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The Unexpected Spy: From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking Down Some of the World's Most Notorious Terrorists Hardcover – February 25, 2020

by Tracy Walder (Author), Jessica Anya Blau (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,323 ratings
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A highly entertaining account of a young woman who went straight from her college sorority to the CIA, where she hunted terrorists and WMDs

"Reads like the show bible for Homeland only her story is real." ―Alison Stewart, WNYC

"A thrilling tale...Walder’s fast-paced and intense narrative opens a window into life in two of America’s major intelligence agencies" ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

When Tracy Walder enrolled at the University of Southern California, she never thought that one day she would offer her pink beanbag chair in the Delta Gamma house to a CIA recruiter, or that she’d fly to the Middle East under an alias identity.

The Unexpected Spy is the riveting story of Walder's tenure in the CIA and, later, the FBI. In high-security, steel-walled rooms in Virginia, Walder watched al-Qaeda members with drones as President Bush looked over her shoulder and CIA Director George Tenet brought her donuts. She tracked chemical terrorists and searched the world for Weapons of Mass Destruction. She created a chemical terror chart that someone in the White House altered to convey information she did not have or believe, leading to the Iraq invasion. Driven to stop terrorism, Walder debriefed terrorists―men who swore they’d never speak to a woman―until they gave her leads. She followed trails through North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, shutting down multiple chemical attacks.

Then Walder moved to the FBI, where she worked in counterintelligence. In a single year, she helped take down one of the most notorious foreign spies ever caught on American soil. Catching the bad guys wasn’t a problem in the FBI, but rampant sexism was. Walder left the FBI to teach young women, encouraging them to find a place in the FBI, CIA, State Department or the Senate―and thus change the world.

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  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    St. Martin's Press
  4. Publication date
    February 25, 2020
  5. Dimensions
    5.67 x 0.92 x 8.59 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1250230985
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1250230980
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Enthralling." ―Washington Post

"Absorbing, if often frustrating, given the macho, male-dominant culture prevalent within the Bureau. Readers of memoirs, current events and U.S. history are all sure to enjoy The Unexpected Spy." ―Shelf Awareness

"Walder has been able to accomplish more than most people do in a lifetime... [A] tale of a woman whose mission was to help make America great." ―USC Annenberg Media

"Lively" ―American Jewish World

"[Walder] is really not what you would expect... Incredible book." ―Heather McDonald, Juicy Scoop

"This book is a nice reminder that far beneath today’s news headlines, there is a quiet cadre of ethical, hard-working and dedicated patriots working to keep us safe." ―Lee Woodruff

"What a romp... it won me over hard." ―Julie Mason, The Press Pool

"Walder's candid story will connect with readers curious about counterterrorism work and seeking an inspirational account of a woman seeking to change the balance of power in not only a male-dominated field but the world." ―Library Journal

"A well-written, engaging memoir, a serious and candid inside view of two enigmatic and significant institutions from a woman's perspective.'" ―Booklist

"Tracy Walder's The Unexpected Spy is an engaging and thoughtful story of service that will inspire generations of young women to come. Tracy's story is particularly moving because it provides a candid but often untold account of the challenges of serving one's nation amid tumultuous times. As a woman in national security, Tracy offers a glimpse into the rewards and risks of actualizing a dream in a male-dominated space." ―Lauren Bean Buitta, Founder, Girl Security

"Walder brings a you-are-there intimacy to her accounts. Often, the youngest person in the room and one of few females... [She] was certainly there when history was made." ―Kirkus Reviews

"Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed Tracy Walder's unique perspective; it will be inspiring to so many, especially young women with an interest in national security. I couldn't help but compare it to some of my own experiences in the CIA, particularly her exhaustion working counterterrorism, her sense of betrayal in war time, and her feelings of responsibility after a large-scale attack. I admire Walder's ability to channel those challenges into a positive force. A force for change." ―Sarah M. Carlson, Former CIA officer and author of In The Dark Of War

"The Unexpected Spy will get wide attention, and deserves it. It will give readers a different, more vivid, and more human idea of the actual work of spying, counter-intelligence, and dealing with terrorism. It will be especially important to young women who are considering this kind of career." ―James Fallows at The Atlantic, author of Blind Into Baghdad

"Tracy Walder has a unique combination of immense courage along with compassion and humanity... This book will be an inspiration to anyone who picks it up." ―Ellen Pompeo, actress, director, producer

"A compelling and well-written memoir that takes the reader on a journey from the CIA's 'Farm' and its 'black sites' to the FBI's training academy" ―Peter Bergen, author of Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for bin Laden from 9/11 to Abbottabad

"Tracy Walder is an exceptionally gifted individual." ―The Jeruselum Post

"Riveting..." ―Hearst Connecticut Media Group

"[Walder's] extraordinary commitment and expertise helped shatter the CIA’s glass ceiling." ―Fox News



Named one of the 10 Books Celebrities Love by E! News.

