A MAN OF INTELLIGENCE: MEMOIRS OF WAR, PEACE, AND THE CIA -- the memoirs of General Charles P. Cabell, edited by Charles A. Cabell, Jr. Brig. Gen. USAF (Ret)., Boulder, CO: Impavide Publications, 1997, 401pp., index.

In the 3 years before his death, General Charles P. Cabell, the CIA's longest serving DDCI (under DCI Allen Dulles), wrote his memoirs. For family reasons which his son explains in his preface, they were not published until 1997 and have only recently come to AFIO's attention. General Cabell (West Point, Class of 1925) tells of his career as an advisor to Hap Arnold, B-17 bomb wing commander, D-Day planner, Director of Operations and Intelligence in the Mediterranean theater, his presence at the Yalta and Potsdam conferences, Director of Air Force Intelligence, Director of the Joint Staff for the JCS, and DDCI.

More than 100 pages are devoted to his CIA service, and of particular interest here are his candid comments about the Bay of Pigs operation in which he was directly involved. His assessment of the reasons for its failure are dispassionate, but do not mince words. General Cabell had a fascinating and rewarding career. His book is a valuable contribution to the history of Air Force intelligence and the early years of the CIA. Copies may be obtained from BG Cabell by calling (719) 592-0472; fax (719) 592-0230, or email: cpcjr@gateway.net $40.00 + S&H. (Hayden Peake, AFIO 'intelligence bibliophile')

Reviewed in AFIO Weekly Intelligence Notes #42-99, 23 Oct 1999

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