THE CRAFT WE CHOSE My Life in the CIA

Richard "Dick" Holm's memoir of 35 years in the clandestine service includes stories of his paramilitary work with the Hmong in Laos and against the Simbas in the Congo in the mid-1960s as well as more traditional CIA station assignments in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Brussels, and, finally, Paris. His career was punctuated by a plane crash in the Congo followed by a breathtaking rescue and years of reconstructive surgery. Christopher Strong's gravelly baritone presents the narrative clearly and complements Holm's no-nonsense view of the world. However, while Holm was a French-speaking agent, Strong occasionally butchers French names and gives all foreigners the same clipped nasal accent. Otherwise, his performance is engaging and easy to follow. F.C. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2013]