The Mission

EARLY PRAISE FOR THE MISSION

‘No one has opened up the CIA to us like Weiner has, and The Mission deserves to win him a second Pulitzer’

John Simpson, Guardian

‘A riveting, must-read, deeply reported continuation of Weiner’s prize winner, Legacy of Ashes’

Esquire, The Best Books of Summer 2025

‘In 2007, Weiner, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, rankled U.S. spy organizations with Legacy of Ashes, a chronicle of the C.I.A.’s 20th-century failings that won a National Book Award. He’s back with the story of the agency’s evolution since Sept. 11 — a period when American covert services took an increasingly militaristic role in the Middle East and, Weiner contends, pushed the business of war deeper into the dark’

New York Times

‘This masterful new history should be required reading… . Astonishing… . A singular triumph’

Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

‘THE MISSION is a masterwork of storytelling, giving a human face to a secretive institution

Booklist

‘In this triumphant follow-up to Legacy of Ashes, National Book Award winner Weiner continues his history of the CIA… . Chilling… A crucial document of the present times’

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

PRIASE FOR LEGACY OF ASHES

Winner of the National Book Award

This extraordinary story reads like tragedy and thriller. Impeccably sourced, utterly absorbing, dazzling and very, very dark ― Time Out

This racy history reveals the CIA as a secret service to make Smiley weep and Bond howl in horror ― Daily Telegraph

Combines thrilling storytelling with terrifying revelations – Simon Sebag Montefiore ― New Statesman, Books of the Year

Weiner’s riveting history of the CIA contains dozens of jaw-dropping incidents … astonishing ― Evening Standard, Books of the Year

Timely, immensely readable, and highly critical – Mark Bowden, author of ‘Black Hawk Down’

Marvellous … that every quote is also on the record is a testament to his skill – Steve Coll, author of ‘Ghost Wars’

Tim Weiner has won the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on American national security and the National Book Award for Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. At the New York Times, he covered the CIA in Washington and conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and many other nations. Legacy of Ashes was acclaimed as one of the year’s best books by The New York Times, The Economist, The Washington Post, Time, and many other publications. His five other books include the national bestseller Enemies: A History of the FBI. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Kate Doyle, an expert in human rights and freedom of information.