Book cover of Agents of Innocence

Book description

Agents of Innocence is the book that established David Ignatius's reputation as a master of the novel of contemporary espionage. Into the treacherous world of shifting alliances and arcane subterfuge comes idealistic CIA man Tom Rogers. Posted in Beirut to penetrate the PLO and recruit a high-level operative, he soon…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Agents of Innocence as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This book is set in Lebanon during the 1970s when tradition, an etiquette of secrets, and shifting alliances were the norm.

The story is compelling because it captures the Middle East before it was transformed by decades of conflict and political turmoil. CIA officer Tom Rodgers is a better Bond, relying on wit and intelligence instead of gadgetry. He’s a spy’s spy in a novel rich with intrigue, tradecraft, and human insight.

I hope you love it as much as I do.

Washington Post national security reporter Ignatius may not know the world of espionage better than anyone, but he writes about it better than anyone. Agents of Innocence is such a realistic and engaging depiction of the life of a CIA case officer that a copy of it is left in the room of each new arrival at Camp Peary, the CIA training facility. It’s about an idealistic young CIA officer posted to Beirut to penetrate the PLO, and, in the process, learns hard lessons, not least of which is that once human lives are at stake, idealism takes a back…

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Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

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