What is the definition of assassination? Robert B. Baer’s boss at the CIA once told him, “It’s a bullet with a man’s name on it.” Sometimes assassination is the senseless act of a psychotic, a bloodletting without social value. Other times, it can be the sanest and most humane way to change the course of conflict—one bullet, one death, case closed. Assassination has been dramatized by literature and politicized by infamous murders throughout history, and for Robert Baer, one of the most accomplished agents to ever work for the CIA, it’s a source of endless fascination, speculation, and intrigue. Over several decades, Baer served as an operative, from Iraq to New Delhi and beyond; notably, his career was the model for the acclaimed movie Syriana. In The Perfect Kill , he takes us on a serpentine adventure through the history of political murder; its connections to, and differences from, the ubiquitous use of drones in state-sponsored killing; his firsthand experience with political executions; and his decades-long cat-and-mouse hunt, across the Middle East and Europe, for the most effective and deadliest assassin of the modern age. A true maverick with an undeniably captivating personal story, Baer pulls back the curtain on the underbelly of world politics and the quiet murderers who operate on the fringe of our society. “A best-selling author and former CIA operative chronicles his experiences as an assassin while offering chilling insight into the fine art of political murder… Fascinating reading from an expert.”— Kirkus “Exposes a niche of the spy world that we are all aware of but know little about: assassination. The Perfect Kill is 310 pages of cold calculations, intriguing ethical debates and eyebrow-raising scenes, with Middle East history sprinkled throughout.”— Washington Post “ The Perfect Kill 's unusual mix of thrilling memoir and political science is a winning combination.”— Shelf Awareness (starred review) “A fascinating, up-close look at the hunt for Radwan, and it’s packed with intriguing contemporary and historical details on the assassinations of tyrants.”— Booklist  “A thrilling read from start to finish. [Baer] has a narrative voice that is concise, informative and though he occasionally drifts toward the conspiratorial (which isn’t a bad thing), he tempers it by clearly defining what is fact and what is conjecture.”— Ensuing Chapters   “A true maverick with an undeniably captivating personal story, Baer pulls back the curtain on the underbelly of world politics and the quiet murderers who operate on the fringe of our society.”— OccuWorld   Acclaim for The Devil We Know “A masterpiece…Baer's brilliant analysis of Sunni versus Shia, Arab versus Iranian, and Christian versus Muslim is shocking, revealing, and provocative.  Baer lifts the veil of Western media hype and challenges the simplistic solutions offered by ‘experts’ whose vision is blurred by the past. Through his knowledge, long-term experience, and ability to assess the changing landscape of this vital region, he not only shatters the foundations of conventional thinking, but also offers a practicable blueprint for turning things around.”—John Perkins, author of the New York Times bestseller Confessions of an Economic Hit Man “The most important and original book on the Middle East to appear in many years. This is a book McCain and Obama should ponder.” —Thomas Powers, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Man Who Kept the Secrets and Intelligence Wars " The Devil We Know , Bob Baer has once again peered into the future and has brought back uncomfortable truths that won't satisfy any partisan. But his book does force us to do something that, unfortunately, doesn't come naturally to the chattering classes. Think.” —James Risen, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration “An important text studded with keen insights into a nation about which America remains dangerously misinformed.” — Kirkus Reviews   Acclaim for Sleeping With the Devil: “An unsettling, eye-opening account of our relationship with Saudi Arabia... [Baer] gets our attention.”— Boston Herald “Details how an administration known for its vigilance on the international scene routinely and inexplicably spins, caves, and hops for the Saudis.”— The Washington Post   Acclaim for The Company We Keep:   "[A] bloody, suspenseful story of love and deceit.”— Mens Journal “ The Company We Keep is a breezy, often fascinating account of this CIA romance, with tradecraft details and war stories thrown in to make it catnip for any fan of espionage fiction...That the Baers coaxed a happy ending out of all this is not the least remarkable part of their appealing story, and hats off to them."— The Washington Post “Engrossing…filled with juicy, personal on-the-job details…[an] exhilarating tale of geopolitical love and peril.”— More " The Company We Kee