The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA

This book “The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA” by Liza Mundy is a well-researched narrative of the crucial roles undertaken by women in the intelligence arena.

The Cold War and, later, the war on terror were conflicts fought in the shadows, a deadly game meant to prevent large-scale conflict. However, there was another battle conducted within the CIA: the struggle of women within the organization who had to fight sexism and discrimination to have their voices heard.

Happy to announce that my new book, “The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA,” will be out in October. Featuring spies, secrets, sacrifices, courage, and critical warnings that should have been heeded. Find out more & pre-order at https://t.co/iYK0Ie8T2L pic.twitter.com/rhbPmcrUO8

— Liza Mundy (@lizamundy) June 14, 2023

The story spans seven decades, from the establishment of the CIA to the assassination of Osama bin Laden. Many highly qualified women applied to serve in the fledgling CIA but those who made it through the grueling selection process usually found themselves shunted into typing and filing jobs.

There was a culture of toxic masculinity in the organization and women were often seen as little more than objects. Nevertheless, some managed to work their ways into field operations.

They proved to be remarkably good at the tradecraft of spying but there was little recognition from superiors. At the same time, women were doing critical tasks in intelligence analysis and this group stepped into a new role when the threat of terrorism emerged. It required interpreting scraps of information, from financial transactions to the movement of dangerous radicals.

Few people in the senior echelons of the CIA, however, were interested in their reports on Islamic militants. After 9/11, there were attempts to elbow the women out of the picture but they managed to continue their work, eventually tracking down bin Laden. The author is able to keep the sprawling narrative and huge cast on track, drawing on interviews and declassified records. The result is a vivid, compelling, and important book.