Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA

· Blackstone Audio Inc. · Narrated by Stefan Rudnicki
6 reviews
Audiobook
21 hr 37 min
Unabridged
Eligible
Want a free 2 hr 9 min sample? Listen anytime, even offline. 
Add

About this audiobook

This is the book the CIA does not want you to read. For over sixty years, the CIA has maintained a formidable reputation in spite of its terrible record, never disclosing its blunders to the American public. It spun its own truth to the nation while reality lay buried in classified archives. Now, Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times reporter Tim Weiner offers a stunning indictment of the CIA, a deeply flawed organization that has never deserved America’s confidence.

Legacy of Ashes is based on more than fifty thousand documents, primarily from the archives of the CIA. Everything is on the record. There are no anonymous sources, no blind quotations. With shocking revelations that will make headlines, Tim Weiner gets at the truth and tells how the CIA’s failures have profoundly jeopardized our national security.

This is the book the CIA does not want you to read. For over sixty years, the CIA has maintained a formidable reputation in spite of its terrible record, never disclosing its blunders to the American public. It spun its own truth to the nation while reality lay buried in classified archives. Now,...

Discover more

Ratings and reviews

6 reviews
Sean Dobson
September 16, 2022
Great look into the keystone cop history of clowns in America. Unfortunately, it doesn't dive deep enough into operations that fundamentally shaped the US geopolitical landscape of today. No insight into operations Paperclip, MKUltra, Chaos, Northwoods, and only a perfunctory glossing of operations AJAX, and Phoenix project. No real mention of the infiltration of corporate media and Hollywood by CIA, or our elected government. Nonetheless, this work paints a vivid picture as to why citizens should always question the Intel used to sell us on wars abroad, and to hopefully wake the populace up to the need for America to clean up it's own backyard.
Did you find this helpful?
Scotty Norris
September 22, 2025
the book is well written but conveniently ignors any success the CIA has ever had and only talks about the failures of this organization. You get the feeling that the author wrote this book with the intent to defame the organization, purposefully focusing solely on its failures.
Did you find this helpful?
Josh
August 8, 2022
quite an eye opening performance appraisal of the CIA. very interesting book
Did you find this helpful?

About the author

Tim Weiner has won the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting and writing on secret intelligence and national security. As a correspondent for The New York Times, he covered the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington and terrorism in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Sudan, and other nations. Enemies is his fourth book. His Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA won the National Book Award and was acclaimed as one of the year’s best books by The New York Times, The Economist, The Washington Post, Time, and many other publications. The Wall Street Journal called Betrayal “the best book ever written on a case of espionage.” He is now working on a history of the American military.

Stefan Rudnicki first became involved with audiobooks in 1994. Now a Grammy-winning audiobook producer, he has worked on more than five thousand audiobooks as a narrator, writer, producer, or director. He has narrated more than nine hundred audiobooks. A recipient of multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards, he was presented the coveted Audie Award for solo narration in 2005, 2007, and 2014, and was named one of AudioFile’s Golden Voices in 2012.

Tim Weiner has won the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting and writing on secret intelligence and national security. As a correspondent for The New York Times, he covered the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington and terrorism in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Sudan, and other nations. Enemies is hi...

Rate this audiobook

Tell us what you think.

Listening information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.

More by Tim Weiner

Similar audiobooks

Narrated by Stefan Rudnicki