Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent | 
 enlarge | Author: Fred Burton
Publisher: Random House
Category: Book
List Price: $26.00
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Avg. Customer Rating:  39 reviews
Sales Rank: 6699
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9.4 x 5.9 x 1.4
ISBN: 1400065690
Dewey Decimal Number: 363.28
EAN: 9781400065691
ASIN: 1400065690
Publication Date: June 3, 2008
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Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New. 100% money back guarantee. All books shipped from Strand Bookstore, New York City, USA.
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Product Description
For decades, Fred Burton, a key figure in international counterterrorism and domestic spycraft, has secretly been on the front lines in the fight to keep Americans safe around the world. Now, in this hard-hitting memoir, Burton emerges from the shadows to reveal who he is, what he has accomplished, and the threats that lurk unseen except by an experienced, world-wise few.
In the mid-eighties, the idea of defending Americans against terrorism was still new. But a trio of suicide bombings in Beirut–including one that killed 241 marines and forced our exit from Lebanon–had changed the mindset and mission of the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), the arm of the State Department that protects U.S. embassy officials across the globe. Burton, a member of DSS’s tiny but elite Counterterrorism Division, was plunged into a murky world of violent religious extremism spanning the streets of Middle Eastern cities and the informant-filled alleys of American slums. From battling Libyan terrorists and their Palestinian surrogates to having facing down hijackers, hostages, and Hezbollah double agents, Burton found himself on the front lines of America’s first campaign against Terror.
In this globe-trotting account of one counterterrorism agent’s life and career, Burton takes us behind the scenes to reveal how the United States tracked Libya-linked master terrorist Abu Nidal; captured Ramzi Yusef, architect of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; and pursued the assassins of major figures including Yitzhak Rabin, Meir Kahane, and General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, the president of Pakistan–classic cases that have sobering new meaning in the treacherous years since 9/11. Here, too, is Burton’s advice on personal safety for today’s most powerful CEOs, gleaned from his experience at Stratfor, the private firm Barron’s calls “the shadow CIA.”
Told in a no-holds-barred, gripping, nuanced style that illuminates a complex and driven man, Ghost is both a riveting read and an illuminating look into the shadows of the most important struggle of our time.
Praise for GHOST
“With spy thriller suspense and the clarity of a police report, former special agent Burton’s State Department saga reads like a brewing-storm prequel to the current war on terror ... Of obvious interest to anyone with an eye on world affairs.... Most striking is the material’s relevance twenty years later; Burton’s clashes with Hezbollah in Beirut and prickly diplomacy with Iran could almost be pulled from present-day newspapers”—Publisher's Weekly
“In many ways, this book reads like a le Carre spy novel: it’s not flashy, not filled with pyrotechnics, not full of chase scenes and derring-do. Rather, it’s the story of a working man whose job involved trying to prevent people from attacking his country. Shorn of ideological rights and wrongs, it’s a fascinating look at what counterterrorism really means on a day-to-day level.” —Booklist
“The world of counterterrorism is like that old jigsaw puzzle in the back of the closet: its many missing pieces and extra parts jumbled in from other puzzles make it almost impossible to assemble. But in Ghost, Fred Burton manages to join together enough pieces to give us a discerning look at that world. This is a story, told in human terms, that will help make sense of the great puzzle of our times.” —Eric L. Haney, author of Inside Delta Force and executive producer of The Unit
“Burton’s memoir of fighting the defensive fight against the burgeoning terrorist threat in the 1980s and beyond is a revealing personal journal of the stress and boredom involved in putting the pieces of the puzzle together to obtain justice. Fred Burton was there, and you will be as well.” —Bobby R. Inman, admiral, United States Navy (retired), former director of National Security Agency and former deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency
"This memoir is all at once hard-hitting, well-researched, and an easy read. Organized into thirty-six chapters, with thoughtfully-placed transitions between each, Ghost becomes ones of those books that is easy to put down and return to in a few days." —SmallWars Journal.com
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| Customer Reviews: Read 34 more reviews...
 Spooked by Ghost! August 13, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I found this book hard to put down. The pages turned rapidly as I gleaned behind the scenes insights into events to which I had been exposed to via electronic and print media in the past. As I put down the completed book, I experienced two strong feelings: 1. I am very glad that I was able to experience a microscopic view into the activities of people working behind the scenes, with little or no publicity, to protect our nation all hours of all days 2. I am concerned that our intelligence community may still be hindering itself through a lack of cooperation between the various agencies; even with the advent of Homeland Security. I highly recommend this book to all concerned citizens.
As an aside, I wouldn't be at all surprised if this book becomes a successful movie.
 An excellent read. July 30, 2008
The story behind the headlines. A great account of the hidden war being fought by our intelligence people to keep the bad guys off balance. It is hard to put down as I imagine I will miss something. Very gripping, gritty stuff. These stories are real. An account of some very brave people who do a dangerous and dirty job so we can sleep safely at night.
A COMPELLING PERSONAL STORY!!! July 27, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In this intense, fast-paced memoir, Fred Burton has revealed his day to day struggles to keep our country safe from terrorists. He's done a masterful job of letting us understand how he thinks and what motivates him to keep going, despite unbelieveable chaos and stress. His courage and patriotism make this an important read for all Americans!
Great Book about the War on Terror July 25, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent by Fred Burton is a great read about the sacrifices that the brave men and women waging the war on terror make on a daily basis. Burton is an expert in the field of counter-terrorism and reading his book is like taking an advanced class on the subject. Sadly, there still seems to exist the lack of teamwork amongst the agencies that are so needed to work together. Hopefully, with works like this readable book by Burton, people will wake up and realize the need to focus on the issues and not worry about obtaining glory or credit for stopping the threats that exist.
Burton is a hero and we should all thank him for the dedication and commitment he has shown to this country. A four star read. Enjoyable, informative, and scary.
Captivating first-person account July 18, 2008
Mr. Burton does a bang up job of putting the reader right in the action as he chronicles his experiences with the State Dept's Diplomatic Security Service. The reader gets a front row seat at what was going on inside the Beltway and behind the scenes during some of the most critical events impacting US and international security. A low-threat, but riveting read for anyone interested in national security affairs.
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