by Antonio J. Mendez and Jonna Mendez
Introduction. The Moscow
Rules: The Secret CIA Tactics That Helped America Win the Cold War is co-authored
by Antonio J. Mendez and Jonna Mendez, following the conclusion of their
successful careers working as operatives for the CIA, and who later went on to
get married. The book was published in
2019 and offers a first-hand account of the evolution of the CIA rules and
tactics which enabled the United States to remain one step ahead of the
ever-vigilant KGB in Moscow, Russia during the height of the Cold War.
Analysis. Any resilient organization will constantly
adapt to changing circumstances to retain its vitality: this book
commensurately captures the CIA’s ability to do precisely this, at a time when
vitality in intelligence gathering was the sine qua non of the Cold War. Antonio describes his experience working in
the Office of Technical Services, in which he and his team were responsible for
developing the tools and devices that the CIA field operatives used in the line
of duty. These products could range anywhere
from counterfeit library logbooks to identity alteration facemasks. Meanwhile, Jonna augments the text with her
anecdotes as a field officer, talking about her exhilarating experiences using
the very devices Antonio designed for her to use on the streets of Moscow. The over-arching theme of the book relays the
importance of critical thinking, objective analysis of systems/procedures, and
the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
Evaluation. I wholeheartedly agree with the theme of the
book and was relieved to see the value derived from the application of the aforementioned
principles in a real-world success story.
The CIA managed to (barely, at times) remain one step ahead of the KGB,
in the KGB’s backyard, and delivered the vital information the President needed
to defeat Russia and end the Cold War. In
addition to winning the Cold War and cementing Liberal Democracy as the
reigning supreme system of governance for another few decades, the CIA also
developed its tactics in executing clandestine operations to the point where
field agents rival even magicians with their sleight of hand and misdirection
techniques.
Conclusion. All in all, the authors plainly deliver a
thorough, first-hand account of the CIA’s adaptiveness in the Cold War. I recommend this book to any reader who is
interested in clandestine operations and/or learning more about the intense
information battle between the CIA and the KGB in Moscow.