THE DIRECTOR: DAVID IGNATIUS

This is the latest by the Washington Post journalist, quite different from his other novels.  Instead of CIA spooks, drops, and subterfuge, we have computer geeks, in tee shirts, with ears pierced and flip flops, sitting around computers, jamming and hacking every conceivable country, business and person, at times running rampant over other governments as well as our own, all in the name of security. Welcome to the post 9/11 world of Wikileaks, Edward Snowden and Bradley Manning.

This is a world most of us know little about which is why this book is informative as well as a good read.  Ignatius has the connections, the knowledge of the spook world as it used to be, and I assume from this novel, as it has become. The novel begins as Graham Weber, successful  businessman and billionaire, takes over the CIA, bringing some of his business efficiency and  know how to a stumbling, fumbling agency, unsure of its role, in a moment of grand transition.  Needless to say, running a government institution, with a history and culture like the CIA, is quite different from starting up your own company and making money.  So he's thrust into this world, must somehow find his way, depending on colleagues and mentors, as dubious as that may be.  The conflict revolves around James Morris, computer geek, a whiz kid, who has gained the confidence of not only the CIA but Cyril Hoffmann, veteran of all the political wars, in charge of both the NSA, FBI, and CIA.  A week after Weber has taken reins, Morris has gone rogue, working with hackers from all over the world, hoping to turn the world upside down, and like a modern Robin Hood, steal the money from all the wealthy countries and banks, and wire it to the poorest countries.

We are never quite sure how much Cyril Hoffmann knows about Morris, whether he's on board with this type of project, but for a good part of the novel, he supports him.  It's Weber's task to somehow find out what Morris is doing, stop it, meanwhile fighting the typical turf wars one finds when moving into a new position and trying to change the culture.  No one seems on board and there are few people to trust.  Hoffmann, however, is the biggest problem, as he soon realizes Weber is his own man, marches to the beat of his own drum, not Cyril's.  His solution to this problem is to set up Graham Weber, and make it look as if he's responsible for Morris and all the problems he has caused.

Fortunately, Weber is a step ahead of Cyril, finds a woman agent who he trusts, and together,  they set up Hoffman, and prove that he hired and supported Morris. The novel ends with the fall of Hoffman, the resignation of Weber, and a woman, for the first time, taking the reins of the CIA.   The ending is a bit thin but learning about the new CIA, and the old, with its leftover 'wise men,' was interesting.