By all means available : memoirs of a life in intelligence, special operations, and strategy Cover Image

By all means available : memoirs of a life in intelligence, special operations, and strategy / Michael G. Vickers.

Summary:

"A vivid narrative of a life in intelligence and special operations, from the Cold War to the war on terror. In 1984, Michael Vickers took charge of the CIA's secret campaign against the Soviets in Afghanistan. Inheriting a strategy aimed at imposing costs on Russia, Vickers transformed the campaign into an all-out effort to help the Afghans win their war. More than any other American, he was responsible for the outcome in Afghanistan that led to the end of the Cold War. In By All Means Available, Vickers recounts his remarkable career, from his days as a Green Beret to his vision for victory in Afghanistan to his role in waging America's war on terror at the highest levels in government. In captivating detail, he depicts his years in Special Forces, revealing how those experiences directly influenced his approach to shaping policy, and offers a deeply informed analysis of the greatest challenges facing America today. This is a riveting and illuminating insider's account of the military and intelligence worlds at every level."-- Provided by publisher.

Record details

ISBN: 1101947705
ISBN: 9781101947708
Physical Description: 559 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), maps ; 25 cm
Publisher: New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2023.
Copyright: ©2023

Content descriptions

General Note:	"This is a Borzoi book"--Title page verso.
Bibliography, etc. Note:	Includes bibliographical references (pages 483-526) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:	Part I: Preparation -- Green Beret ; Special forces Operator and Commander ; Going to war with CIA ; Counterterrorism operations, Operational Certification ; Part II: War with the Red Army -- The Great Commission ; Developing a war-winning strategy ; Critical decisions: March 1985 to January 1986 ; Driving the Soviets out ; "We won" ; Building new intellectual capital ; Part III: War with Al-Qa'ida -- No sanctuary ; Disrupt, dismantle, defeat ; The war beyond the core ; HVT1 ; Neptune's spear ; Af-Pak ; Surge, drawdown, transition, defeat ; Iraq: hidden surge to ISIS ; Part IV: Fighting on multiple fronts -- Counter proliferation ; Counter narco-insurgency ; The battle for the Middle East ; Crisis and change in defense intelligence ; The return of great power competition ; Winning the New Cold War ; Part V: Reflections -- Intelligence, special operations, and strategy ; The long goodbye.