A novel and comprehensive narrative of American intelligence from the Revolutionary War to the present day. Intelligence is all around us. We read about it in the news, wonder who is spying on us through our phones or computers, and want to know what is happening in the shadows. The US Intelligence Community or IC, as insiders call it, is more powerful than ever, but also more vulnerable than it has been in decades. It is facing the threat of rival intelligence services from countries like Russia and China while fighting to keep up with new technology and the private sector. Still, the IC's greatest struggle is always with the American people, who expect it to keep the country safe but not at the cost of their liberty. Arriving on the fiftieth anniversary of the 'Year of Intelligence,' The Spy and the State tells the complete history of American intelligence from the Revolutionary War to the present day. Based on original research and a new interpretation of US history, this masterful