Born to Spy: Recollections of a CIA Officer [VINTAGE 2004] [SIGNED]

Goodrich, Austin

Published by iUniverse, Inc., Lincoln, Nebraska, 2004

About this Item

Fine unread condition glossy color illustrated softcover wraps. Includes Author Dedication and Preface. A 1 1/2 inch oval yellow sticker is affixed to the front cover which states in red letters: "This Book Signed by Author". Signed, inscribed, and dated (9-14-04) by the author, Austin Goodrich, with thin black ink on the title page. "A singular journey from middle-American innocence into the arcane world of Cold War intrigue where communists were recruited to reveal their masters' plans and capabilities." - from the rear outer cover. "A dedicated officer with an enviable record of recruitments, [Austin Goodrich] met each challenge with a high degree of skill, initiative and sound judgment." - President George H.W. Bush "In 1992, CBS 60 Minutes Commentator Andy Rooney characterized those who work in the Central Intelligence Agency as "maladjusted, double-dealing misfits who can't make a living at anything else." Other pundits have been equally harsh in their assessment of members of a free, democrtatic society who voluntarily choose to work in the dark alleys of international politics. Members of the world's second oldest profession are pilloried for their failures while their contributions to national security and often their identities are necessarily shrouded in a blanket of secrecy. The Book of Honor at CIA headquarters lists the names of twenty-nine male and female officers killed in line of duty , while forty others are honored anonymously by a black star. Why would anyone who grew up in an avarage law-abiding Congregationalist middle-class family in the mid-west, mid-way between two world wars choose to become an intelligence officer? Why would anyone want to qualify as a misfit by joining a profession popularly regarded as shady if not downright immoral? Could it be that I was unwittingly exposed to some form of physical, psychological, or substance abuse to which my presumably skewed personality could be attributed? Not likely. We children of the Great Depression were players on a stage both too small for victims and too large to muffle the laughter that dried tears from our eyes. Moreover, learned shrinks tell us that a childhood shared with love-bonded siblings improves one's mental health in the golden years. I like to think that this validates my claim to adult sanity. This conclusion may be brought into question, however, in the ensuing pages that set the stage for my unlikely journey from middle-American innocence to the arcane world of espionage." - from the Preface. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: "Retired CIA case officer Austin Goodrich chronicles his life from his formative years during the Great Depression in Battle Creek, Michigan, through near-death trauma in World War II, into service in the Central Intelligence Agency during the hottest years of the Cold War. Goodrich recounts the challenges and joys of growing up in an adult-free environment where kids got even with mean neighbors on Halloween, rolled their own cigarettes and swiped materials for their smoke-filled club houses. Motivated by patriotic and religious convictions, Goodrich served his country with distinction that earned him the Intelligence Medal of Merit." - from the rear outer cover.

Seller Inventory # 009190

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Born to Spy: Recollections of a CIA Officer [VINTAGE 2004] [SIGNED]
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc., Lincoln, Nebraska
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: Fine
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)
• Seller catalogs:
  • Signed and Inscribed