Flawed Patriot: The Rise and Fall of CIA Legend Bill Harvey

Flawed Patriot: The Rise and Fall of CIA Legend Bill Harvey

William K. Harvey was the CIAâ€™s most daring and successful field operator during the tense, early days of the Cold War. Extremely intelligent, a dedicated martini drinker, coarse in manner and appearance, both loved and hated, he was larger than life. But just as Harvey reached his zenith, fate and personal flaws caused his swift, dramatic downfall. Bayard Stockton provides a rich portrait of the man, including accounts from Harveyâ€™s family, friends, and former CIA colleagues who have never spoken publicly before.

Harveyâ€™s intelligence career began at the FBI, where he hunted Nazi spies. After running afoul of J. Edgar Hoover, Harvey went to the fledgling CIA in 1947. Harveyâ€™s CIA successes included the unmasking of Soviet spy Kim Philby and masterminding the famous Berlin Tunnel that tapped Russian communications. The pinnacle of Harveyâ€™s career came as chief of both ZR/RIFLE, the agencyâ€™s political assassination operation, and Task Force W, the group targeted on Cuba. But Harvey was in constant conflict with Bobby Kennedy, who micromanaged operations against Fidel Castro. Harvey profanely insulted the presidentâ€™s brother during a tense meeting, which led to Harveyâ€™s reassignment to Rome. His alcoholism worsened in Italian exile, and he was forced to retire. He became a nonperson.

However, Harvey resurfaced during Senate hearings in the 1970s. When his supervision of the plots to assassinate Castro was revealed, many labeled Harvey the epitome of CIA excess. Harveyâ€™s continuing friendship with Johnny Rosselli, a Mafia figure who had helped the CIA with Cuban operations, opened further questions as someâ€”most notably Robert Blakey, former chief counsel to the House Subcommittee on Assassinationsâ€”linked Rosselli to JFKâ€™s assassination.

Flawed Patriot cuts through the rumors and inaccuracies surrounding Harvey to show a brilliant but flawed man who was undoubtedly one of the most talented and imaginative officers in the agencyâ€™s storied history.

Country	USA
Author	Bayard Stockton
Binding	Hardcover
Brand	Brand: Potomac Books Inc.
EAN	9781574889901
Feature	Used Book in Good Condition
ISBN	1574889907
Label	Potomac Books Inc.
Manufacturer	Potomac Books Inc.
NumberOfItems	1
NumberOfPages	376
PublicationDate	2006-11-21
Publisher	Potomac Books Inc.
Studio	Potomac Books Inc.
ReleaseDate	0000-00-00

Flawed Patriot: The Rise and Fall of CIA Legend Bill Harvey

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