The Spy and the State

A novel and comprehensive narrative of American intelligence from the Revolutionary War to the present day.

Intelligence is all around us. We read about it in the news, wonder who is spying on us through our phones or computers, and want to know what is happening in the shadows. The US Intelligence Community or IC, as insiders call it, is more powerful than ever, but also more vulnerable than it has been in decades. It is facing the threat of rival intelligence services from countries like Russia and China while fighting to keep up with new technology and the private sector. Still, the IC's greatest struggle is always with the American people, who expect it to keep the country safe but not at the cost of their liberty.

Arriving on the fiftieth anniversary of the "Year of Intelligence," The Spy and the State tells the complete history of American intelligence from the Revolutionary War to the present day. Based on original research and a new interpretation of US history, this masterful book by Jeffrey Rogg explores the origins and evolution of intelligence in America, including its overlooked role in some of the key events that shaped the nation. Along the way, Rogg identifies the historical underpinnings of intelligence controversies that have shaken the country to its constitutional foundations and have resurfaced in recent years. Moving beyond institutional histories of the FBI and CIA, he introduces the concept of US civil-intelligence relations to explain the interaction between intelligence and the society it serves.

While answering questions from the past, The Spy and the State poses new questions for the future that the United States must confront as intelligence gains ever greater importance in the twenty-first century.