About the Author

Tracy Walder is a former Staff Operations Officer (SOO) at the CIA's Counterterrorism Center and a Special Agent at the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office specializing in Chinese counterintelligence operations. She now teaches global terrorism at the all-girls Ursuline Academy in Dallas and is an adjunct professor of Domestic Terrorism and Criminal Justice at Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth. She is on the Board of Directors for Girl Security, a non profit, non partisan group that brings national security curriculum to girls in high school throughout the US.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Press (February 25, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250230985
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250230980
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.67 x 0.92 x 8.59 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,323 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Jessica Anya Blau

    Jessica Anya Blau

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    THE WONDER BREAD SUMMER, Jessica Anya Blau's third novel, was featured on NPR's All Things Considered as a Thrilling Summer Read. Oprah.com's book club picked THE WONDER BREAD SUMMER as a Thrilling Beach Read. CNN featured THE WONDER BREAD SUMMER as a Best Beach Read.

    Jessica Anya Blau's second novel, DRINKING CLOSER TO HOME, was featured in Target stores Breakout Author series. Novelist Irina Reyn calls it, "Unrelentingly, sidesplittingly funny." The Austin Chronicle says that, "The domestic relationships in the book are brilliantly rendered, a contemporary California version of Philip Roth." Author Dylan Landis says the book is, "So raw and funny I wanted to read parts aloud to strangers."

    Jessica'a first novel, THE SUMMER OF NAKED SWIM PARTIES, was chosen as a Top Ten Summer Read by the Today Show, The New York Post and New York Magazine. Cosmo called it a "Sexy Summer Read!" The San Francisco Chronicle and the Rocky Mountain News chose THE SUMMER OF NAKED SWIM PARTIES as a Best Book of the Year.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Tracy Walder

    Tracy Walder

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    From 2000 - 2004, Tracy worked as Staff Operations Officer (SOO) Intelligence Agency's Counterterrorism Center Weapons of Mass Destruction Group and a Special Agent at the FBI. During her time at the CIA, Tracy traveled to war zones and many other countries. Tracy received many awards for her service from both the CIA and from foreign intelligence offices, to include the counterterrorism medal and multiple exceptional performance awards. After the CIA, Tracy became a Special Agent at the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office specializing in Chinese counterintelligence operations. Following her time at the CIA and FBI, Tracy enrolled in both a master's and a teaching credential program. She taught history and a self-created course on national security and foreign policy for almost fifteen year. Tracy Walder earned her degree in history from the University of Southern California and her Master's in education from Chapman University. Tracy’s book “The Unexpected Spy: My secret life chasing down some of the world’s most notorious terrorists” will be out in February 2020. Additionally, ABC network and studio, in conjunction with Calamity Jane and Timberman/Beverly production companies, to create a TV series based on her book.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
1,323 global ratings
Sorority Sister turned CIA Operative
4 Stars
Sorority Sister turned CIA Operative
When Tracy Walder was a sorority sister at USC, she planned on becoming a history teacher—but she was also a keen observer of current affairs. During a career fair, she gave her resume to the CIA representative, and that spur of the moment decision began her unexpected career.Although Walder was a CIA operative working in war zones and traveling to countries where she’d be a valuable kidnapping victim, and her account is exciting, it’s also very accessible. The book reads like a friend recounting stories, and while it includes major victories and key setbacks, it also is filled with the quotidian experiences of life as a spy.I particularly enjoyed reading about interactions with agents from other countries and how she had to handle their misconceptions of her. When she described her training at the FBI and the institutionalized sexism at the agency, I was so angry on her behalf!Obviously, given her achievements, Tracy is spectacularly intelligent, ambitious, and hard-working, but in the text, she is modest and self-deprecating, often finding humor in her experiences—though she also shows how her self-confidence grew from her childhood when she was bullied.As a former CIA employee, she had to submit her manuscript for vetting. She chose to leave the excised sections in, and I thought it was very interesting to see the blacked-out segments.I really enjoyed this memoir, and highly recommend it to those interested in women’s stories, espionage, and 9/11!Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring story showing the power of dedicated intention
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2023
Verified Purchase
An honest perspective of being a woman in the CIA and FBI. We’ll written and insightful.
A great read for anyone. Young women can gain courage and confidence from the author’s honesty and experiences.
3 people found this helpful
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Lorrie M. Landers
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2023
Verified Purchase
Love the personal experiences of this author, & I especially love what she’s doing today to inspire young women. 99% of the book is spent on her time in the CIA & FBI then it kind of ends abruptly with a very minimal update on her life today with not enough detailed explanation of how she went from FBI to current life. Would hv liked more on that, but overall terrific book.
3 people found this helpful
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Jason Palamara
5.0 out of 5 stars A book about counterterrorism, determination, grit, perseverance, and resilience all in one!
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2023
Verified Purchase
Besides being a great read for anyone interested in the work that goes into counterterrorism, it is a story of determination and grit. Tracy writes, "I challenged myself to take a harder road, to do the unexpected, to become someone I hadn't yet realized I could be."

