INTELLIGENCE AND SURPRISE ATTACK Failure and Success from Pearl Harbor to 9/11 and Beyond

Political rhetoric makes foreign policy and intelligence gathering seem like simple matters. But listening to Dahl's historical study of the successes and failures of the intelligence community in preventing surprise attacks presents a more nuanced and informed view of the difficulties experienced by the people who are struggling to protect national security. John Gully's narration is generally clear and serious, as befits this topic. While his delivery is marred by a few mispronunciations and drop-offs in volume, overall, Gully helps the listener keep track of the book's numerous locations and principals. However, his enunciation is almost too steady, with little change in tempo or intonation regardless of the chronicled event. Perhaps too academic for casual listeners, this may appeal to students of history, intelligence, or foreign policy. One hopes that Dahl's conclusions will have significant impact on policymakers. M.L.R. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2016]