This history of the CIA is definitely a winner….it’s readable, understandable, and above all intriguing! Read and enjoy! Thank you #NetGalley for this ebook ARC!

Liza Mundy is a NYT author, as well as having written Code Girls, about the women who were successful code breakers in WWII. In her latest book, The Sisterhood, she goes deep into the history of the CIA, and tells amazing stories of the many (mostly unknown) women whose work often kept us safe and sound while they were risking their own lives.

From the 1940s to the present day, women have played a huge part in gathering, analyzing, and taking action in response to intelligence gathered abroad. Reads like a thriller novel, but it’s all true…and I admit it was a tiny bit rage inducing seeing the women treated poorly (although they often proved more than up to the task of working in the CIA). Five stars.

THE SISTERHOOD by Liza Mundy is subtitled "The Secret History of Women at the CIA" and Mundy writes that "this book tells the story of one of the biggest transformations in CIA culture, from a male dominated institution where women were seen as typists and sexual playthings to one where women propelled some of the agencies most important successes." Mundy, a bestselling author and an award-winning journalist, has written previously about the contributions of women in unusual, potentially dangerous occupations (Code Girls). This lengthy tome (480 pages) is also thoroughly researched; at least fifteen percent is devoted to detailed notes and an extensive bibliography. Plus, over 100 interviews were conducted. Those stories are what really capture the readers' attention. They are split into three parts: The Assessment of Men; Ladies Doing Analysis; and Getting Their Guys, each of which has multiple chapters. As just one example, Mundy chronicles the career of Lisa Manfull, a diplomat's daughter who spoke numerous languages and was recruited after graduation from Brown in 1966, hired at a GS level below her male counterparts, and faced significant resistance and discrimination, even from other women at the agency. Her "housewife cover" offers a fascinating look at operations in Europe and Africa during the Cold War as well as her own struggles to establish a career in balance with her marriage. THE SISTERHOOD received starred reviews from Booklist ("every page is electric with revelations") and Kirkus ("a vivid, compelling, and important book").

The Sisterhood takes a look at the contributions of women in the CIA and the obstacles they faced. As the CIA emerged out of post WWII, women were seen as unable to fulfill the same roles as men and were often diverted to become secretaries or record keepers. For women who wanted to become operatives, they were told they were incapable of doing the job or could not advance their careers despite having the skills. Mundy covers the history of the CIA and how their focus changed from the Cold War to terrorism and how women were involved every step of the way. Overall, a well-researched book with firsthand testimonies from the women of the CIA, and the importance of their contributions.

This is a very interesting read about the history of the CIA and the roles that women have played. The book outlines the struggle that women have had to break in to the male dominated workplace and how they worked past discrimination and stereotypes to take on roles of spies, operatives, and key analysts. It was very interesting to read the specific stories about how women have played integral roles in tracking some of the world's most dangerous terrorists - with a perspective and insights that only a women could provide.

Outstanding! I knew this would be good, having read Mundy's previous book, Code Girls, but this exceeded my expectations. Absolutely beautifully written narrative nonfiction. I was shocked at how pervasive the misogny in government offices was so recently (naively so, I'm sure) and that was a really interesting aspect here, because this IS actually quite recent history. One of those books that's long but don't feel that way at all.

Not only is The Sisterhood a detailed accounting of the history of how women have historically been instrumental in the formation and continued success of the CIA, it is also a helpful history on the CIA itself. As a reader with only a cursory knowledge of the CIA, I gained a solid understanding of why the CIA was formed (to address security concerns during WWII), and how the agency's priorities shifted from WWII to the Cold War to, in recent years, the War on Terror.

This book tackles a lot in its 480 pages, as it traverses the lives of its essential characters, multiple time periods, and the different departments of the CIA. All this leads to a highly comprehensive read that is, at times, hard to comprehend just because it's so much. Besides certain examples of the misogyny within the agency, I feel like I learned more about the CIA as an institution than the experiences of the women in it. I wish there had been more details about the actual sisterhood component of the title, with a stronger focus on the interactions between women within the organization. Perhaps the book would have also benefited from a different organizational structure. There are a few key characters that appeared throughout the book but I often found myself forgetting who did what and was in what role. Maybe if each chapter alternated to follow a specific woman and the book was divided into large timeline chunks, it would be easier to keep track of all the timelines and characters.

Overall though, the book was still incredibly informative. I appreciated the neutral stance it took on the CIA as an institution, which I was worried about because it is indeed a very ethically complex agency. I especially appreciated its critiques of the Islamophobia that followed 9/11, and the last chapters which opened up the question of what the CIA's focus might and should turn to in these coming years, critiquing specifically the right wing extremism that is now a big source of the country's instability.

Liza Mundy cements herself as one of my favorite history writers with The Sisterhood which takes a look at the CIA and the women who helped cement the institution and their effect on history through the actions of the Central Intelligence Agency. I loved Code Girls and think that Mundy extremely shows her strength as a storyteller and historian with her newest book.

