The President's Book of Secrets

“One of the most interesting, exhilarating, and informative aspects of the presidency was my time with the CIA analysts and my PDB briefers." —George W. Bush, correspondence with the author, November 2012.
Every day a member of the CIA presents to the president a report detailing the most sensitive activities and analysis of world events. These can range from the behavior of America's allies to the maneuvering of its adversaries, from imminent dangers to long-term strategic opportunities, and are often based on the words of highly placed sources or the interceptions of astonishingly nimble technologies.
This report forms the basis of the president's assessment of US intelligence and strength. It is for the president's eyes only. The story of the President's Daily Brief—the PDB, in the jargon—is a window into the character of each president and his administration, and the degree to which his worldview and policy was shaped by the information from the...