Patriot Confusion
OK. After glancing at the excellent reviews, I probably will continue to read this book. I am giving a rating only because posting the review requires it. In fact, I haven't finished the book. But what caused me to leave the book to see what others thought of it is this:
On page 30, upon Burton's entering the CIA headquarters for the first time, I read "" ... a statue of Nathan Hale, a Revolutionary War spy who went to a British hangman's noose with the immortal words 'Give me liberty or give me death' on his lips."
Give me liberty or give me death? Those are certainly immortal words! Nathan Hale? It's been quite a while since I took American history, but that quote is attributed to Patrick Henry. Hale is remembered for the words "I regret that I have but one life to give to my country."
So what made me pause in my reading - and write this - is that I am perplexed. Did Burton dredge up an inaccurate memory? Worse, might that what is actually written somewhere in the mysterious places of the CIA. Or, finally, is the Random House editor a little deficient in his/her American history, to let this error slip by?
I know, I know, some will same I'm picky. But it's so wrong that it stopped my reading dead in it's tracks. Has that passage caused any other readers at least a short pause?
Well, as I said above, because of the excellent reviews the book has received her, I will return to it and continue my reading.

True American Heroes
Very much enjoyed reading this book, no it is not like a Robert Ludlum or John LeCarre novel. It is a true testament to the real American Heroes who tread into dark and dangerous places and situations that most of us would fear to go. What stands out here is the dedication and patriotism of these men and woman, who, though obviously highly skilled and intelligent choose a life of sacrifice and service over money and fame. They seek to protect the rest of us from horrors that we can barely appreciate, while often suffering the criticism from the ill informed. The big payoff if they are killed in the line of duty is an anonymous gold star on a wall at Langley. I would hope more people read this book if only to understand that it is a dangerous world in which we live, and perhaps, if only for a moment, take a break from American Idol and Monday Night Football to appreciate these American public servants.

Not so hot
This is a fun little book, but it's not much of a "confession" as billed. Burton was a DSS agent with an interesting career, but he was not a big player. Most of his involvement was at a low-level, conducting debriefings, meeting a few informants, and reading lots of cables. He does not document personal involvement in ANY top takedowns, no intelligence "coups" nor any real excitement. In spite of describing his countersurveillance training, his need to wear "tied shoes" to be able to fight, and running through his home neigborhoods watching for tails, he never really makes the bigtime. He does have some decent tips on countersurveillance and terrorist planning and execution cycle, and some interesting inside tidbits, but this is no true "ghost."

Counterterrorism school of hard knocks
Great book and classic story about learning "what you do not know". For those who do not understand what it is like to build a program without any guidance, Fred Burton gives a great insight into his personal school of hard knocks. This book is an in depth look at how the USA developed Counter-terrorism (CT) operations complete with failures and successes. You can feel the emotion, the challenges, and the personal toll it takes on normal people. He also gives some insight into the difference between "serving the country" and "being a politician." Fred is an American hero who stepped up to the plate when his country needed him.

Spooked by Ghost!
I found this book hard to put down. The pages turned rapidly as I gleaned behind the scenes insights into events to which I had been exposed to via electronic and print media in the past. As I put down the completed book, I experienced two strong feelings: 1. I am very glad that I was able to experience a microscopic view into the activities of people working behind the scenes, with little or no publicity, to protect our nation all hours of all days 2. I am concerned that our intelligence community may still be hindering itself through a lack of cooperation between the various agencies; even with the advent of Homeland Security. I highly recommend this book to all concerned citizens.
As an aside, I wouldn't be at all surprised if this book becomes a successful movie.