The role of women in intelligence has always been vital and important. Mundy has done a great job of chronicling the role of women in the CIA. We see how women ‘s roles in intelligence has changed from the Cold War to today and it is a highly important read for intelligence history fans.

It's hard being a spy. It's especially hard when you are a woman spy who is not allowed to get married, have children, or basically do anything someone finds offensive to their tastes. If you don't believe me, just take a gander at Liza Mundy's meticulously researched The Sisterhood and she can tell you all about it!

The book is broken up into three sections but really it has two sections in my opinion. The first section is about the creation of what would become the CIA during World War II and then covering the Cold War and the run up to September 11th. Mundy focuses on many different women and their day to day issues trying to navigate a very sexist CIA. I feel Mundy had a very clear vision of how to impart on the reader just how many challenges women faced just to get and hold a job, let alone actually get promoted.

The second part, which is basically September 11th to today, felt much more uneven. It seems to me that the WWII/Cold War section focused on the women of the CIA with world events in the background. The section on the War on Terror felt like the women took a backseat to the issues of the day. For example, the Iraq War gets laser focus in the narrative and members of the Sisterhood are mentioned almost as an afterthought in discussions about failed national policy and torture. Mundy did such a great job in the first part of the book that I couldn't help but feel the messiness of the past 20 years bogged down the pace and took attention away from the Sisterhood.

That said, I still enjoyed this immensely and would recommend it to anyone interested in the subject or if you loved Mundy's acclaimed previous book, Code Girls.

(This book was provided as an advance read copy by Netgalley and Crown Publishing.)

I really enjoyed Code Girls, so when I saw Liza Mundy had another book out, I couldn't wait to read it. The Sisterhood is a deep dive into the origins of women in the CIA and the women who trailblazed a path to formulation of the CIA. The book begins in the 1940s with the women who worked during WW2 as support and as spies. The stories of women through the 1950s to present day are amazing. The book ends with how the women were significant contributors to finding Osama bin Laden. To summarize this book would take pages and pages, but suffice it to say that women made significant contributions to the securing the safety of the country. The epilogue shared stories of the retired women and some of their reflections of their time at the agency.
The author found many, many women to talk about through the years, but there were several that she shared their stories over time: Heidi August, Barbara Sude, Lisa Manfull, Cindy Storer. I found those compelling as the discrimination and harassments they endured did not deter them from achieving goals and advancements in the agency. They put their heads down and did the job to the best of their abilities and many times, those accomplishments were significant and noteworthy. Unfortunately, the men didn't always believe their analysis of situations and targets and led to embarrassment for the agency. The stories before, during, and after 9/11 were fascinating as I had watched the event play out on TV. There were numerous details about other events that I remember in my lifetime, from the Achille Lauro hijacking to Benghazi to Pan Am Flight 103 bombing, and I could connect to those stories.
This was a very well researched and detailed book for those wanting to read about the women who worked in the shadows but emerged to make a difference. I found it a fascinating read.
Thank you Crown Publishing and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a gripping fascinating account of the history of women working for the CIA. The author has done exemplery research and provided the reader with key accounts from pivotal times in history., Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

As a woman I felt disgust at how educated skilled women are dismissed in the CIA by the old white mens club that apparently runs this organization. In their dismissal of their key employees they ignored the woman who warned of Osama years before the attack. As a American reading this it is disgusting that simply because she was a woman her findings were dismissed. This would have prevented 9/11. This author has presented the fight these wonderful talented women had to just be heard on the job . The sisterhood helped their fellow women and gave each other the support they never had from their male coworkers and superiors.

This is a must read for all women and should be mandatory in all women's studies classes. A excellent read . A fascinating account of American historical moments and the women behind the investigations, research and successful cases that were never given credit for their work.

This was such an interesting read! I was instantly gripped and fascinated by the stories of these women. Liza Mundy provided a thorough account of women in the CIA, and I could not put it down.

Liza Mundy’s new book, “The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA” is one that I could not put down. I haven’t read Mundy’s other books but I surely will now! We get started with a great introduction and I knew I would be in for a good read. This is history told as a story which makes it more engaging and a breeze to read, but backed up with facts and citations.

Being only slightly familiar with the work of the CIA, it was eye opening but sadly not that surprising how women have been treated with this old boys club. The fact that the early testing of the women was about frustrating them was very different than how the men were tested.

The overall story is interwoven with many first hand accounts from women. I was particularly interested in the story from Heidi August but really all the women were interesting to read about.

It was so engaging and I got choked up reading about some of these women’s stories and what they had to go through, and how they helped other people; in particular other women. The story of tracking Al-Qaeda and the women who were blowing the whistle on Osama Bin Laden for a decade and no one listened, then to read the chapter on 9-11 was heartbreaking.

