Spies and Spooks: The (Mis)Adventures of the CIA

Allen Dulles may have been the fifth director of the CIA but he served in
that office longer than any other person (1953-1961) and, more importantly,
had the most important historical link with
Bettmann / CORBIS

The Archetypal Director of Central Intelligence
Allen Dulles may have been the fifth director of the CIA, but he served in that office longer than any other person (1953-61) and had the most important historical link to "Wild Bill" Donovan. He had worked with the OSS chief in recruiting German scientists and military experts to work for the U.S., eliding any Nazi membership to sneak them into the country. Dulles' tenure helped shape the CIA into the spy agency of contemporary legend: covert manipulator, state within a state, overthrower of unfriendly governments.

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