The Central Intelligence Agency is essential in the fight to keep America safe from foreign attacks.

This work traces through facts and documents the history of the CIA, from the people involved to the operations conducted for national security. This book offers both students and general-interest readers a definitive resource that examines the impact the CIA has had on world events throughout the Cold War and beyond. From its intervention in Guatemala in 1954, through the Bay of Pigs, the Vietnam War, the Iran-Contra Affair, and its key role in Afghanistan following the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, this objective, apolitical work covers all of this controversial intelligence agency's most notable successes and failures.

The second edition, now consolidated into a single volume, includes 50 new entries that examine how a unique US government organization conducts covert warfare, gathers intelligence surreptitiously, and engages in espionage. Part Two provides documentation that supports and amplifies more than 200 cross-referenced entries. Readers will be able to understand the reasons behind the CIA's various actions, perceive how the agency's role has evolved across its 78-year history, and intelligently consider the viability and future of the CIA.