"[T]heoharis provides a good introduction to the history, structure, and operations of the CIA, information required to understand fully what all the heated arguments are about. The chapters cover the agency's origins, foreign and domestic liaison arrangements, covert activities, the work of intelligence and counterintelligence units, and CIA controversies from 1947 to 2004. The chapters are further subdivided and labeled by subtopic, and the indexing and table of contents are helpful in directing one's study. The book's reference value is increased by its 29-page chronology of key events, 20-page annotated bibliography, list of acronyms, and short biographies of 50 important CIA-related individuals. Readers can also examine the CIA's Factbook on Intelligence for the official facts and links to more information from the intelligence community.Theoharis's high-quality publication is suitable for academic and larger public libraries." -- Library Journal "Although the CIA is the government agency most often depicted on television and in films, it is probably the least understood. This volume seeks to redress that problem, as much as possible, with a survey of the CIA's programs, personnel and activities.

The chapters are arranged by theme, such as liaison arrangements and intelligence and counterintelligence, and are written by experts on those topics. The text includes biographies of important CIA administrators, a chronology of key events, and an annotated bibliography. It is part of the Understanding Our Government Series, which is aimed at high school students." -- Reference & Research Book News.