Title

The very best men : four who dared : the early years of the CIA

Description

Research from CIA archives and interviews relate the early history of the CIA and focus on four of the first spymasters--Frank Wisner, Richard Bissell, Tracy Barnes, and Desmond FitzGerald.

Identifier

554951

684810255

Creator

Thomas, Evan

Source

Brian Lamb Booknotes Collection

Gift of Brian Lamb, 2011.

Catalog record

Language

eng

Date

1995

Program air date: December 17, 1995

Publisher

Simon & Schuster

George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections & Archives

Text

Transcription of Annotations
Notes on front endpapers: Why do you think the wives knew what their husbands were doing. Alsop called CIA men "Prudent Professionals", "Bold Easterners." "I signed secrecy agreement" with CIA. Albania, Guatemala, Germany/Russia, Hungary, Cuba. CIA success with the Philippines-Lansdale/Magsaysay. Albania-Kim Philby. Wet affairs. Marshall Plan-run by Bissell. Wisner's "Mighty Wurlitzer." World Propaganda operation. Jean Friendly-Wives Protection Association. Sumner--wives in Maine-Husband's affairs. What's a private memoir-John Bross p. 76. Groton, Yale, St. Mark's, Scroll and Key. 50s Georgetown elite/Sunday night supper club: Tom Braden, Paul Nitze, Joe Alsop, Townsend Hoopes, E. Howard Hunt, Groton-Endicott Peabody, Gene Rostow, McGeorge Bundy, Communist-Cord Meyer, Stew Alsop, Chip Bohlen, Joe McCarthy, Donald Gregg, Richard Helms, Edward Lansdale, William Sloan Coffin. 31/2-3p.m. Underlinings/Notes: Underlinings: Lamb underlines background (family, education, social class) of the four main subjects, as well as their exploits, flaps, inspiration, challenges, and friendships. Notes: "social history," "Susan Mary Alsop," "liberals," "interviewed 66 former CIA officials," "Frank Wisner-shot himself Oct. 29, 1965; Desmond FitzGerald June 1967-heart A. 56 yrs. old; Tracy Barnes Feb. 18, 1972 died of a stroke 61 yrs old; Richard Bissell Feb. 7, 1994 died in sleep," "Back to Wall S. 1946," "Bohlen, Kennan, Alsop, Nitze," "Dinner parties," "covert actions," "1948," "Carmel Offie," " no assassinations," "Philby," "Quonset Huts on the mall," "Barbara Tuchman," "Edward G. Lansdale," "con man," "William Sloan Coffin," "Albania, Philby," "Allen Dulles, Head of CIA," "Allen Dulles many affairs," "diaries of Ciano," "Groton," "Cord Meyer," "Georgetown Sundays," "Kim Roosevelt," "the Middle East," "German Mission," "CIA 1000 men Germany 1954," "20 mil tunnel," "Russian Spy," "real incentive 'money'," "Medical services," "Cubela," "only unattributed quote," "morale ops," "CIA bad publicity," "Alsop party."

Subject

"United States. Central Intelligence Agency--History."

"Intelligence service--United States--History."

Relation

Original Booknotes interview

Rights

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