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Charles Mccarry Quotes


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Quotes by Charles Mccarry

Showing 11-20 of 21 Quotes by Charles Mccarry

I've always been baffled by critics of the CIA, who are horrified that it does illegal things. That is the purpose of an intelligence service: to perform illegal acts.

~Charles Mccarry

Topics: Acts Always Baffled Been Cia Critics Does Horrified Illegal Intelligence Perform Purpose Service Things Who

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I don't feel when I'm writing that I'm drawing from any other writer, but of course I must be. The writers I've admired have been not so very different from myself: Evelyn Waugh, for example, that kind of crystalline prose. And I've always admired W. Somerset Maugham more than any other writer.

~Charles Mccarry

Topics: Admired Always Any Been Course Different Drawing Example Feel For Example Kind More Must Myself Other Prose Than Very Writer Writers Writing

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I write in a very peculiar way. I think about a book for 25 or 30 years in a kind of inchoate way, and at one point or another, I realize the book is ready to be written. I usually have a character, a first line, and general idea of what the book is going to be about.

~Charles Mccarry

Topics: About Another Book Character First General Going Idea Kind Line Peculiar Point Ready Realize Think Very Way Write Written Years I Think I Write

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Richard M. Helms, the first director of Central Intelligence to rise from the ranks, was fond of saying that the CIA had been founded to make sure that there would never be another Pearl Harbor. Underlying this mission impossible was the wishful supposition that an America that knew everything could prevent anything.

~Charles Mccarry

Topics: America Another Anything Been Central Cia Could Director Everything First Fond Founded Had Harbor Impossible Intelligence Knew Make Mission Never Pearl Pearl Harbor Prevent Ranks Richard Rise Saying Sure Underlying Wishful Would

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When it comes to the assignment of blame, the CIA has by and large been a luckless organization.

~Charles Mccarry

Topics: Assignment Been Blame Cia Large Organization

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As an old man who remembers the intellectual exhilaration and the pleasure of having done good work that characterized the CIA when it was young, I wonder if it might not be better to speak and think in terms of restoring its culture.

~Charles Mccarry

Topics: Better Characterized Cia Culture Done Exhilaration Good Good Work Having Intellectual Man Might Old Old Man Pleasure Remembers Restoring Speak Terms Think Who Wonder Work Young I Wonder

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Other writers tell me about these bushel baskets delivered at the front door. If I've gotten 50 letters over the last 18 years, I'd be surprised.

~Charles Mccarry

Topics: About Delivered Door Front Front Door Gotten Last Letters Me Other Over Surprised Tell Writers Years

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I've consciously tried not to romanticize anything, especially not intelligence work. I've always said that I've been writing a series of episodic, naturalistic novels. The people just happen to be spies, politicians, civil servants.

~Charles Mccarry

Topics: Always Anything Been Civil Civil Servants Episodic Happen Intelligence Just Novels People Politicians Said Series Servants Spies Tried Work Writing

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If I were to give you a list of names of the people, world political figures, who have been assisted by the CIA, and even assisted to office around the world, you'd be astonished and probably wouldn't believe it. But it's very long, and the names are very distinguished.

~Charles Mccarry

Topics: Around Astonished Been Believe Cia Distinguished Even Figures Give List Long Names Office People Political Very Were Who World You

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There's nothing new about European anti-Americanism. To go to a dinner party of intellectuals in Paris in 1960 was like walking into a tiger's den with a piece of raw meat in your hands.

~Charles Mccarry

Topics: About Den Dinner Dinner Party European Go Hands Intellectuals Like Meat New Nothing Nothing New Paris Party Piece Raw Tiger Walking Your

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Biography

Nationality: American

Type: Writer

Born: Unknown

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Find Charles Mccarry on Amazon

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