Description
The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA
The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA is a nonfiction history by Liza Mundy, the bestselling author of Code Girls. It tells the story of three generations of women who shaped the Central Intelligence Agency, from its founding after World War II to the hunt for Osama bin Laden.
What the book is about
The CIA relied on women even as it attempted to channel their talents and keep them down. Women who began as clerks, secretaries, or unpaid spouses rose to become some of the CIA’s shrewdest operatives.
Mundy follows this “sisterhood” across seven decades:
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The Cold War era. Female officers were seen as unimportant, so they moved unnoticed around Bonn, Geneva, and Moscow, stealing secrets from under the noses of their KGB adversaries.
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Headquarters. Women built the CIA’s critical archives—first by hand, then by computer.
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The 1990s. A close-knit network of female analysts spotted the rising threat of al-Qaeda—though their warnings were repeatedly brushed aside. These analysts included Cindy Storer, who as a senior analyst in 1992 was the first at the CIA to realize that Osama bin Laden should be considered a serious threat.
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After 9/11. The new role of targeter gained prominence, and that data-driven work culminated spectacularly in the CIA’s successful effort to track down bin Laden in his Pakistani compound.
Why readers trust it
Mundy draws on more than 100 interviews, published histories, academic articles, declassified documents and personal writings. The account is balanced, not celebratory. Publishers Weekly noted that her evenhanded account tracks how women’s growing influence led to increased opportunities for abuses of power, including the post-9/11 enhanced interrogation program.
Who this book is for
- Readers who loved Code Girls, The Radium Girls, or Hidden Figures
- Fans of espionage history, Cold War nonfiction, and true spy stories
- Anyone interested in women’s history, workplace equality, or national security
- Book clubs looking for a discussion-rich nonfiction pick
| Title |
The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA |
| Author |
Liza Mundy |
| Publisher |
Crown (Penguin Random House) |
| Publication date |
October 2023 |
| Format |
Hardcover |
| Pages |
480 |
| ISBN-13 |
978-0-593-23817-2 |
| Extras |
16 pages of photographs, bibliography, index |
| Genre |
Nonfiction, History, Espionage, Women’s History |
