NPIC: Seeing the Secrets and Growing the Leaders: A Cultural History of the National Photographic Interpretation Center Paperback – September 16, 2015

As one of the few Imagery Analysts Mr. O'Connor did not consult in researching this book, I found it to be an exceptionally accurate account of my years as an NPIC employee. I had the good fortune to work for both of the heroes of the book (Lundahl and Huffstutler) and fully concur with the author's high praise of their leadership. While some of the accounts of the day-to-day work at NPIC are in excruciating detail, they are testament to Mr. O'Connor's high quality research efforts. On the down side, the author comes up short in his effort to explain how and why NPIC produced more leaders and executives over a 20 year period than any other CIA office. In his quickness to dismiss the coteries throughout the workforce, perhaps he overlooked their value in bringing order out of the chaotic environment of the intelligence community during the 60's, 70's and 80's. In my opinion, the leadership development over the NPIC years was very likely the result of a high quality workforce that took great pride in establishing their own high performance standards. The book provides great insight into a vital part of the intelligence community during the cold war.... even if you never made a visit to First and M, SE.

This book is required reading for the Into to Geospatial Intelligence at Johns Hopkins. The book does a great job of describing the history of geospatial intelligence and the author (my professor) has the credentials (worked for the DoD) to match the book's material. Sometimes the material tends to get too detailed, almost like Tolkien status... (let's talk about how qualified the staff where for 5 pages, etc.) But I contribute this quality to the author's background in English Literature. : )

Easily readable and a good look back at a major period of growth of our intelligence gathering. I am familiar with Rae Huffstutler's leadership role at the Agency. This certainly aided to his rise to Executive Director if the CIA.

Excellent book covering the development and growth of a very unique agency to keep an 'eye' on the planet. Jack does a great job of illustrating how technical leadership is needed for any organization to be a success.

Great book about the history of NPIC!

NPIC: SEEING THE SECRETS AND GROWING THE LEADERS begins with a meeting in 1987 when Arthur Lundahl, the man who envisioned and was first director of the US National Photographic Interpretation Center’s (NPIC) was honored by his peers and those who followed him.It then moves back to April 1986 when an analyst in the Priority Exploitation Group (PEG) observed something unusual happening in the USSR. The USSR denied any problems until the US released evidence proving that there was a major problem at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Because of that, the USSR was forced to admit there had been a power surge led to an explosion that led to a fire that released massive quantities of radioactive particles into the atmosphere. The book then goes back in time to 1954 when Lundahl was told by Allen Dulles to turn over his duties at the CIA’s Photographic Interpretation Division (PID) and begin to build an organization to “interpret, exploit, and analyze the photos that were to be taken over the Soviet Union.”NPIC: SEEING THE SECRETS AND GROWING THE LEADERS is an extremely detailed recounting of the organization: What it did, how it grew with changing needs and capabilities, how it was managed, and how it competed with other government agencies. At that time, and for many years afterwards, there was a lot of competition between the agencies ofttimes resulting in information not being shared because of territorial disputes. The agencies that needed the information were often delayed because of technical and personal problems.Lundahl encouraged initiative among the NPIC employees. When the CIA initiated a cost-saving program in the 60s and 70s whereby any employee could make suggestions, NPIC employees claimed half of the rewards. The CIA sent teams to NPIC to see what they were doing differently.As photographic imagery became more advanced, the size and capabilities of the equipment and the staff grew. The first electro-optical satellite was so computer intensive that existing computers and networks in the analytic community were no match for the flow of its data.Many of the staff had military backgrounds. This resulted in a lack of very many women and minorities. (By 1972, it had a higher percentage of African-Americans than any other CIA office, they were mostly in lower level positions.) It also affected the way employees were evaluated, promoted, and treated. Many of the necessary skills were not learned or used in the military.The photo interpreters had to learn what to look for and how to interpret it so they were focusing on areas of importance. They had to learn how to classify and share information. They didn’t have a useful system of sharing or using their findings; often it was kept in their heads.It tells how the information was used to prepare US Presidents for negotiations with other countries and to determine what information other countries divulged was true and what was propaganda.One chapter I found very interesting and useful described the way Rae Huffstetler, thefourth director who took over in 1988 made major management changes to make the organization more open and consistent.The story ends in 1985. I am confident that there have been a lot of changes since then. I wonder why, with improved technology, the Bush administration insisted there were nuclear weapons in Iraq. I assume the US is counting on the spy in the sky serve to monitor Iranian compliance with treaty.As I mentioned, this book is extremely detailed. While it has a Chronological chart at the beginning, tt could have used a list of all the acronyms at either the beginning or the end. The chronology is broken when, for instance, it talks about when Rae Huffstetler became the director in 1984, then refers to things that happened in 1982.I do not know much about technology nor photography. On the whole, I was able to understand most of the information presented in NPIC: SEEING THE SECRETS AND GROWING THE LEADERS. I just wish it had been written better. In the agency evaluatiaon process, for a high score in Self-expression, “ ...employees needed excellent writing skills.” The author would have benefitted by an improvement in this area. The book also could have used some major editing to eliminate all the repetitions. When talking about individual performance evaluations on pp 175-176, it reads, “Such actions could be training courses, future assignment, or improving some aspect of an individual’s performance. These actions could be designed to improve present performance or to prepare for a position of greater responsibility.”It presented some information without explanation: “Sary Shagan and Plesetsk were related as were....: It doesn’t say how they were related. It omits information, e.g., it says what William Kampiles what he did by giving information to the Soviet Union, how it affected the US, what he received as his sentence, and the aftermath.. Later it mentions the espionage of Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssom without explanation any explanation except how it affected the US.With better editing, could easily have given the book four or five stars. My frustration level reduced the rating.

Great read, Probably a little techincal for those not in the know,. but still a a good read with lots of relevant history concerning imagery.

Great book and interesting read from a perspective of one who has also been there.