The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government

Host Per Fagereng speaks with David Talbot about his new book, "The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government," described by Lisa Pease as "an anecdotal biography of not just Allen Dulles but of the national security establishment that he helped create." Since the end of World War II, what some call the “deep state” has taken hold of the American Republic, stripping the citizens of meaningful control over national security issues, with CIA Director Allen Dulles playing a key early role.

David Talbot is the author of the New York Times bestseller Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years and the acclaimed national bestseller Season of the Witch: Enchantment, Terror, and Deliverance in the City of Love. He is the founder and former editor in chief of Salon, and was a senior editor at Mother Jones and the features editor at the San Francisco Examiner. He has written for The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Time, The Guardian, and other major publications. Talbot lives in San Francisco, California.