• The Ghost

  • The Secret Life of CIA Spymaster James Jesus Angleton
  • By: Jefferson Morley
  • Narrated by: John Pruden
  • Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (461 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Ghost  By  cover art

The Ghost

By: Jefferson Morley
Narrated by: John Pruden
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $25.79

Buy for $25.79

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

From World War II to the Cold War, Angleton operated beyond the view of the public, Congress, and even the president. He unwittingly shared intelligence secrets with Soviet spy Kim Philby, a member of the notorious Cambridge spy ring. He launched mass surveillance by opening the mail of hundreds of thousands of Americans. He abetted a scheme to aid Israel's own nuclear efforts, disregarding US security. He committed perjury and obstructed the JFK assassination investigation. He oversaw a massive spying operation on the antiwar and black nationalist movements and he initiated an obsessive search for communist moles that nearly destroyed the Agency.

In The Ghost, investigative reporter Jefferson Morley tells Angleton's dramatic story, from his friendship with the poet Ezra Pound through the underground gay milieu of mid-century Washington to the Kennedy assassination to the Watergate scandal. From the agency's MKULTRA mind-control experiments to the wars of the Mideast, Angleton wielded far more power than anyone knew. Yet, during his seemingly lawless reign in the CIA, he also proved himself to be a formidable adversary to our nation's enemies, acquiring a mythic stature within the CIA that continues to this day.

©2017 Jefferson Morley (P)2017 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

What listeners say about The Ghost

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    293
  • 4 Stars
    118
  • 3 Stars
    36
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    4
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    277
  • 4 Stars
    79
  • 3 Stars
    29
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    258
  • 4 Stars
    91
  • 3 Stars
    30
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Traitor

Turns out this low life was a traitor. Many of tge political low life's like Dick Cheney

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

More of the truth about the assassination of JFK

It is difficult as for an American, who was a teenager when JFK was assassinated, to comprehend the evil forces that could kill the President of the United States and get away with it! The more the truly evil people who contributed to the unspeakable horror, our nation faced in 1963 are exposed, the more justice, finally prevails.
James Angleton is truly a monster, and I believe he was correct when he said he would be going to hell after he died.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Shining light on an American enigma

What did you like best about this story?

Well written and presented. There's lots of conspiracy fodder here, but presented in a clear-headed way. Jefferson Morley fleshes out one of the most enigmatic figures in the history of spycraft, and lays out how James Angleton infected a nation with his virulent form of Cold War paranoia.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

How much damage can one Bureaucrat Spy commit?

Pretty interesting book that opens the door to the inner workings of the CIA. It took me a while to get into it but James Angleton had his fingers in EVERYTHING and book became more and more compelling One can't help but wonders what secrets he sheltered on Lee Harvey Oswald....

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Narrator is excellent. Story is compelling.

Narrator is excellent. Information is interesting. Makes me want to research certain historical facts brought up in the book. Covers a lot of ground, but is not tedious or overwhelming. Will probably listen to it again soon.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

JFK’s Murder

He and Allen Dulles controlled all the people who were involved in the actual shooting. There were at least three and possibly eight, all from different groups.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Unbiased yet much to be desired …

Expected a bit more detail on his involvement in national and world affairs concerning poisoning and other assassinations.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Secrecy Kills Democracy

Jefferson Morley has dawn every tax payer and citizen a great service through this work. His skill at turning complex research into accessible narrative benefits both the dilettante and expert readers alike.

If you work in government or politics, this is mandatory reading. I wish it was available 30 years ago when I started my career.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This is a well written story of a fascinating man

This is a well written story of a fascinating man. Morley exposes crimes against the country but puts the man in context both personal and historical.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
  • PC
  • 12-17-17

Well-written, effectively organized

A welcome addition to the best books about Angleton and the CIA, with a fair amount of new material about these subjects.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful