Pay in installments of $4.04 with
,
and
Shipping Estimate
USA
- USA
- CAN
- USA
- CAN
Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Jul 16 - Jul 21
Promo Codes Available:
For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15
Description
The Targeter: My Life in the Cia, Hunting Terrorists and Challenging the White HouseA CIA analyst's "revealing and utterly engrossing account" of the world of high stakes foreign intelligence and her role within the campaign to stop top tier targets inside Al Qaida (Joby Warrick). In 1999, 30 year old Nada Bakos moved from her lifelong home in Montana to Washington, D. C., to join the CIA. Quickly realizing her affinity for intelligence work, Nada was determined to rise through the ranks of the agency first as an analyst and then as
A CIA analyst's "revealing and utterly engrossing account" of the world of high-stakes foreign intelligence and her role within the campaign to stop top-tier targets inside Al-Qaida (Joby Warrick).In 1999, 30-year-old Nada Bakos moved from her lifelong home in Montana to Washington, D.C., to join the CIA. Quickly realizing her affinity for intelligence work, Nada was determined to rise through the ranks of the agency first as an analyst and then as a Targeting Officer, eventually finding herself on the frontline of America's war against Islamic extremists.
In this role, Nada was charged with determining if Iraq had a relationship with 9/11 and Al-Qaida, and finding the mastermind behind this terrorist activity: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Her team's analysis stood the test of time, but it was not satisfactory for some members of the Administration.
In a tight, tension-packed narrative that takes the reader from Langley deep into Iraq, Bakos reveals the inner workings of the Agency and the largely hidden world of intelligence gathering post 9/11. Entrenched in the world of the CIA, Bakos, along with her colleagues, focused on leading U.S. Special Operations Forces to the doorstep of one of the world's most wanted terrorists.
Filled with on-the-ground insights and poignant personal anecdotes, The Targeter shows us the great personal sacrifice that comes with intelligence work. This is Nada's story, but it is also an intimate chronicle of how a group of determined, ambitious men and women worked tirelessly in the heart of the CIA to ensure our nation's safety at home and abroad.
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Published: 05/05/2020
ISBN: 9780316260466
Pages: 368
Weight: 0.65lbs
Size: 8.10h x 5.40w x 1.10d
Shipping Notes
- Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
- Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
- Delivery to the USA:
- Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
- If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
- We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
- Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
- To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
- Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
4.1 ★★★★★
Based on 23 reviews
Sort
Product Reviews
★★★★★ 5
greatest Batman stories
Format: Hardcover
The Killing Joke is an exceptional piece of literature. Just looking at the cover tells you almost immediately what you're in for (something something, don't judge book by it's cover), but even then it gives so much more. I knew going in that this was highly regarded by many as one of, if not the, greatest Batman stories. This graphic novel is rich with atmosphere and saturated in beautiful imagery.
What really sets it apart is how mature and well told the story is. The very first dialogue sets the scene for the whole book: what's going to happen between Batman and the Joker? They've been playing the same game for years and years, but when will it end, and how? Before now, we never had any reason to sympathize with the Joker. The Joker has always been an incredibly interesting and fun character, but the audience didn’t know what drove him, or even what drove him mad. Revealing his backstory is one-shot deal; you either please fans universally or lose all of their faith depending on how the story is told. But The Killing Joke nails it with flying colors.
Speaking of colors, The Killing Joke is rife with fantastic images and finely-crafted spectacles. Open it to any page, and you’ll find something iconic or stylistic. Every panel is given such a painstaking attention to detail, and that kind of dedication and consistency is one of the major selling points. These are the images that’ll stick with you well after you put the book down because of how they pop out of the page. When you see that first image of the Joker truly going mad, you feel it. It’s not “oh look the joker is laughing and totally losing his mind, sucks to be him golly gee,” it’s “That’s it! That’s the point of no return! He’s gone and I feel like I was right there next to him!” (Okay that was a little corny, I won’t do that again, promise). And that’s not the only one that sticks out: Joker in a hawaiian t-shirt holding a cocktail, Joker on a throne of baby dolls, Joker looking solemnly at an old broken carnival machine.
Now, you might’ve noticed a pattern there. “But where’s Batman?” Y’see, Batman has had thousands of comics, movies, books, and video games dedicated to his story and his experiences. We know his backstory as though it’s mythology. But until now, we didn’t know Joker. Batman even says so in the graphic novel. And now that the Joker’s finally gotten his spotlight, a true telling of his story, there’s no need to go any further. Sure, we could ask for more novels about Joker’s experiences, but this is the only one that needed to be about the Joker. This is the story about how his life got flip-turned upside down (sorry). All the ones after this one, he’s already insane and we don’t learn anything really new. But here we see it all through his eyes. It doesn’t need a sequel. In fact I hope it never gets a sequel. There’s nothing more to tell with this story, especially with how it ends. The Killing Joke is an exceptional piece of literature.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2017
★★★★★ 5
You only need 64 pages to tell an amazing story.
