 Encyclopedia of the Central Intelligence Agency | |
| Author | W. Thomas Smith Jr. |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Facts on File Library of American History |
| Subject | Central Intelligence Agency |
| Genre | Encyclopedia |
| Published | 2003 |
| Publisher | Infobase |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Hardcover |
| Pages | 282 |
| ISBN | 978-0-8160-4666-9 |
Encyclopedia of the Central Intelligence Agency is a 2003 book by W. Thomas Smith Jr. It is an encyclopedic work on the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the only independent agency of the United States federal government that is tasked with intelligence-gathering. The work chronicles the history of the agency from its founding in 1947 through the war on terror, which began after the September 11 attacks. The encyclopedia's chronology ends in 2003. It provides approximately 550 entries across 282 pages on topics including notable contributors, intelligence operations, historical events, and depictions of the CIA in fictional media.
The encyclopedia was praised by the School Library Journal for its reference value and comprehensiveness. Booklist recommended the encyclopedia be placed in academic, public, and high school libraries as a helpful resource. Publishers Weekly was critical of the author's objectivity, suggesting that the encyclopedia was biased in favor of the agency's intelligence operations, but concluded that the book was still a useful reference tool.