The CIA in Hollywood

Abstract

This book was a pleasure to research and write, largely because I got to interact with so many interesting people. These include former CIA directors of public affairs Kent Harrington and Bill Harlow; current and retired CIA employees like Paula Weiss, Paul Barry, Robert Baer, Antonio and Jonna Mendez, John Strauchs, Nicholas Dujmovic, and Peter Ernest; and several entertainment professionals, including Michael Sands, Michael Frost Beckner, Jack Myers, David Houle, Bazzel Baz, James Grady, Peter Iliff, Matt Corman, and Chris Ord. Thanks to each of you for taking the time to answer my questions. This book would not have been possible without your help. Other people also aided my work on this book. I would specifically like to thank Matthew Alford and David Robb, who shared their resources, knowledge, and contacts with me. Nicholas Taylor, Joan McGettigan, Joel Timmer, Benjamin Martinez, Matthew Alford, and David Culbert also read some or all of this book and provided me with useful feedback as I went through the revision process. I would also like to express my appreciation to Sacred Heart University, which provided me with funds to travel to the CIA headquarters to interview Paul Barry in 2008, and to Texas Christian University for giving me a Junior Faculty Research Grant to complete this project. Most important, I would like to thank my husband, Nathanael O’Reilly, for his support and encouragement. He read every word of this book, often more than once, and offered several critical and editorial insights. He also watched more spy films and television series than any one man could reasonably expect to enjoy just so we could talk knowledgably about this topic together. Thank you