Summary

Leon Panetta (Panetta Institute) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn ) to discuss his lifetime of American public service. Secretary Panetta was the 2023 recipient of SPY’s William H. Webster Award.

What You’ll Learn

Intelligence

Directing the Central Intelligence Agency
Intelligence & the Abbottabad Raid
Working within the Clinton Administration
A life’s dedication to the safety of the American public

Reflections

The power of patience and the ability to listen
Handing immense pressure and responsibility

And much, much more …

Resources

SURFACE SKIM

SpyCasts

My Life in American Intelligence with Barry Zulauf (2023)
David Petraeus on Ukraine & Intelligence with the former CIA Director & 4* General (2023)
Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy with Michael Vickers (2023)
The 75th Anniversary of the CIA with former Director Robert Gates (2022)

Beginner Resources

DEEPER DIVE

Books

The Spymasters: How the CIA Directors Shape History and the Future, C. Whipple (Scribner, 2021)
The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency, C. Whipple (Crown, 2018)
Worthy Fights: A Memoir of Leadership in War and Peace, L. Panetta & J. Newton (Penguin Books, 2014)
SECDEF: The Nearly Impossible Job of Secretary of Defense, C. A. Stevenson (Potomac Books, 2007)

Primary Sources

Wildcard Resource

Secretary Panetta now lives on a lovely vineyard in sunny California. Speaking of wine and spies, check out Vint Hill Winery in Warrenton, Virginia.
In 1942 the US Army set up top-secret SIGINT operations at the now-vineyard after the farm’s owner, a Ham Radio enthusiast, set up a wire on the roof of the barn that could reach signals from Berlin. The farm was the site of The Signal Corps cryptographic school, which famously intercepted messages from Hiroshi Oshima in 1943.

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CIA Director, Defense Secretary, Gentleman with Leon Panetta 01:19:57 Share

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CIA Director, Defense Secretary, Gentleman with Leon Panetta