On October 6, former CIA director John Brennan will be publishing his powerful and revelatory memoir UNDAUNTED through Celadon Books.
UNDAUNTED:My Fight Against America’s Enemies, At Home and Abroad
ISBN 9781250241771, e-book ISBN 9781250241757
In this brutally honest memoir, Brennan, the son of an Irish immigrant who settled in New Jersey, describes the life that took him from riding a motorcycle and wearing a diamond earring as a young CIA recruit enamored with spy work, to being the most powerful individual in American intelligence. He details his experiences serving under six presidential administrations, three Republicans and three Democrats, and what it’s been like to bear responsibility for some of the nation’s most crucial and polarizing national security decisions.
The powerful and revelatory book begins by describing the events of January 6, 2017, the day Brennan conducted his first and only intelligence briefing for President-elect Donald Trump. Sadly, it was also the day Brennan had to say his final farewell to his father, the man who had taught him the lessons of goodness, integrity, and honor that had shaped the course of an unparalleled career serving his country from within the national security community.
Throughout the book, Brennan pulls back the curtain on the inner workings of the Agency, describing the selfless, patriotic, and invisible work of the women and men involved in national security. He also offers a rare, behind the scenes look at crucial moments in recent US history, including the first Gulf war, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Arab Spring, the hunt for Bin Laden, the CIA’s controversial use of enhanced interrogation techniques, the Obama administration’s drone policy, and when he first discovered Russia’s aggressive efforts to undermine U.S. national security and interference in the 2016 election. He also reflects on the CIA’s role in the U.S. government, examining the insularity, arrogance, and myopia that have, at times, undermined its reputation in the eyes of the American people and of members of Congress.
UNDAUNTED offers a rare and insightful look at the often obscured world of national security, the intelligence profession, and Washington’s chaotic political environment. What emerges is a portrait of a man striving for integrity; for himself, for the CIA, and for his country.