers mention "Writing quality"30 positive4 negative

Customers find the writing quality informative and easy to understand. They appreciate the author's detailed descriptions of situations and encounters. The book is described as detailed and engaging, never slow or disinteresting. Readers praise the straightforward approach to a complex environment.

"...remain on some issues of interests but overall he did a very good job in explaining events (the best he could)...." Read more

"...Eveland's book was very detailed, relating the individual story of one man's effort to work in a newly important region within the global environment..." Read more

"...In sum, read this book. Mr. Baer the author is a good writer and deserves a loyal audience for this and the other books he has written...." Read more

"...This is a 'you're there with him' book, and Mr. Bear's writing is never slow or disinteresting. Is it all true, though?..." Read more

7 customers mention "Insiders view"7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the insider's view of CIA operations. They find it fascinating and easy to read, providing a behind-the-scenes look at how the CIA works.

"This was a great behind the scenes of how our CIA works. To read how the our government sends these individuals out with a mission...." Read more

"...vs. good old detective work and inside intelligence on the ground...." Read more

"...This book goes inside: Inside the life of a REAL spy (sorry, Mr. Bond), inside the horrors of the Middle East, and inside Washington DC...." Read more

"A fascinating read. An insiders view of what risks some covert ops officers take to get the Intel that is needed...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2012
    The author is easy to connect with and understand at some points of his motivations. A few questions still remain on some issues of interests but overall he did a very good job in explaining events (the best he could). Baer has a bank of knowledge on the Middle East and its actors/groups. It is rare to read similar details on the Middle East outside of the classroom environment (texts). All though I do not personally know Baer, from this book it appears that he may have taken certain issues very personal and doing so, he allowed his emotions to override the brilliance of his character. The grudge seemed to have been presented to show his actions but as you read on, it begins to control him. Granted the events and the loss of friends or associates that you depend on would affect anyone. But by placing yourself within this theater it is bound to happen, you are there for the bigger picture, the identifiers of his personal changes and questionable tactfulness are seen withering away. I am not sure if being made, in the region, only complicated the inner struggle that was already becoming present in his daily actions. He may have wanted another direction within the agency, one which was not possible when he was sent out of the area of his expertise. He did not take on change very well and instead went to the CTC. Later in the details of the CTC being a letdown, he also felt needed due to his language skills which later on appeared to be not that important, as he was placed on the back burner. As if he was losing himself and almost needed others to remind him of whom he is.
    I have read more than a few books on the changing dynamics of the agency and its people. From field positions and being very good at it, to the paper pusher that slowly destroys the officer. Baer was very good at what he did; when the operation environment changed he did not.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2012
    A year ago I bought a book, "Ropes of Sand," by Wilber Eveland. Eveland's book outlined the growth and maturation of intelligence gathering in the Middle East post-World War Two through the 1970s. Eveland's book was very detailed, relating the individual story of one man's effort to work in a newly important region within the global environment, and doing so as the U.S. transitions from the OSS to the CIA.

    Having read Eveland's book first set the stage for Bob Baer's book. Baer's account takes off where Eveland's ends. The books were not meant to be read that way, as Eveland's book was published in 1980. The events, policies, and geography persist, evolve, and adapt over the decades "Ropes of Sand" and "See No Evil" cover, though. Reading them together provides fascinating insight into the realm, politics, concerns, and people.

    Baer's experiences in Syria, Lebanon, and throughout the Middle East make for a fascinating read. Yes, Bob has taken some flack for sounding somewhat bombastic, or self-congratulatory. When one reads through those few cases, and simply reads the context of the situation, the details of his experiences in the region are film-worthy (and have been adapted for film). His is not a history book, and he doesn't delve into history. For a history, read "Power, Faith, and Fantasy" by Michael Oren. Baer's is a first-hand account as a case worker, recruiting local people for gathering intelligence. If I learned one thing from Eveland and Baer, the CIA does not run spys. The CIA tries to "recruit" indigenous people to gather information. Also, people who conduct legitimate business in the realm are also recruited to keep their eyes and ears open. Simply riveting stories.

    A good contribution to the ever-increasing quantity of geopolitical treatises on the Middle East.
    7 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2018
    “See No Evil” was released in 2003, just 18 months after the terrorist bombings of the Twin Towers in New York City. At the time, it made a big impression, giving readers a rare look inside the secret wars of America’s intelligence services like the CIA, author Bob Baer's former employer. In the 15 years since, audiences have been exposed to shows like “24” the “Americans” and “Homeland” and reports like The 9/11 Commission Report findings as well as the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s findings on CIA torture techniques. We’ve all become terror experts it seems, and the spycraft that author Bob Baer describes doesn’t feel new and grand, anymore.

    What has aged well, though – sadly – are his observations of the geopolitical conflicts in the Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Russian-bloc countries. Those areas remain mired in the same religious radicalism, sectarian violence, and tribal wars that he described nearly two decades earlier. His work also shows how far back – as early as 1983, and at the same time agencies began to shed operatives – that the US intelligence services were aware of the potential for large-scale domestic attacks by foreign enemies. It’s grim, sobering reading, and his career dovetails with the rise of that extremism – both at home (World Trade Center bombing in 1993, Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995) and abroad (Pan Am flight 103.)

    As a primer of the roots of our siege mentality in this country where we make travelers remove their shoes to board a domestic flight, this book is worth your time. Baer writes that our domestic security depends on a robust and apolitical national security apparatus with global reach through well-placed human operatives. That's still a timely message.
    12 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Jim Ross
    5.0 out of 5 stars See No Evil
    Reviewed in Canada on December 16, 2024
    CIA used to be the best of the best until money and politicians change the landscape.
    Why anyone would do what the author did is mind blowing.
  • leseratte
    5.0 out of 5 stars Alles bestens!
    Reviewed in Germany on August 30, 2019
    Alles ok.
  • Boré Ivanoff
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good and instructive read
    Reviewed in France on November 6, 2017
    Quite good reading. Discovered some interesting and usefu information and facts from an inside source...Even if obviously the text was carefully filtrated before going to the grand public.
  • Dr.Jaideep Ratkal
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in India on September 18, 2015
    Well written book!
  • Luke
    5.0 out of 5 stars Pretty damn good
    Reviewed in Australia on May 3, 2016
    A real revelation on the way America sees the world and the way the Middle East works. A must read.