"The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is one of the most fascinating yet least understood intelligence-gathering organizations in the world, and much of its inner workings remains classified. The mere mention of the CIA evokes images of covert agents operating under a veil of secrecy in remote regions of the world. However, only a small fraction of the thousands of CIA employees serve at the clandestine tip of the agency's spear." "Encyclopedia of the Central Intelligence Agency is the first single-volume, A-Z reference to this mysterious, complex, and often misunderstood branch of the U.S. government. The ultimate resource for both the casual reader and the researcher, this comprehensive encyclopedia provides detailed descriptions and definitions of key CIA terms, players, equipment, operations, and parallel organizations. It also discusses perceptions of the agency in popular culture. A one-stop resource, it contains an introduction, four informative appendixes, and an extensive bibliography."--BOOK JACKET.
Includes bibliographical references.