Book Review

Author David Priess served during the Clinton and Bush administration as an intelligence officer, manager and daily intelligence briefer at the CIA as well as a desk officer at the Department of State. He earned his PhD in political science from Duke University. 

Recently I read his book: How To Get Rid Of A President which led to The President's Book of Secrets: The Untold Story of Intelligence Briefings to America's Presidents from Kennedy to Obama. 

Every president has had a complicated relationship with the intelligence community.  Some Chief Executives have embraced the intelligence community while some have been distrustful.  Others have been adversarial.  With roots in the Truman and Eisenhower administrations beginning with Kennedy a short summary of what the intelligence apparatus considers the most crucial information for the president to know that day about global threats and opportunities has evolved into a top-secret document which has become known as the President's Daily Brief – or PDB. 

The contents of the PDB are classified so you won’t learn of any secrets in this book.   And, as the author points out, how much difference has the PDB really made? After all, the book left Richard Nixon unprepared for the 1973 October War, failed to predict for Jimmy Carter the Iranian Revolution in 1978-79 and missed the al Qaeda plot that led to the attacks on September 11, 2001, during George W. Bush’s administration. 

This isn’t a quick read as it’s heavy on facts and historical content. If you are presidential history nerd and want to learn more about the evolution of the intelligence services (specifically the CIA) over the last 50 years – this is a good read.