Analyzing Intelligence

Reviews
"[A] practical and wide-ranging study of intelligence analysis. The editors have done a superb job of seamlessly editing the work of a number of the world's recognized experts of intelligence gathering and analysis. Of special interest to readers should be those chapters related to the relationship between analysts and national-level security and policymakers. This book will be an invaluable resource for future analysts and those professionals currently involved in overcoming the enduring challenges associated with the role of intelligence in a free society."—Parameters

"Analyzing Intelligence is the most comprehensive book on the subject to date—a really valuable treatment for those anticipating becoming an intelligence analyst, as well as for those who already are."—Studies in Intelligence

"Law and policy recognize that intelligence is the strategic pivot of the current fight [against terrorism], so readers of Proceedings who seek a deeper understanding of how we might wage war more effectively should put Analyzing Intelligence at the top of their reading list."—Proceedings

"This impressive collection is unrivaled. It is the most comprehensive survey and investigation of the role, challenges, and quality of intelligence analysis, and its topical organization gets far past the basics and into the subtle aspects of the business."—Richard K. Betts, director of the Arnold A. Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies, Columbia University

"This could be the Rosetta stone for understanding the role of analysis in producing intelligence. Much has been written about intelligence failures, from Pearl Harbor to Iraq WMD, but relatively little has been written about how to reduce the risk of repeating those failures. This comprehensive unblinking collection, by many of the most authoritative experts in the profession, with virtually seamless editing by Roger George and James Bruce, is the most important addition to the literature in a generation. Sherman Kent would be proud!"—Senator Charles S. Robb, co-chairman of the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction

"In Analyzing Intelligence, a distinguished and highly experienced group of experts offers penetrating insights into issues of intelligence analysis. Invaluable for the practitioner, the volume also clarifies the pitfalls and potential of intelligence for anyone interested in the subject."—Paul R. Pillar, professor of security studies, Georgetown University and former senior CIA official

"Intelligence analysts are accused of failing to connect the dots related to 9/11 and connecting the wrong dots related to Iraq. This important work provides the better understanding of analysis that is crucial for getting it right."—Joseph S. Nye Jr., Harvard University and author of The Powers to Lead

"At last…a comprehensive compendium of thought and insights on the profession of analysis! George and Bruce have provided us with the objective 'secret sauce' that helps separate the job of intelligence analyst from newsman or journalist; including why analytic cultural reform is so difficult. This is a must read for anyone interested in intelligence reform, analytic transformation, and for the fifty percent of the intelligence community analysts with less than five years experience."—Timothy R. Sample, President, Intelligence and National Security Alliance and former Staff Director, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

"The most wide-ranging introduction to the vital craft of American intelligence analysis that has ever been published for the general audience of peers, scholars, and students. As editors, George and Bruce both exemplify and advance the professional standards they preach. Readers will find plenty of healthy self-criticism and recognition of problems. Yet readers may end up questioning some preconceptions of their own as they encounter essays that knock down some caricatures and corrosive myths that too often dominate contemporary discussion of intelligence issues."—Philip Zelikow, White Burkett Miller Professor of History, University of Virginia, and former executive director or the 9/11 Commission

"Analyzing Intelligence offers a sophisticated overview of the history, performance, and practice of intelligence analysis. The contributors explore why good analysis is extraordinarily difficult and how changing threats, technologies, and expectations are shaping the intelligence profession."—James J. Wirtz, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California