New Tales of Some Astonishing CIA Women

Liza Mundy's "The Sisterhood' is a fresh new take on the CIA's history

JEFF STEIN
OCT 14, 2023

There’s an important new book out about the CIA. It’s called “The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA.” It’s by Liza Mundy, the former Washington Post writer and author of five New York Times bestsellers, including the highly regarded “Code Girls,” about the extraordinarily talented young women who cracked German and Japanese codes during World War Two.

I have to say up front that The Sisterhood is one of the best histories of the CIA I’ve ever read. And it’s not, as the title might suggest, a broadside, or just about the struggle of CIA women for opportunities and recognition over the decades. There’s lots of key men in her gripping narrative, too, which spans the early years of the agency after World War Two right up to the present, when women who weren’t even born until after the 9/11 attacks are now joining the CIA workforce.

Lisa joins me to talk about her book on the SpyTalk podcast. 

Listen here, or wherever you get your podcasts.