A Pretext for War: 9/11, Iraq, and the Abuse of America's Intelligence Agencies, Paperback

A Pretext for War reveals the systematic weaknesses behind the failure to detect or prevent the 9/11 attacks, and details the Bush administration's subsequent misuse of intelligence to sell preemptive war to the American people. Filled with unprecedented revelations, from the sites of "undisclosed locations" to the actual sources of America's Middle East policy, A Pretext for War is essential reading for anyone concerned about the security of the United States.

Acclaimed author James Bamford-whose classic book The Puzzle Palace first revealed the existence of the National Security Agency-draws on his unparalleled access to top intelligence sources to produce a devastating expose of the intelligence community and the Bush administration.

James Bamford is the author of Body of Secrets and The Puzzle Palace. He has written on national security for The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, and the Los Angeles Times Magazine. His Rolling Stone article "The Man Who Sold the War" won the 2006 National Magazine Award for reporting. Formerly the Washington investigative producer for ABC's World News Tonight with Peter Jennings and a distinguished visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, Bamford lives in Washington, D.C.