This book is a beautiful example of locating the potential you hold within yourself. Not allowing others to dictate what is possible for you because of their own limited belief systems, while using the rough patches life deals us as fuel for growth.

While sharing her professional journey, Tracy found a way to inject life lessons that can positively impact us all.

I highly recommend this book!
2 people found this helpful
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Joseph P. Fulton
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring account of a person who is a doer!
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2024
Verified Purchase
Going from a childhood where being floppy was her lot to a person who made, and makes a difference in many endeavors, gives reason to celebrate, and hope for a better world, one bright mind at a time.
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LynnC
3.0 out of 5 stars Seriously?
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2020
Verified Purchase
It was hard for me to believe that the CIA would give such a young woman such an important, high level job.
Also, Incredulous that you would fly so many miles to celebrate someone’s wedding who had made your life so miserable by bullying.
Also,Didn’t make any sense that the author would drop the FBI because she felt bullied. Lots of lose ends and contradictions and the redactions didn’t help
8 people found this helpful
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Shannon
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting story
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2024
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Really enjoyed reading this.
One person found this helpful
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Amax
4.0 out of 5 stars Many reviewers seem to have incorrect expectations
Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2022
Verified Purchase
Many readers complain this CIA operative experiences were too vague. It is noticeable that she was able to provide more case detail for her FBI cases than CIA cases. This didn't surprise me; I think that's how it works.

Many readers complained of too many redactions in the CIA-related text. I felt there were relatively few redactions. Probably because she was a new and lower level operations officer and because she knew what to exclude herself.

This is a memoir, not a spy thriller. In my view, that's why much of the CIA narrative is about traveling to and having meetings and then discussing the results of meetings. It is not realistic to expect a narrative of non-stop action om the streets. I still thought it was interesting.

I agree with reviewers who thought the thread about being bullied and having self doubt played too large a role as the theme throughout the memoir. I wouldn't be surprised if the publisher suggested that.

I enjoyed it as a quick read. The only thought I had at the end was how many taxpayer dollars went to train this young woman for the CIA then FBI. Was it a waste?
13 people found this helpful
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Sarah
5.0 out of 5 stars Ever wondered what it was like to work in the CIA and FBI?
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2020
Verified Purchase
Ever wondered what it was like to work in the CIA and FBI? How the agencies compare to each other? Tracy Walder’s book, The Unexpected Spy: From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking Down Some of the World’s Most Notorious Terrorists answers those questions and more. This book follows Tracy from a sorority girl at the University of Southern California to the CIA, FBI, and beyond. It details how she was one of the first CIA officers after 9/11 selected for “The Vault,” its video game action, and close encounters with senior government officials, from then President Bush on down.

She vividly conveys the long hours and exhaustion of her assignment in “The Vault” and I couldn’t help but compare it to my own experiences working shift work at CIA. I felt tired just reading it. She then takes us along with her to the days and weeks leading up to the invasion of Iraq, and her sense of betrayal from those government officials she had so recently admired. She masterly navigates sensitive topics and shares her own thoughts about living and working through those experiences. For example, her handling of enhanced interrogation techniques also recall the sentiment at the time, explaining it, but not excusing it.

As a woman and former CIA officer, I felt particularly outraged at her description of her transition to the FBI. To say the least, she was not treated well or fairly. And yet, she did not let that treatment negatively affect her drive or goals. She used the experience, her collective experiences, to pursue her dreams and focus on all that came next. I highly recommend this book.
50 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Kika
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting book
Reviewed in Canada on April 16, 2022
Verified Purchase
Half way thru it. Love true verdict stories and biographies.
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Malc W
3.0 out of 5 stars Redacted..
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 21, 2022
Verified Purchase
Really struggled to like this book.. There is so much redaction, following the story was very distracting so I stopped reading..
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars What a good read
Reviewed in Australia on November 5, 2020
Verified Purchase
It was a great read
I gave it a 5 star
History of working in the CIA then going to the FBI as a woman
Going to the Farm to do training in the end Tracy Walter finished up with the FBI and took up a job as a lecturer at university to teach history i enjoyed the book.
One person found this helpful
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Lori
1.0 out of 5 stars The title is better than the book
Reviewed in Canada on December 7, 2020
Verified Purchase
The author writes well, but the stories about her experiences as a spy are so generalized that they are impersonal. The book is really about her training difficulties, being undermined, underappreciated, and bullied. It often reads as a long complaint about the systems that she worked within due to being female. It is a repetitive litany of girly bits about her hair, nails, lipstick, clothing, and sorority life. Boring.
One person found this helpful
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