The Encyclopedia of the CIA

The CIA is one of the most mysterious and most controversial government agencies, yet journalist Smith glosses over its more complicated aspects in his A-to-Z guide to the organization, which presents the CIA's history from its inception in 1947 through today's war on terror. Smith, a former Marine Corps infantry leader and paratrooper, rather glorifies the agency and its operatives--e.g., in writing of the CIA's role in the 1953 Iranian coup d'etat, he describes ousted leader Mossadegh as""a nervous man prone to fits of crying"" and gives little weight to Mossadegh's assertion that the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, which he wanted to nationalize,""was bleeding Iran dry of its oil."" The Iran operation""went off without a hitch,"" Smith writes triumphantly, offering no clue as to the action's controversial nature. But, while not a fully objective history, this volume can be a handy reference for anyone who needs a reminder as to what the""Halloween Massacre"" was or what the various nicknames given to the CIA's predecessor, the OSS (""Oh So Secret,""""Oh So Social"") were. 45 b&w photos.