Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent - Fred Burton

Lots of details, background, and stories - the ugly truth about terrorism

I was very moved by the book, and the stories of how counter-terror work began with just 3 guys in a basement, and all of the difficulties encountered in trying to prepare a sleeping America for a new an ugly enemy.

Fred Burton: Straight laced American

Fred Burton: Straight laced American
First off fantastic book with great insight into the job for the state department. Pretty much just history and nothing post 9/11 but keeping that in your mind while you read it allows you to understand just how much we missed and why.

Fred Burton the author and star of this work is a straight laced American. He is nothing like the rouge 007's of the world and that makes him great in my book. He was not a field agent so that makes it difficult to compare but if you line him up next to Robert Baer, former CIA- Counter Terrorism, you will see they are very different. Burton is a give it all, work is life, patriot and the United States needs more men like him. All and all great book and if you are looking for a true to life James Bond thriller you have come to the wrong place.

NOTE**
Robert Baer is a great American and a Patriot he has served his country well and with distinction. His novel(s) and works of non-fiction are fantastic and somewhat on the lines of a James Bond novel, so if that is what you are looking for, there you go, Enjoy I know I did.

Patriot Confusion

OK. After glancing at the excellent reviews, I probably will continue to read this book. I am giving a rating only because posting the review requires it. In fact, I haven't finished the book. But what caused me to leave the book to see what others thought of it is this:
On page 30, upon Burton's entering the CIA headquarters for the first time, I read "" ... a statue of Nathan Hale, a Revolutionary War spy who went to a British hangman's noose with the immortal words 'Give me liberty or give me death' on his lips."
Give me liberty or give me death? Those are certainly immortal words! Nathan Hale? It's been quite a while since I took American history, but that quote is attributed to Patrick Henry. Hale is remembered for the words "I regret that I have but one life to give to my country."
So what made me pause in my reading - and write this - is that I am perplexed. Did Burton dredge up an inaccurate memory? Worse, might that what is actually written somewhere in the mysterious places of the CIA. Or, finally, is the Random House editor a little deficient in his/her American history, to let this error slip by?
I know, I know, some will same I'm picky. But it's so wrong that it stopped my reading dead in it's tracks. Has that passage caused any other readers at least a short pause?
Well, as I said above, because of the excellent reviews the book has received her, I will return to it and continue my reading.

True American Heroes

Very much enjoyed reading this book, no it is not like a Robert Ludlum or John LeCarre novel. It is a true testament to the real American Heroes who tread into dark and dangerous places and situations that most of us would fear to go. What stands out here is the dedication and patriotism of these men and woman, who, though obviously highly skilled and intelligent choose a life of sacrifice and service over money and fame. They seek to protect the rest of us from horrors that we can barely appreciate, while often suffering the criticism from the ill informed. The big payoff if they are killed in the line of duty is an anonymous gold star on a wall at Langley. I would hope more people read this book if only to understand that it is a dangerous world in which we live, and perhaps, if only for a moment, take a break from American Idol and Monday Night Football to appreciate these American public servants.

Not so hot

This is a fun little book, but it's not much of a "confession" as billed. Burton was a DSS agent with an interesting career, but he was not a big player. Most of his involvement was at a low-level, conducting debriefings, meeting a few informants, and reading lots of cables. He does not document personal involvement in ANY top takedowns, no intelligence "coups" nor any real excitement. In spite of describing his countersurveillance training, his need to wear "tied shoes" to be able to fight, and running through his home neigborhoods watching for tails, he never really makes the bigtime. He does have some decent tips on countersurveillance and terrorist planning and execution cycle, and some interesting inside tidbits, but this is no true "ghost."