Format: Hardcover
Before reading The Killing Joke, I've ready V for Vendetta and Watchmen. Both are other graphic novels written by Alan Moore. I had no idea what to expect, but a friend of mine did call this (in his opinion) the greatest graphic novel of all time. I think it's damn near close to it.
The Good:
I love Batman. Doesn't matter where he is. Nolan movies? Arkham series? Comics? They're all awesome, so of course I was gonna love Batman in this story too. The joker is also a stand out character obviously. I hate to love the joker because he's that awesomely terrible. It's amazing. This story isn't so much about Batman fighting bad guys as it is about proving the joker wrong. "All it takes is one bad day." Well does it? Batman (and Gordon) are pushed to their limits as they not only try to stop the joker, but prove him wrong. By the end of the story, you wonder who TRULY won that night. I won't give any spoilers, but the ending does make you wonder. You see what I mean? It's psychologically complex and disturbing. It really makes worry about the outcome of ALL the characters. One thing I liked from another comic, Batman: Hush, was the use of other DC characters to progress the story, but I really liked how The Killing Joke told another amazing story with less character in less pages. I also really like that short story after the end of the main story. I'm glad it was there.
The Bad:
There really isn't all that much bad. I mean I would have loved for it to be longer, but I still enjoyed it for what it is. That's really my only complaint. It just a little too short, and I wanted to keep on reading.
Final Verdict:
I don't know if it's the greatest graphic novel of all time, but I loved it and I think everyone else who reads it will love it too. I mean I read the whole thing is one sitting in less than an hour. I literally could not put the book down. BUT! There's a lot of very disturbing moments in the story, so know what you're getting yourself into. I mean the animated movie adaption for this book is rated R!
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2016
★★★★★ 5
Tycho Evaluates: "Batman: The Killing Joke"
Format: Hardcover
As a big fan of Batman as a character and the DC universe, I've always thought of The Joker as my favorite villain. He's a character I've long been obsessed over, there's a lot of fascinating elements about him that have impressed and captivated me, that began with the first time I saw The Dark Knight. Heath Ledgers portrayal of the character astounded me, and inspired me to research more on the history of the character and discover how it was created, and how he's been portrayed throughout the years. One name kept coming up during my search, Batman: The Killing Joke, cited as the quintessential comic featuring The Joker. So, I went online, purchased it and read it. And...it's one of the greatest things I've ever read. There's a quote on the front cover from Tim Burton, saying that its the first comic he ever loved. I agree with that on a lot of levels, as a person who hasn't read too many comic books, I can still tell what a masterpiece this one is. The atmosphere created by the illustrations of Brian Bolland, the writing and dialogue created by Alan Moore, really made me feel like I was watching a movie. That I was experiencing a living, fluid story centered around the actions and origin of The Joker. The balance they achieved between scenes without dialogue and scenes with conversations between characters is perfect, creating beautiful build up and suspense. From Batman walking into Arkham Asylum, to the shooting of Barbra Gordon, to the reveal of the comedian transformed into The Joker. Every page of this book carries so much, accomplishing something I didn't think was possible. Giving a concrete origin to The Joker, a character that's not supposed to have a past, to be utterly mysterious and detached. It works so well though, a failed comedian who has one really, really bad day. Ruining his life and reducing him to a deranged killer obsessed with the idea that life, reality, and the human condition are just a massive joke. There's two moments in this comic that stick out the most to me, one is the moment when the comedian is told his wife is dead. There's a panel where he says nothing, then simply replies with "What?". It truly captures a moment of absolute disbelief, how a man would react to the worst news imaginable, in that he would barely react at all. Then, there's the ending. Out of respect for the sheer brilliance of the conclusion, I wont spoil it here. To wrap up my ramblings, Batman: The Killing Joke is an incredible comic that serves as quite possibly the best story featuring The Clown Prince of Crime. I recommend it to anyone who is even a cursory fan of Batman, The Joker, dark comedy, or simply superb illustration and writing. Its definitely worth the read...and the laughs.
-Tycho
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2015
★★★★★ 5
Great resource to refer to
Format: Paperback
I thought that I was just going to use it as a reference book but when I was reading it I was very interested and ended reading the whole thing. I learned a lot short cuts and tricks and tips. I still refer to the book all the time. Great investment for a reference.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2025
★★★★★ 4
Good Introduction
Format: Paperback
A good introduction to the basic concepts but nothing in detail.
Though...there is quite a couple of grammatical errors. Scissors cannot be a singular noun (i.e. there is nothing like "a scissors")
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2024