Product Description
In this hard-hitting memoir, Fred Burton, a key figure in international counterterrorism and domestic spycraft, emerges from the shadows to reveal who he is, what he has accomplished, and the threats that lurk unseen except by an experienced, worldly-wise few. Plunging readers into the murky world of violent religious extremism that spans the streets of Middle Eastern cities and the informant-filled alleys of American slums, Burton takes us behind the scenes to reveal how the United States tracked Libya-linked master terrorist Abu Nidal; captured Ramzi Yusef, architect of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; and pursued the assassins of major figures including Yitzhak Rabin, Meir Kahane, and General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, the president of Pakistan–classic cases that have sobering new meaning in the treacherous years since 9/11. Here, too, is Burton’s advice on personal safety for today’s most powerful CEOs, gleaned from his experience at Stratfor, the private firm Barron’s calls “the shadow CIA.”Told in a no-holds-barred, gripping, nuanced style that illuminates a complex and driven man, Ghost is both a riveting read and an illuminating look into the shadows of the most important struggle of our time.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 60 reviews)

Inside the DSS by Lodge2 (Texas)

4 Stars
March 08, 2010
Good inside view of the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) in it's early days. Their counterterrorism office definitely operated on a shoe-string budget. I'm a big fan of Burton, especially STRATFOR, but this book could have been much better. His focus on rather mundane items, i.e. Jos A. Banks suit, Parker rollerball pen, Barbour Beaufort jacket, etc...was distracting. Of particular note, especially since this seems to be happening again, is this passage: "A sea change has taken place over at the FBI. Louis Freeh took over the Bureau as its tenth director in 1993. Ever since, counterterrorism investigations have become freighted with huge political baggage...Terrorism is seen less as a national security issue and more like a criminal one. It is a potentially dangerous shift, one that has divided the intelligence community and has segregated those who need information from the information they need." The end result of this "sea change" was 9/11.

One of the best books I have read. by Linda Hammonds (Newport Beach, CA USA)

5 Stars
February 17, 2010
"Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent" is one of the best books that I have read. Fred Burton tells a story that most of us will never experience. While there have been many books released over recent years about various aspects of intelligence, there are none that I have read that have done such a good job of putting the reader in the author's shoes. I remember the events that Mr. Burton recounts in his book when they occurred. News stories at the time these events took place lacked detail. I enjoyed reading the behind-the-scenes detail that Mr. Burton has been able to relate. Most enjoyable is how Mr. Burton presents the personal side of the lives of the people that do so much for our country - the ones that often go without public notice and recognition - "the true patriots and silent warriors" that I have heard so much about in the past few years. Thank you, Fred, for a great book.

Without A Doubt, Superb! by J. Johnson (Columbia, SC)

5 Stars
February 15, 2010
This book is an excellent read. The author provides specific details of his days within the DSS, eventually beccoming deputy chief of that department. Burton's strong moral and ethical basis for his life's work in pursuing and taking down terrorists throughout the world is not only admirable but beyond fascinating! I could barely put this book down a couple of times, the REAL-WORLD involving the intelligence, politics and logistics involved with pursuing the evil in the world. I HIGHLY recommend this book, highly.

Terrific Read by Cathleen Ortolani (NorthEast Pennsylvania, United States)

5 Stars
October 23, 2009
I usually re-sell my books after reading once but this I'm hanging onto so as to re-read over the winter, though it may leave you a little depressed due to government attitudes, but not the authors' & reminds us to truly Thank people doing these tough, clandestine jobs, jobs most of us cannot do.

An Extraordinary Man! by Pasquale R. Valerio

5 Stars
August 24, 2009
Fred is an interesting man who helped to keep our country safe. An excellent read that I found hard to put down once I started. Considering that this was his first book, he did a magnificent job! His hard work and constant drive to get those responsible is remarkable. His details and insight are incredible. A rare and honest look into the dark world that Fred and his associates protected us from. I'm looking forward to his next book.

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

	America's Secret War: Inside the Hidden Worldwide Struggle Between America and Its Enemies by George Friedman (Author) Dubbed by Barron’s as “The Shadow CIA,” George Friedman’s global intelligence company, Stratfor, has provided analysis to Fortune 500 companies, news outlets, and even the U.S. government. Now Friedman delivers the geopolitical story that the mainstream media has been unable to uncover — the startling truth behind America’s foreign policy and war effort in Afghanistan, Iraq, and beyond. Stratfor, one of the world’s most respected private global intelligence firms, has an...
	See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism by Robert Baer (Author) In his explosive New York Times bestseller, top CIA operative Robert Baer paints a chilling picture of how terrorism works on the inside and provides startling evidence of how Washington politics sabotaged the CIA’s efforts to root out the world’s deadliest terrorists, allowing for the rise of Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda and the continued entrenchment of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. A veteran case officer in the CIA’s Directorate of Operations in the Middle East, Baer witnessed the...
	My Silent War: The Autobiography of a Spy by Kim Philby (Author), Phillip Knightly (Introduction), Graham Greene (Introduction) In the annals of espionage, one name towers above all others: that of H.A.R. “Kim” Philby, the ringleader of the legendary Cambridge spies. A member of the British establishment, Philby joined the Secret Intelligence Service in 1940, rose to the head of Soviet counterintelligence, and, as MI6’s liaison with the CIA and the FBI, betrayed every secret of Allied operations to the Russians, fatally compromising covert actions to roll back the Iron Curtain in the early years of the Cold...
	Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal by Ben Macintyre (Author) “Ben Macintyre’s rollicking, spellbinding Agent Zigzag blends the spy-versus- spy machinations of John le Carré with the high farce of Evelyn Waugh.” —William Grimes, The New York Times A New York Times Notable Book of the Year A Washington Post Best Book of 2007 One of the Top 10 Best Books of 2007 (Entertainment Weekly) New York Times Best of the Year Round-Up New York Times Editors’ Choice Eddie Chapman was a charming criminal, a con man, and a...
	Stalin's Spy: Richard Sorge and the Tokyo Espionage Ring by Robert Whymant (Author) This is the true story of a remarkable man who pulled off a seemingly impossible espionage mission in Tokyo, before and during World War II. Richard Sorge, born to a Russian mother and a German father, ran a network of Japanese and Europeans under the noses of Japan's dreaded secret police. From 1933 until he was caught in late 1941, he transmitted priceless secrets to Red Army intelligence. Sorge's espionage group -- perhaps the most successful operating in this critical period - kept the...