The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century – A Gripping Revelatory History of the Modern CIA Based on Unprecedented Access to Six Former Directors

Tim Weiner's account of the CIA in the 21st century draws on on-the-record interviews with six former CIA directors, station chiefs, and operations officers. The book traces the agency's history from 9/11 through its covert operations in Afghanistan and Iraq to present-day intelligence work involving Russia and China. At the turn of the century, the CIA faced a crisis following the Cold War's end. Overseas stations had been shuttered or severely reduced, and many countries lost intelligence coverage. Officers worked with outdated technology, struggling to process vast amounts of information. After September 11th, 2001, the CIA transformed into a paramilitary force, running secret prisons, conducting interrogations, and launching drone strikes while reducing traditional espionage work. This shift had serious consequences: deaths of foreign agents, theft of personnel files by Chinese spies, penetration of computer networks by Russian and American hackers, and the failures in Afghanistan and Iraq. A new generation of intelligence officers now confronts major targets—Moscow, Beijing, Tehran—while facing a president who has criticized the agency. The book describes the CIA's struggle to rebuild espionage capabilities lost during the war on terror and its eventual success in penetrating the Kremlin.