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HomeShop at BookSurgeBiblesOther TranslationsSkating on the Edge: A Memoir and Journey through a Metamorphosis of the CIA |
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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 3 customer reviews )
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2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Excellent Skate! Jan 09, 2007
By Joan D. Lewis
Thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Luria's journal. Has a great ability to hold your attention and bring you with him on his jouney through his life in
the CIA and also his time spent in Germany, England and the US. Gave many copies of this book to family and friends as Christmas gifts and have received very good reviews. Mr. Carlos Luria has a special ability to tell stories.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
A Memoir to read more than once May 16, 2010
By Photo Bug
This is a simply wonderful memoir of a man who had a career and has a life that most of us could not help but envy. It is written in a style that makes it easy and most enjoyable to read, not once, not twice, but several times. The author spent his entire work career in service to us as a CIA agent doing the hard and sometimes dangerous work that contributed to the safety of the nation; however the story of his life, spanning Germany, England and the United States is presented factually, without the self-aggrandizement which I have read in similar works. I found that it takes several readings to get the most out of the story and each reading left me with a greater sense of satisfaction than before.
I highly recommended it as a work that throws some light on the inner workings of the CIA, with special appeal to those who enjoy real life spy stories; also it will have strong appeal to those who simply enjoy reading about unusual life experiences, including some unhappy ones. Keep in mind the book could not have been published without the prior review of the CIA, so one can be sure it is factual.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
A keen edge! Feb 21, 2007
By Marcia Wallenius
Mixing humor, shock, and sorrow in a memoir format, Carlos Luria's Skating on the Edge held our attention from beginning to end and had us on the "Edge" of our chairs. The author weaves his personal and family struggles into the account of actual incidents of the successes and failures of the CIA in which he served. His respect for that agency is evident in the writing. But that does not dull the edge of his insightful criticism of the metamorphosis of intelligence collection following the cold war in which human intelligence collection activities were overshadowed by reliance on remote technology-based systems. He blames this policy transition for the intelligence failures leading up to the 9-11 disaster. From the hilarious recounting of his own training and that of others to the shocking revelation of the undetected existence of armed nuclear missiles in a part of Cuba missed by U-2 surveillance, Mr. Luria succeeds in sharing his life experiences in an attention grabbing manner. And there is plenty of between-the-lines inference to stoke the reader's curiosity. For example, what was behind the decision to replace much of the human intelligence gathering program with expensive technology? But alas, it is a memoir and, as such, it's a great read.
Marcia and Ted Wallenius, Summit Book Club
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