Thorndike Press Large Print: The Good Spy

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Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Kai Bird offers a compelling portrait of a pivotal CIA operative whose life and death significantly impacted U.S.-Arab relations. On April 18, 1983, a bomb outside the American Embassy in Beirut killed 63 people, marking a turning point in geopolitical dynamics and eliminating Robert Ames, America's most influential intelligence officer in the Middle East. Unlike his peers who relied on threats, Ames excelled in forming deep connections with key Arab figures, notably Ali Hassan Salameh, Yasir Arafat's intelligence chief. Their relationship held the promise of lasting peace, but both men were assassinated, leading to deteriorating U.S.-Arab relations that contributed to events like 9/11 and the War on Terror. Bird, who lived in the Beirut Embassy and knew Ames as a child, spent years researching this narrative. The book draws from interviews with Ames' widow, private letters, and insights from numerous intelligence officers involved in Middle Eastern affairs. It presents a masterful account of Ames' career, an insightful history of 20th-century Middle Eastern conflict, and a detailed examination of the Beirut bombing. Bird also reveals the shocking truth about the mastermind behind the attack, showcasing his investigative prowess.