Douglas Waller — The Determined Spy

<p></p><p>Frank Wisner was one of the most powerful men in 1950s Washington, though few knew it. Reporting directly to senior U.S. officials--his work largely hidden from Congress and the public-- Wisner masterminded some of the CIA's most daring and controversial operations in the early years of the Cold War, commanding thousands of clandestine agents around the world.</p><p>Following an early career marked by exciting escapades as a key World War II spy under General William &quot;Wild Bill&quot; Donovan, Wisner quickly rose through the postwar intelligence ranks to lead a newly created top-secret unit tasked--under little oversight--with overseeing massive propaganda, economic warfare, sabotage, subversion, and guerrilla operations all over the world, including such daring initiatives as the CIA-backed coups in Iran and Guatemala.</p><p>But simultaneously, Wisner faced a demon few at the time understood: bipolar disorder. When this debilitating disease resulted in his breakdown and transfer to a mental hospital, the repercussions were felt throughout Washington's highest levels of power.</p><p>Waller's sensitive and exhaustively researched biography is the riveting story of both Frank Wisner as a national figure who inspired a cadre of future CIA secret warriors, and also an intimate and empathetic portrait of a man whose harrowing struggle with bipolar disorder makes his impressive accomplishments on the world stage even more remarkable.</p><p><br /></p><p>PURCHASE BOOK HERE: https://politics-prose.com/book/9780593184424?ic_referral=c8_7HEw0TLkvS1YkMOzZSZo5Jb3Ff1WHnNHPG5Ao1lYwM33Iay31B-j2x8CFqZJXSC4p4RnPa8BBs3kOZFj9ZCUUNHATJt3lqlgTsch-aZ54nZlx-DLz5r7__J9ZgzBWxhRWcg</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Douglas Waller</strong> is a former correspondent for <em>Newsweek </em>and <em>Time</em>, where he covered the CIA, Pentagon, State Department, White House, and Congress. He has authored seven books on the military and intelligence, including the <em>New York Times</em> bestseller <em>Wild Bill Donovan</em>. Waller lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his wife, Judy.</p><p>*recorded 4/11/2025</p>