Shadow Cell: an explosive insider account of the world's new spy war from ex-CIA operatives
Autor Andrew Bustamante, Jihi Bustamanteen Limba Engleză Paperback – 9 sep 2025
A thrilling first-hand account by husband-and-wife CIA operatives who, against all odds, triumphed in a deadly cat-and-mouse game against a mole within the intelligence agency - an unprecedented insider view of 21st-century spycraft.
Andrew and Jihi Bustamante were a 'tandem couple': married spies who'd dedicated their lives to the CIA. They met as trainees at Langley, and got married while hunting terrorists across the globe. Then, suddenly, they were assigned to a mission so sensitive and explosive that the CIA has still never acknowledged it. The CIA's source network in a country code-named 'Falcon' - one of America's most formidable rivals - had been compromised by a mole, and the agency needed a new way to collect intelligence there. Young newlyweds the Bustamantes were considered safe choices for this daunting task precisely because they had no experience in Falcon. They were also loyal, forgettable, and completely disposable - operatives who could help to strengthen the CIA's position in Falcon while simultaneously serving as bait for the mole.
But although their superiors at the CIA didn't realize it, the Bustamantes also brought another advantage to the table: a granular understanding of how terrorist cells operate, and how the agency could exploit those same tactics to keep the West safe. Assembling a rag-tag team of fellow operatives and recruiting new sources from Falcon, the Bustamantes pioneered a new way of spying by building a cell of their own, right at the heart of the CIA.
The propulsive, untold tale of one of history's greatest intelligence crises and the unlikely band of agents who were sent in to clean up the mess, Shadow Cell allows us to peer behind the curtain to see how today's spy wars are being fought - and won.
| Toate formatele și edițiile | Preț | Express |
|---|---|---|
| Paperback (1) | 83.66 lei 3-5 săpt. | +47.64 lei 10-14 zile |
| Headline – 9 sep 2025 | 83.66 lei 3-5 săpt. | +47.64 lei 10-14 zile |
| Hardback (2) | 99.78 lei 3-5 săpt. | +58.42 lei 10-14 zile |
| Headline – 9 sep 2025 | 99.78 lei 3-5 săpt. | +58.42 lei 10-14 zile |
| Little, Brown and Company – 9 sep 2025 | 176.89 lei 3-5 săpt. |
Preț: 83.66 lei
Preț vechi: 116.34 lei
-28%
Puncte Express: 125
Preț estimativ în valută:
14.82€ • 17.30$ • 12.87£
14.82€ • 17.30$ • 12.87£
Carte disponibilă
Livrare economică 31 ianuarie-14 februarie
Livrare express 20-24 ianuarie pentru 57.63 lei
Preluare comenzi: 021 569.72.76
Specificații
ISBN-13: 9781035412419
ISBN-10: 1035412411
Pagini: 272
Ilustrații: 8 page picture section
Dimensiuni: 154 x 232 x 24 mm
Greutate: 0.34 kg
Editura: Headline
Colecția Headline Press
Locul publicării:London, United Kingdom
ISBN-10: 1035412411
Pagini: 272
Ilustrații: 8 page picture section
Dimensiuni: 154 x 232 x 24 mm
Greutate: 0.34 kg
Editura: Headline
Colecția Headline Press
Locul publicării:London, United Kingdom
Recenzii
Shadow Cell rips the curtain off the modern spy game with the kind of insider access only two former CIA operatives could provide. It's a rare glimpse into the shadow war of the 21st century, where loyalty is tested, trust is weaponized, and victory comes at a personal cost.
The "Shadow Cell" operation is arguably one of the most esoteric, innovative, and successful by CIA to date. It is also proof of how important fresh blood is to any organization. As you will read, the selection of these two young officers was a gamble that not only paid off but also exceeded everyone's expectations. Reads like a novel, educates like a thesis. I truly enjoyed the read and even learned a trick or two.
A pacy and fascinating read. I suspect the closest an outsider will get to sitting in on CIA training in agent-running.
On one level, this is an important story of how two CIA officers fell in love, married and set up a rogue spy agency in the heart of an enemy state. Their unorthodox methods, borrowed from the playbook of Al Qaida, are now standard practice in US counter-intelligence. But the book is also a tense thriller in which Andrew and Jihi Bustamante are both the hunters and the hunted in a cat-and-mouse game with a dangerous double agent working in the heart of the CIA. Every page is more gripping than the last, propelling the reader to its exciting finale.
This is a uniquely compelling spy memoir. Two former CIA field operatives take turns to recount clandestine life in the world's hot spots. Together they reveal the latest CIA techniques, including building their own look-alike terrorist cell. It is a behind-the-scenes story of a secret war that blends love, mystery and betrayal.
Nail-biting . . . An unusual window into the normally closed world of spies' private lives . . . Part autobiography, part true crime - or rather, true espionage - their tale of the hunt for a highly placed mole, which is also partly an exposé of the sometimes-dubious practices of CIA corporate culture, is a page-turning read.