When I was not reading this book I am thinking about this book, and telling other people about it I think says it all. Mundy ends the book with an overview of the women in terms of where they are now. We are left with the realization that the true threat to America now will come from within - the country and the radicalized people following those like Trump will work to destroy this country. It will not be more plane hijackers. It is difficult to realize that this is where America has gone. We need to read more stories about women like this who work together for the greater good. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

The Sisterhood: The Secret History of the Women of the CIA is an impeccably researched account of the roles women played in this pivotal national organization. Their incredible dedication and sacrifices in the face of blatant sexism and elitism is a testament to competent women everywhere who fail to get the credit they deserve.

Having lived through many of the events described in the book, I was truly amazed at the contributions women made that were rarely attributed to them. Tediously examining thousands of seemingly insignificant data bits like phone calls, intercepted meeting messages, gossip, informant reports, etc led them to identify new terrorists and their groups. That these discoveries were frequently ignored or downplayed because they came from women, is a travesty.

I did frequently get lost in some of the stories as there were so many names.I appreciate the author's thoroughness in documenting seemingly every person. However, it might have helped to have a list of the major players ( particularly those mentioned in multiple chapters ) and maybe a CIA organizational chart.Ultimately, I realized it was the work the women did that was the most memorable aspect of the book and thus remembering the individual names was not as critical ( although they were still important). So I stopped obsessing over remembering all the names.

These women earned the right to have their voices heard and their contributions recognized. This book ensures they are given their well deserved, significant place in history. We are blessed to have people like them who are dedicated to protecting the world from terrorists.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the Advanced Readers Copy of The Sisterhood by Liza Mundy!

Well-crafted story of women working for the CIA from the time of its inception to the events of September 11th. In her book, Liza Mundy shows that women made much bigger contributions to the workings and success of this organization than what was expected of them despite all the barriers standing in their way. The stories of some of the women working for the CIA that Liza shares in her book are fascinating and even readers who have read a number of books about women spies published in the recent years will find new information here in addition to engaging delivery. Most of these types of the books usually cover World War II or the Cold War periods, and this book bringing the narrative to our days certainly makes it special. It would be a great find for readers who enjoy books about women shattering the boundaries and for those who like reading about spycraft.

I read The Sisterhood in a prepublication galley. It is not just another CIA book. Americans love spies, the more James Bond like the better. Of late, we’ve watched talented women spies in shows such as Homeland, Covert Actions, and the Americans. This was Hollywood and not reality. The meticulous reporting in this book exposes how the CIA, from its’ 1947 beginnings, was a boys club with a long history of sexism, chauvinism, and a checkered history of success. It is an engrossing—and chilling-- story that turns over many rocks.

The Sisterhood suggests an explanation for the CIA’s lackluster performance. The early days were “Madmen” like. With the staffing of the 1980’s, came more confident, educated, and higher-level women who expected to be treated equally formed their own network to combat issues of ongoing discrimination, sexual and workplace harassment, the resistant old boys network, and their work ignored or minimized. The result was an agency unable to execute as expected. Although this situation is not unique in American organizations, in a government organization that is tasked with keeping us safe, these issues are often fatal.

Although the book is about a sisterhood, it is not a women’s book. We should all be frightened to see how this agency failed in protecting us. Aldrich Ames was identified by a woman in 1989 as a possible double agent. He was not arrested until 1993. The CIA’s most significant failure was 9.11. Its’ leadership was unprepared, and few understood the importance of non-state actors. “Tracking all the terrorists in the world, with thousands of pieces of data to analyze, was left to thirty people, mostly women.” One of them, Gina Bennett, in 1993, published the first prescient warning about Osama Bin Laden. After 9.11, the book truly become alive as all forces are now centered on the hunt for Bin Laden and all the other terrorists around the world.

The Sisterhood is painstakingly researched, and the ends tied together. Mundy conducted over 100 interviews, and relied on scholarly papers, research, and documents. For most of the book, she crafts the research into an extremely readable and compelling picture, but some of the portraits are confusing and not very rich. My galley edition could use a bit more editing, especially in the beginning of the book. A list of characters and a CIA organization chart would also help. But Mundy’s message is clear; The CIA could have better succeeded if merit, not sex, nor connections, nor drinking with the right people was the determinant of success.

The Sisterhood is a riveting read. Liza Mundy’s research reveals how women at the CIA helped usher in “the modern intelligence age and how their silencing made the world more dangerous”. I was appalled at how the women were treated in the early days. Unfortunately, the female analysts warnings about Al-Qaeda were ignored. The author also goes into the hunt for Al-Qaeda after 9/11, and how they found bin Laden. The women of the CIA are amazing and are under appreciated even today.

This was a great overall history nonfiction book, I was engaged in learning about the women at the CIA. Liza Mundy does a great job in researching this book and keeping me invested in what I was reading. It was one of my favorites from the author as I enjoyed Code Girls a lot.