Since its inception in 1947, the Central Intelligence Agency has been a powerful player on the world stage, operating largely in the shadows to protect American interests. Pulling back the curtain on the CIA's leadership, Chris Whipple shows how the agency interacts with counterparts in Britain, France, Germany, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Russia. Whipple conducted interviews with nearly every living CIA director—including George Tenet, John Brennan, Leon Panetta, and David Petraeus—and discusses cyberwarfare, attempts by presidents to use the agency for their own ends, strife in the Middle East and Asia, and rogue nuclear threats.