AGENTS OF CHANGE

From ex-CIA intelligence officer and author of License to Parent, the timely and revelatory exploration of the pioneering women who changed the insulated world of international espionage—from the barrier-crashing challenges of the 1960s to the present day reckoning.

“This immensely readable book tells the nearly lost stories of everyday women who dared to enter the man’s world of the CIA and do extraordinary things. Agents of Change is a breath of fresh air into an obviously secretive and murky environment.” —Valerie Plame, New York Times bestselling author of Fair Game and former CIA operations officer.

 

Years after her successful and impactful career at the CIA, Christina Hillsberg became enthralled with the stories of the trailblazing women who forged new paths within the Agency long before she began her career there in the aughts. These were women who sacrificed their personal lives, risked their safety, defied expectations, and boldly navigated the male-dominated spy organization.

Through exclusive interviews with current and former female CIA officers, many of whom have never spoken publicly, Agents of Change tells an enthralling and, at times, disturbing story set against the backdrop of the evolving women’s movement. It was the 1960s, a “secretarial” era, when women first gained a foothold and pushed against the one-dimensional, pop-culture trope of the sexy Cold War Bond Girl. Underestimated but undaunted, they fought their way, decade-by-decade, through adversity to the top of the spy game.

Seamlessly weaving together the individual stories of these exceptional women, Hillsberg deftly tackles not just the fight for gender equality at the CIA, but the current dilemma the Agency faces when dealing with the culmination of a decades-long culture of sexual harassment and assault.

Each chapter sheds a light on women’s issues during that decade before bringing to life the stories of female CIA operations officers whose experiences were emblematic of that given era. In this fascinating and empowering chronicle, Hillsberg takes readers inside the Agency in a way that’s never been done before, paying long overdue tribute to the survivors and thrivers, the indispensable groundbreakers, and defiant rabble-rousers who made the choice to change their lives and in turn, changed history.

PRAISE FOR AGENTS OF CHANGE

“Hillsberg uses her insider knowledge to take us behind the curtain on the world of espionage, exposing far more than gender inequality—the compelling storytelling is a call to action and provides a map for moving forward. Meticulously researched and impeccably told, Agents of Change is a must-read.” —Eve Rodsky, New York Times bestselling author of Fair Play

“An earth-shattering account of the badass women of the CIA that’s equal parts infuriating and inspiring. Hillsberg holds the spy organization’s feet to the fire, demanding accountability for the decades-long toxic culture of masculinity and sexual assault.” —Jo Piazza, bestselling author, podcast creator, and award-winning journalist

“An eye-opening exposé into the guts and grit it takes to be a woman in the CIA. Hillsberg interweaves the stories of trailblazing women with her own experience to give readers a front-row seat to the trials and triumphs of life undercover.” —Jessica Pearce Rotondi, author of What We Inherit: A Secret War and a Family’s Search for Answers

“Bold, brilliant, and beautifully written. Christina Hillsberg, a former CIA officer, charts women’s captivating and challenging history in the CIA. Told with great verve, Hillsberg ensures women’s voices are heard and their extraordinary contributions and experiences recorded, confirming her place as an important ‘agent of change.’” —Claire Hubbard-Hall, author of Secret Servants of the Crown: The Forgotten Women of British Intelligence

“Agents of Change is an important, groundbreaking piece of research, capturing the reality for generations of women who worked at the CIA. A must-read for historians, intelligence scholars, and any woman considering a career in national security.” —Alma Katsu, retired CIA officer and author of Red Widow and Red London

“‘Trailblazers and troublemakers’ is how Hillsberg describes female pioneers at the CIA—and was there ever a more apt dichotomy? With compassion, insight, empathy, and courage, Hillsberg maps the challenges, heartbreak, accomplishments, and—most importantly—the human side of women navigating and building today’s preeminent intelligence organization. Agents of Change is not just a compelling and eye-opening read, but a serious scholarship and cautionary road map that will prove to be a vital piece of this much-neglected area of history.” —I.S. Berry, award-winning author of The Peacock and the Sparrow and former CIA intelligence officer

“A much-needed addition to spy literature that could only be written by someone who worked behind the veil. Bravo!” —Pete Earley, New York Times bestselling author of Confessions of a Spy: The Real Story of Aldrich Ames and Comrade J: The Untold Secrets of Russia’s Master Spy in America After the End of the Cold War

“A revealing account of the discriminatory practices women faced in attempting to serve as intelligence officers in the CIA. The work highlights the individual careers of several woman agents who overcame these systemic practices and were able to carve out successful careers. Hillsberg has done a lasting service by bringing these facts out in the open so we can ensure that such practices will not raise their ugly head again.” —Frank Storey, former Deputy Assistant Director in Charge, FBI, and author of The FBI’s War Against the Mafia