Many people who helped make this book possible do not wish to be named here, but we thank them deeply for their willingness to answer questions, provide insight, even read chapters for accuracy. Without them this book would still be just an idea.
We are happy to be able to acknowledge the senior editors of the Washington Post, Marcus Brauchli, Liz Spayd, and Raju Narisetti, who gave us the encouragement and time to write the series, “Top Secret America,” that inspired this book. Our teammates at the Post were steadfast and creative and we thank them too: Lauren Keane, Kat Downs, Sarah Sampsel, Ryan O’Neil, Justin Ferrell, Laura Stanton, Jennifer Morehead, Jennifer Jenkins, Nathaniel Vaughn Kelso, Greg Manifold, Karen Yourish, Stephanie Clark, Ben de la Cruz, Whitney Shefte, Dan Drinkard, Anne Ferguson-Rohrer, Robert Kaiser, Laris Karklis, Jacqueline Kazil, Todd Lindeman, Doris Truong, Amanda Zamora, and especially our editor David Finkel, our researcher Julie Tate, and the only news photographer we know who actually likes to turn buildings into pictures, Michael S. Williamson. We add Phil Bennett, who encouraged us from the beginning; and Donald Graham because he’s a great and caring newspaperman.
And a warm call-out, too, to those who became our legal team at the Post, Eric Lieberman, Jim Kennedy, Kevin Baine, and Jeffrey Smith.
Tom Shroder, our calm and thoughtful editor for the next-to-final draft, was critical to making this happen at every step and of great moral support.
We could not have done this so quickly and efficiently without the supportive and professional help from the team at Little, Brown and Company: Publisher Michael Pietsch; copyeditors Janet Byrne and Peggy Freudenthal; legal counsel Eric Rayman; in publicity Nicole Dewey and Carolyn O’Keefe; Heather Fain and Amanda Tobier in marketing; Digital Publisher Terry Adams; Digital Managing Editor Liz Kessler; and especially our very talented editor Geoff Shandler and his hardworking new star, Liese Mayer.
Finally, our stellar agent, Gail Ross, helped in so many ways, as a sounding board, a negotiator, and, most important, a friend.
Dana wishes also to thank Anne Priest, Cissy delaVallee, Anne Hull, David Finkel, Bruce McWilliams, Bonnie Jo and Matisse Mount, Michael Kirk, Jim Gilmore, Margie, Janet, Colette, Irene, David, Karen deYoung, Haley Goodfellow for keeping me on track in every way; Nicholas Goodfellow for lightening up the moments when I wasn’t working; and Bill Goodfellow for too many things to list here.
From Bill: The funny thing about working on the edges of Top Secret America is that the well-being of my own friends depends on those friendships and our contacts remaining undisclosed. I would like to thank the many people who have helped me to understand the military and the intelligence world, people who have scratched their heads with me in trying to fathom the government’s size and conduct, people who fact-checked, people who passed along nuggets of data or documents, people who argued and debated what it all means, people who gossiped about our common interests and obsessions, people who kibitzed all the way through. Thanks again to Phil, Steve, John, John, Dave, Gary, Bob, and Dan for the years and the inspiration.
Outside government, I’d like to first acknowledge Chuck Gundersen and Peter Pringle, always there; Tom Cochran, Chip Fleischer, Hans Kristensen, Matthew McKinzie, Stan Norris, Tom Powers, John Robinson, and Bob Windrem, colleagues and collaborators extraordinaire. Thanks, Sondra and Ron, Danny and Jamie. Thanks to the many journalists who share information with me in spite of potential competition, trusting and knowing that what goes around comes around, particularly Sy, Eric, Greg, and Mark. Thanks, Kevin and Cory, Julia and Reed, Philene and Darren; and Steve and Hannah: I’m warmed to know you’re there. Thanks, Kimberly. To my attorney, Jeff Smith, thanks for almost three decades(!) of backup. To Rikki and Hannah, I love you. To Luciana, Olivia, and Galen: it’s out of the bunker and into the badger den.
Three institutional giants came together to make this book, and its enhanced digital form, a deeper experience for readers than it would have been otherwise. Their easy collaboration is worth celebrating. So thank you, Little, Brown; the Washington Post; and Public Broadcasting Service’s Frontline.