“Legacy of Ashes,” the new book on the CIA by the New York Times’ Tim Weiner, has been getting rave reviews from the mainstream press. Now, finally, people with historical knowledge of the agency are beginning to poke holes in the book. Two recent essays stand out. The first, by DC writer William Blum, details how Weiner ignored an entire library of CIA histories, most egregiously Philip Agee’s classic “Inside the Company,” arguably the most important inside account of the CIA ever written. The second, by national security specialist Jeffrey T. Richelson, rips Weiner for many other omissions, and concludes that the book “makes ill-supported claims, issues grandiose judgments, and gives only cursory attention to important episodes.” I found the book engrossing but maddeningly short on detail. It’s worth the read, but only if you pay attention to the other works cited by Blum and Richelson.
