
The Perfect Kill
A Personal History of Modern Assassination
Robert Baer(Author)
Weidenfeld & Nicolson (Publisher)
Published on 8. October 2015
Book
Paperback/Softback
336 pages
978-1-78022-839-6 (ISBN)
Description
What is the definition of assassination? Robert 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 dramatised by literature and politicised by infamous murders throughout history, and for Robert Baer, one of the most accomplished agents ever to work for the CIA, it's a source of endless fascination. Over several decades, Baer served as an operative, from Iraq to India and beyond. In THE PERFECT KILL, he takes us on a wildly entertaining narrative adventure through a history of political murder, interweaving his first-hand experience and his decades-long cat-and-mouse hunt for the greatest assassin of the modern age.
A true maverick with an undeniably captivating personal story, Baer pulls back the curtain to give a glimpse of the underbelly of world politics, and the quiet murderers who operate on the fringe of our society.
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 dramatised by literature and politicised by infamous murders throughout history, and for Robert Baer, one of the most accomplished agents ever to work for the CIA, it's a source of endless fascination. Over several decades, Baer served as an operative, from Iraq to India and beyond. In THE PERFECT KILL, he takes us on a wildly entertaining narrative adventure through a history of political murder, interweaving his first-hand experience and his decades-long cat-and-mouse hunt for the greatest assassin of the modern age.
A true maverick with an undeniably captivating personal story, Baer pulls back the curtain to give a glimpse of the underbelly of world politics, and the quiet murderers who operate on the fringe of our society.
Reviews / Votes
The Perfect Kill is a meditation on the art of political murder. Baer knows his subject -- ED CAESAR * SUNDAY TIMES * This potted history of assassination, with its carefully worded anecdotes and sense of absolute authenticity is intriguing, terrifying and occasionally lightened by the author's drily black sense of humour -- Russel D McLean * GLASGOW HERALD * riveting and insightful * BIGNEWSNETWORK.COM *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Orion Publishing Co
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
319 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78022-839-6 (9781780228396)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
10/2014
1st Edition
Weidenfeld and Nicholson
€3.99
Available for download
Person
Robert Baer spent 21 years in the CIA as a field operative. He resigned after leading an aborted attempt on Saddam Hussein. He is the author of four NEW YORK TIMES bestsellers. His memoir SEE NO EVIL was made into the Academy Award-winning movie SYRIANA. He anchored an Emmy-nominated British documentary series, THE CULT OF THE SUICIDE BOMBER. He is the intelligence columnist for TIME.com and a regular BBC and CNN contributor. He currently lectures various US government agencies on assassination.