Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying

Great book! The writing was very un-biased, so it was great to read and think about the morality of each mission it mentioned from both sides of the picture.

I bought this book because I meet the author at a party. It does not disappoint. A must read.

This is definitely a “one of a kind” addition to the body of literature on espionage and foreign intelligence. It is well written and easy to read. The author, Mr. Olson provides a degree of authenticity to the book as he himself is a former Agency officer. He is best known as the officer to whom the Marine Corps Spy, Clayton Lonetree confessed. The book is broken into two parts. The first section focuses on the great philosophers and their arguments. It includes everything from the bible, through Machiavelli, to Utilitarianism. The second section contains 50 hypothetical scenarios, each with a moral dilemma. These scenarios run the gamut of using prostitutes, to torture, using academics, seduction, kidnapping, fabricating documents, spying on allies, and so on. Each dilemma is then evaluated by several different people, among whom are intelligence professionals, businessmen, academics, church leaders, and students. The author concludes each scenario with an assessment of what happens in the real world. Since each scenario is short, the reader can move through the book quickly or take frequent stops to ponder each problem. This book provides a thought provoking look at the world of intelligence and is a worthwhile read for anyone in the security business. In fact, this is good reading for anyone in government. All in all, a great book.

Very good book by a career CIA Officer who rose to the top ranks. It is a frank discussion of that life. It clearly sets out ethical dilemmas that give readers insight on difficult ethical decisions with moral consequence and security impact. In this day of “rear view mirror moralists,” it is very timely. It ought to be required reading for those lightly informed who pass judgment on the Agency’s actions.

This book is a real mind twister. If you have ever wanted to look at the world through the eyes of an intelligence officer, this book will walk your through the many moral conflicts that you will have to end up weighing for yourself. Read this book with friends so that you can then discuss the various scenarios that are proposed in the book and debate how you would handle each situation.

Mr Olson informs and challenges our preconceptions on spying and the role of intelligence gathering in today’s world. Highly recommend

Jim Olson is a true patriot. While I was hoping for cloak and dagger spy stories, this book is about what the title says - no subterfuge here. Having said that, I was bored as he wrestled with his theme citing philosophers, some long-gone and others fairly new, quoting their writings, and even scripture, on both sides of the dilemma. I personally side with those who say you gotta do what you gotta do and let the moralists agonize over it. In fairness I thought the scenarios he presented at the end were very good, thought provoking.

Professor Olson is the most engaging professor I have ever known through 13 years of collegiate level training. He is a passionate hero, an amazing story teller, and a gifted discussion leader. Those attributes blend well within his book as he tells the story through his eyes while blending viewpoints from others to create a fascinating text. A wonderful read for scholars, historians, and any student of government service.

I ordered a used book and I’m happy with the choice. It came in very good shape and well packed. :)

A very interesting take on the history of ethics in intelligence gathering. Later on, the scenarios seem plausible and the informed takes on them from industry insiders shows just how nuanced real-life decision making can be. The author included some personal anecdotes along the way to keep interest alive, and avoid diving too much into textbook-mode.

I enjoyed this book. It made me think, hard. While it is written from a US perspective it gave me a moral mental workout as I decided what I would do in various situations and then compared that to the views of various Americans. I am glad that I bought it. I also learnt a lot on how nations spy on each other. So why only 4 stars? Well the book has about 10 pages unprinted, but they are at the back, some on the contributors and part of the index.