Spooked is a . . . fascinating account of just how far the modern surveillance state has leeched in the private sector—and into private lives.” — Jonny Diamond, Literary Hub Editor-in-Chief
“A truly alarming glimpse into how the information market has become turbo-charged by dark money, loose morals and oligarchic feuds. I would highly recommend reading it.” — Oliver Bullough, author of Moneyland
“[Meier] has said what hardly anyone else in his circle of elite mainstream journalists has had the courage to say.” — Wall Street Journal
“Filled with eye-popping revelations.” — Bradley Hope, coauthor of Billion Dollar Whale
“Meier’s book compiles and synthesizes several stories about recent private intelligence misadventures. . . . [his] research and original interviews flesh out the stories and characters involved.” — New Republic
“Shines a light on the recent newsmakers in private espionage.” — New York Post
“Spooked reads like the best kind of spy story: a gripping tale packed with twists and turns, uncovering a secret side of our modern world.” — Waterstones
“Meier is a Pulitzer-winning former New York Times reporter, and he stirs an incredible amount of well-researched material into this book . . . a mad whirl of double-cross, Machiavellian machinations and, of course, money.” — Darragh McManus, Irish Independent
“Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Barry Meier delves into the pervasive, billion-dollar private spy industry in Spooked. . . . Meier is a lively guide to this dark and dangerous world.” — Tatler (UK), The 10 Best Books to Read in Spring 2021
"An adroitly handled, disturbing exposé, clearly relevant to discussions of the tactics of Trump and company....The labyrinthine narrative reveals a slick, high-stakes dark side to the proliferation of private intelligence firms via such flashpoints as the “Steele dossier” on Donald Trump and the “sleazy tactics” employed by Israeli firm Black Cube on behalf of Harvey Weinstein. Decrying “the oversized impact" of these private spies, the author circles back to a grim secret: 'the big money is made not by exposing the truth but by papering it over or concealing it.'" — Kirkus Reviews
"....Meier adds color and depth to the political saga....an illuminating look at a shadowy industry." — Publishers Weekly
“A lively and readable examination of some of the mischief wrought by the business of private spies.” — New York magazine
“The first mainstream press figure to break the industry omerta over the reporting failures of Russiagate. . . . a particularly entertaining read for anyone who’s ever worked in a newsroom.” — Matt Taibbi
“Spooked: The Trump Dossier, Black Cube, and the Rise of Private Spies contains a comprehensive, page-turning narrative of the massive media and political dumpster fire that was the Steele dossier. . . . It’s a public service to have the rise and fall of the dossier documented so thoroughly in one place by an author who cannot be dismissed. The essentials are all there and then some, advancing the ball with colorful new details. . . . Regardless of your political perspective . . . [this] book is well worth a read.” — Jason Foster, The Federalist
Shines a light on the recent newsmakers in private espionage.
[Meier] has said what hardly anyone else in his circle of elite mainstream journalists has had the courage to say.
Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Barry Meier delves into the pervasive, billion-dollar private spy industry in Spooked. . . . Meier is a lively guide to this dark and dangerous world.
Filled with eye-popping revelations.
Meier is a Pulitzer-winning former New York Times reporter, and he stirs an incredible amount of well-researched material into this book . . . a mad whirl of double-cross, Machiavellian machinations and, of course, money.
Meier’s book compiles and synthesizes several stories about recent private intelligence misadventures. . . . [his] research and original interviews flesh out the stories and characters involved.
Spooked reads like the best kind of spy story: a gripping tale packed with twists and turns, uncovering a secret side of our modern world.
A truly alarming glimpse into how the information market has become turbo-charged by dark money, loose morals and oligarchic feuds. I would highly recommend reading it.
The first mainstream press figure to break the industry omerta over the reporting failures of Russiagate. . . . a particularly entertaining read for anyone who’s ever worked in a newsroom.
Spooked: The Trump Dossier, Black Cube, and the Rise of Private Spies contains a comprehensive, page-turning narrative of the massive media and political dumpster fire that was the Steele dossier. . . . It’s a public service to have the rise and fall of the dossier documented so thoroughly in one place by an author who cannot be dismissed. The essentials are all there and then some, advancing the ball with colorful new details. . . . Regardless of your political perspective . . . [this] book is well worth a read.
A lively and readable examination of some of the mischief wrought by the business of private spies.
[Meier] has said what hardly anyone else in his circle of elite mainstream journalists has had the courage to say.
Praise for Pain Killer: “Groundbreaking . . . Barry Meier’s Pain Killer is the shocking account of the origins of today's opioid epidemic, the creators of this plague, and the way to help stop it.”
Prescient . . . a landmark work of investigative journalism.
Praise for Missing Man: "Meier's fascinating cat-and-mouse tale about government cover-ups, bungled investigations and the Levinson family's anguished pursuit of the truth is straight out of a Homeland episode."
Constructed as a nonfiction thriller, Missing Man is at its core a tragedy, Death of a Salesman in the Persian Gulf."
Constructed as a nonfiction thriller, Missing Man is at its core a tragedy, Death of a Salesman in the Persian Gulf."
08/01/2020
A former New York Times reporter and a member of the paper's team that won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting, Meier here exposes the big business that is private spying today, serving the needs of business, political parties, and the powerful. Want dirt on your enemies? No problem! It's cheaper and easier than ever, as these spies stare into our private lives, checking out our emails and shaping what we see on social media, and dangerously influence political elections.
2021-01-16
The abrupt rise of corporatized spying in geopolitics and business, portrayed as a strange mix of journalistic ambition and Nixon-ian dirty tricks.
Meier, a two-time winner of the George Polk Award for International Reporting, assembles a worrying account with dry precision, concluding ominously, “the behavior of corporate intelligence firms has only become more predatory and abusive.” The labyrinthine narrative reveals a slick, high-stakes dark side to the proliferation of private intelligence firms via such flashpoints as the “Steele dossier” on Donald Trump and the “sleazy tactics” employed by Israeli firm Black Cube on behalf of Harvey Weinstein. Decrying “the oversized impact” of these private spies, the author circles back to a grim secret: “the big money is made not by exposing the truth but by papering it over or concealing it.” In his primary narrative thread, Meier tracks the startling journey of the anti-Trump dossier, starting with former journalist Glenn Simpson, founder of purportedly “ethical” investigative firm Fusion GPS, who contracted former British spy Christopher Steele to conduct the investigation. (Unsurprisingly, neither Simpson nor Steele agreed to speak with the author.) Even four years later, the account of the frantic push to publicize Steele’s memos before the 2016 election remains tense and startling. “Absent efforts by Glenn Simpson and Christopher Steele to pull the strings of journalists,” writes Meier, “it’s possible the public would have never learned about the dossier.” Still, the author calls the release of the document “a media clusterfuck of epic proportions, one that was the consequence of the long-metastasizing relationship between private spies and journalists.” Its impact and authenticity crumbled during the ensuing lawsuits, and the author concludes that Steele’s source was one of many “who had stumbled into the private spying business as a last resort.” Throughout, Meier’s considerable journalistic chops help him maintain control of numerous subnarratives and a cast of ruthless eccentrics.
An adroitly handled, disturbing exposé, clearly relevant to discussions of the tactics of Trump and company.
