Reflections of a Cold Warrior: From Yalta to the Bay of Pigs
Journal: The SHAFR Guide Online
Year: 2017

Richard M. Bissell, Jr., the most important CIA spymaster in history, single-handedly led America's intelligence service from the age of Mata Hari into the space age. Under his guidance the U-2 spy plane, the SR-71 "Blackbird," and the Corona spy satellite were developed, and the agency rose to the pinnacle of its power. Bissell was also, however, the architect of the infamous Bay of Pigs operation that failed to overthrow Castro in 1961 and led to the decline of the CIA. In this compelling memo