The Good Spy

The Life and Death of Robert Ames

By: Kai Bird

Narrated by: René Ruiz

The Good Spy is Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Kai Bird’s compelling portrait of the remarkable life and death of one of the most important operatives in CIA history – a man who, had he lived, might have helped heal the rift between Arabs and the West.

On April 18, 1983, a bomb exploded outside the American Embassy in Beirut, killing 63 people. The attack was a geopolitical turning point. It marked the beginning of Hezbollah as a political force, but even more important, it eliminated America’s most influential and effective intelligence officer in the Middle East – CIA operative Robert Ames. What set Ames apart from his peers was his extraordinary ability to form deep, meaningful connections with key Arab intelligence figures. Some operatives relied on threats and subterfuge, but Ames worked by building friendships and emphasizing shared values – never more notably than with Yasir Arafat’s charismatic intelligence chief and heir apparent Ali Hassan Salameh (aka “The Red Prince”). Ames’ deepening relationship with Salameh held the potential for a lasting peace. Within a few years, though, both men were killed by assassins, and America’s relations with the Arab world began heading down a path that culminated in 9/11, the War on Terror, and the current fog of mistrust.

Bird, who as a child lived in the Beirut Embassy and knew Ames as a neighbor when he was twelve years old, spent years researching The Good Spy. Not only does the book draw on hours of interviews with Ames’ widow, and quotes from hundreds of Ames’ private letters, it’s woven from interviews with scores of current and former American, Israeli, and Palestinian intelligence officers as well as other players in the Middle East “Great Game.”

What emerges is a masterpiece-level narrative of the making of a CIA officer, a uniquely insightful history of twentieth-century conflict in the Middle East, and an absorbing hour-by-hour account of the Beirut Embassy bombing. Even more impressive, Bird draws on his reporter’s skills to deliver a full dossier on the bombers and expose the shocking truth of where the attack’s mastermind resides today.

Great untold story

I really enjoyed listening to this book. I learned a great deal about the conflicts in the Middle East during the 60s and 70s.

Really well done

Any additional comments?

Very well done. It was not political but historical which is hard to find on these kinds of topics. Very respectful of various sides of issues.

An insightful biography

I found interesting that Robert Ames, a CIA officer fluent in Arabic, was deeply empathetic to the Palestinians. The peace plan Bob Ames suggested to President Reagan shared details with the Oslo accord of a decade later.

Excellent true story that gives historical background to the Middle East

I cried during the chapter of the US embassy bombing, I read Beruit Rules last year and Bob Ames was mentioned several times in that account. The good spy was facinating to me as an Arabist expat who has lived in Jordan and Lebanon. It’s written in a very relatable way and was insightful history about the Palestinian situation in the 70s. Several sections of beruit shocked me 😢

The World as Ames Saw It

Although i’m personallyChristian, I grew up and live in a predominantly Jewish culture. I’ve always been a crusader for Israel, our US ally on the Middle East. I suppose I always will be. I have studied the Mossad and the CIA, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen this side of the complex twists and turns between state, politics and spies. It’s extremely sad. Portraying the story of Ames through his love affair with the Arab world brings a new lens to refocus the picture.
This is a richly- written, well researched and sensitive historical saga that brings ever more facets to light.
Well written, riveting and suspenseful, the book is highly informative.