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Surprise, Kill, Vanish: The Secret History of CIA Paramilitary Armies, Operators, and AssassinsFrom Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen, the untold USA Today bestselling story of the CIA's secret paramilitary units. Surprise . . . your target. Kill . . . your enemy. Vanish . . . without a trace. When diplomacy fails, and war is unwise, the president calls on the CIA's Special Activities Division, a highly classified branch of the CIA and the most effective, black operations force in the world. Originally known as the president's guerrilla
From Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen, the untold USA Today bestselling story of the CIA's secret paramilitary units.Surprise . . . your target. Kill . . . your enemy. Vanish . . . without a trace.
When diplomacy fails, and war is unwise, the president calls on the CIA's Special Activities Division, a highly-classified branch of the CIA and the most effective, black operations force in the world.
Originally known as the president's guerrilla warfare corps, SAD conducts risky and ruthless operations that have evolved over time to defend America from its enemies. Almost every American president since World War II has asked the CIA to conduct sabotage, subversion and, yes, assassination.
With unprecedented access to forty-two men and women who proudly and secretly worked on CIA covert operations from the dawn of the Cold War to the present day, along with declassified documents and deep historical research, Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen unveils -- like never before -- a complex world of individuals working in treacherous environments populated with killers, connivers, and saboteurs.
Despite Hollywood notions of off-book operations and external secret hires, covert action is actually one piece in a colossal foreign policy machine.
Written with the pacing of a thriller, Surprise, Kill, Vanish brings to vivid life the sheer pandemonium and chaos, as well as the unforgettable human will to survive and the intellectual challenge of not giving up hope that define paramilitary and intelligence work. Jacobsen's exclusive interviews -- with members of the CIA's Senior Intelligence Service (equivalent to the Pentagon's generals), its counterterrorism chiefs, targeting officers, and Special Activities Division's Ground Branch operators who conduct today's close-quarters killing operations around the world -- reveal, for the first time, the enormity of this shocking, controversial, and morally complex terrain. Is the CIA's paramilitary army America's weaponized strength, or a liability to its principled standing in the world? Every operation reported in this book, however unsettling, is legal.
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Published: 07/07/2020
ISBN: 9780316441421
Pages: 560
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.40w x 1.60d
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4.1 ★★★★★
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 5
Great gift for any newly engaged couple
Format: Hardcover
Best gift for newly engaged couples
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Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2026
★★★★★ 4
A fundamental message for preparing the heart, mind and body
Format: Hardcover
"Preparing your heart for marriage: Devotions for Engaged couples" is a great devotional that should be used by certain couples who follow a certain type of Christian spirituality to help prepare for married life.
As the author Gary Thomas stresses, marriage is an entirely different ballgame from dating. No matter how long (or how short) you've been dating your beloved, living with them and learning how their personality works in daily marriage life is the key. These are 30 pre-marriage devotionals that do not require a Biblical reading with them, and have questions for reflections at the end. First, the pluses of this book. The black and white pictures and the layout of the book is just gorgeous. This is a perfect gift for a couple who has just been engaged. The preparation for marriage is realistic. This book deals with myths regarding a perfect marriage are, what communication is and how to continue to learn to love the other person even when times are tough (it's called taking your marital vows seriously).
Now, the issues I have with the book. There is a big emphasis on being sexually pure before marriage. A lot of people will like this approach. However, some of the most religious people I know don't believe in this anymore, and feel this is a lesser sin. Some people who might be open to Christianity might be turned off by the heavy handiness of this subject in this work. This is a very Southern Baptist approach to sexuality. When I read about the author's credentials (teacher and writer in residence at the Second Baptist Church in Houston, TX which is one of the largest fundamental churches in Tx) I was not surprised by his approach. While I understand this approach and there are scriptural references to this approach, it may not be appealing to those questioning the validity of Christianity or to those who are interested in exploring becoming a Christian.
Overall, this is a good gift. My Husband and I are an old married couple by now, and we enjoyed the book together and read it in one sitting, discussing the questions at the end. I think this can be used by older married couples. (We decided to revisit our courting days and asked some of the questions at the end of each devotional in past tense). I note the author seems to have devotionals for married couples and has written 18 other Christian oriented relationship books as of this writing. This is good for engaged or newly married couples who have a fundamental bent, or who are willing to either skip the sexual purity chapters or discuss the importance of sexuality in their present married/engaged life.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2019
★★★★★ 5
Perfect
Format: Hardcover
Very Satisfied! Bought as a small engagement party gift!
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Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2025
★★★★★ 5
Best book I have ever read
Format: Hardcover
This book has been so helpful with bringing God more into my relationship! It is wonderful for setting goals and guidance on how marriage is and should be! I can’t wait to read his other books
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Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2024
★★★★★ 5
Perfect for couples
Format: Hardcover
Bought this for my fiance and I do be able to have some deeper conversations about what to expect come marriage and be able to include God in those talks prior to our wedding
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Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2024