Wednesday, May 4, 2022

I Was Never Here: My True Canadian Spy Story of Coffees, Code Names, and Covert Operations in the Age of Terrorism: Book Review

                                                                          


Jim's Review


Andrew Kirsch had a complicated life to say the least. He want to join CSIS and be part of the change he want to see. 

He quickly rose the ranks and was fully involved in various operations. That is when things go really really complicated

He couldn't share what he did to anyone and had a cover story that worked for the most part until life and work began to overlap and he had to make some hard choices that could cost him dearly

He shares lots of serious story of about his personal and professional and few totally hilarious things that makes you wonder what I am really reading!

Everything ties together in the end you are left feeling satisfied and little joyful he survived 9 years and moved on to better opportunities 

10 out of 10 stars


About book
An ex-spy lifts the lid on life in the secret service
A Globe and Mail and Toronto Star bestseller!


Andrew Kirsch didn't grow up watching spy movies, or dreaming about being a real-life James Bond. He was hardly aware that Canada even had its own intelligence service—let alone knew what its officers did. But when a terrorist attack occurred near the office of his financial services job, all of a sudden fighting terrorism meant a lot more to him than the markets. Within 18 months he had landed a job with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)—where he spent the next decade of his life.

In 
I Was Never Here, Kirsch (now an in-demand security consultant) spills the secrets of what life as an intelligence officer is really like, and dispels a few myths along the way. With humour, honesty, and candour, Kirsch shares his on-the-ground experience (or as much of it as he's allowed to) of becoming a member of CSIS: from his vetting and training, to his initial desk job as a policy analyst, to his rise up the ranks to leading covert special operations missions. If you've ever wondered whether spies can have real dating lives, how they handle family responsibilities, or how they come up with cover stories or aliases, you're in luck.

From the time he tried to get the code names ""Burgundy"" and ""Anchorman"" assigned to human sources (with no luck), to the night a covert operation was almost thwarted by a flyer delivery man, Kirsch takes you behind the scenes with an authentic view of Canada's spy agency, and the intricate intelligence-sharing apparatus that works day and night to keep us safe. 
I Was Never Here is also a testament to one man's drive to serve his country, and the sacrifices, big and small, that he made along the way.learn more and buy book

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