The Bustamantes write with a frank, conversational tone that is easy to follow and welcomes the reader into their world . . . an excellent account of real-world spy games and an entertaining and informative look at the logistics of modern intelligence work.
Hair-raising . . . an alluring crash-course on spycraft . . . the authors pack in plenty of suspense, providing the cliffhangers and paranoid atmosphere of a John le Carré novel.
A fast-paced account of an effort to root out a mole and recruit double agents in an unnamed enemy nation . . . The adventures and misadventures are plentiful here, but of equally great interest to readers are the authors' lucid explanations of how spycraft proceeds to begin with . . . A gripping espionage yarn that happily contradicts the authors' advice for crafting a cover story: 'Make it boring as hell.
Hair-raising
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR SHADOW CELL [please note there are more quotes to come]
"Shadow Cell rips the curtain off the modern spy game with the kind of insider access only two former CIA operatives could provide. It's a rare glimpse into the shadow war of the twenty-first century, where loyalty is tested, trust is weaponized, and victory comes at a personal cost."
-JACK CARR, author of Red Sky Mourning
"The 'Shadow Cell' operation is arguably one of the most esoteric, innovative, and successful by CIA to date. It is also proof of how important fresh blood is to any organization. As you will read, the selection of these two young officers was a gamble that not only paid off but also exceeded everyone's expectations. Reads like a novel, educates like a thesis. I truly enjoyed the read and even learned a trick or two."
-RIC PRADO, author of Black Ops, and former Chief of Operations at CIA's Counterterrorism Center
"A pacy and fascinating read. I suspect the closest an outsider will get to sitting in on CIA training in agent-running."
-PROFESSOR SIR DAVID OMAND, former British Security and Intelligence Coordinator
The "Shadow Cell" operation is arguably one of the most esoteric, innovative, and successful by CIA to date. It is also proof of how important fresh blood is to any organization. As you will read, the selection of these two young officers was a gamble that not only paid off but also exceeded everyone's expectations. Reads like a novel, educates like a thesis. I truly enjoyed the read and even learned a trick or two.
A pacy and fascinating read. I suspect the closest an outsider will get to sitting in on CIA training in agent-running.
On one level, this is an important story of how two CIA officers fell in love, married and set up a rogue spy agency in the heart of an enemy state. Their unorthodox methods, borrowed from the playbook of Al Qaida, are now standard practice in US counter-intelligence. But the book is also a tense thriller in which Andrew and Jihi Bustamante are both the hunters and the hunted in a cat-and-mouse game with a dangerous double agent working in the heart of the CIA. Every page is more gripping than the last, propelling the reader to its exciting finale.
This is a uniquely compelling spy memoir. Two former CIA field operatives take turns to recount clandestine life in the world's hot spots. Together they reveal the latest CIA techniques, including building their own look-alike terrorist cell. It is a behind-the-scenes story of a secret war that blends love, mystery and betrayal.
Nail-biting . . . An unusual window into the normally closed world of spies' private lives . . . Part autobiography, part true crime - or rather, true espionage - their tale of the hunt for a highly placed mole, which is also partly an exposé of the sometimes-dubious practices of CIA corporate culture, is a page-turning read.
The Bustamantes write with a frank, conversational tone that is easy to follow and welcomes the reader into their world . . . an excellent account of real-world spy games and an entertaining and informative look at the logistics of modern intelligence work.
Hair-raising . . . an alluring crash-course on spycraft . . . the authors pack in plenty of suspense, providing the cliffhangers and paranoid atmosphere of a John le Carré novel.
A fast-paced account of an effort to root out a mole and recruit double agents in an unnamed enemy nation . . . The adventures and misadventures are plentiful here, but of equally great interest to readers are the authors' lucid explanations of how spycraft proceeds to begin with . . . A gripping espionage yarn that happily contradicts the authors' advice for crafting a cover story: 'Make it boring as hell.
Hair-raising
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR SHADOW CELL [please note there are more quotes to come]
"Shadow Cell rips the curtain off the modern spy game with the kind of insider access only two former CIA operatives could provide. It's a rare glimpse into the shadow war of the twenty-first century, where loyalty is tested, trust is weaponized, and victory comes at a personal cost."
-JACK CARR, author of Red Sky Mourning
"The 'Shadow Cell' operation is arguably one of the most esoteric, innovative, and successful by CIA to date. It is also proof of how important fresh blood is to any organization. As you will read, the selection of these two young officers was a gamble that not only paid off but also exceeded everyone's expectations. Reads like a novel, educates like a thesis. I truly enjoyed the read and even learned a trick or two."
-RIC PRADO, author of Black Ops, and former Chief of Operations at CIA's Counterterrorism Center
"A pacy and fascinating read. I suspect the closest an outsider will get to sitting in on CIA training in agent-running."
-PROFESSOR SIR DAVID OMAND, former British Security and Intelligence Coordinator