No Cloak, No Dagger: A Professor's Secret Life Inside the CIA

This captivating memoir follows a professor’s journey from lecture hall deep into the hidden passages of espionage. Les Paldy’s eloquent prose and insider’s perspective pulls you into his covert life of camaraderie, intrigue, and courage. If you are an espionage fan, No Cloak, No Dagger opens a door into an undisclosed side of the business!

-- Mike Mears, Retired CIA Chief of Human Capital (HR)

Les Paldy is one of a kind. His scientific and academic credentials gave him entrée to America’s most intractable enemies. His intellectual prowess and ability to engage foreign scientists provided CIA with eyes and ears in places others could not reach. His bravery and enthusiasm in planning and undertaking dangerous and difficult missions produced stunning results.

-- Elinor Houghton Kelly, former senior CIA official and innovator

Les Paldy contributed to our national security for well over 24 years by going to places where US intelligence officers were forbidden to go to identify the vulnerabilities of some of our foreign adversaries’ top weapons scientists. He worked with my team to sensitize our officers and FBI special agents to ways to approach foreign scientists for recruitment as clandestine sources. This was a crucial skill that heretofore had been missing in intelligence community training.

-- James Lawler, former chief, CIA Counterproliferation Division

Les served for many years as a teacher, mentor, traveling companion, and sounding board for myself and countless others in CIA’s Russia House. His knowledge and boundless enthusiasm made us smarter and more effective in countering Russia’s efforts.

-- Laura Vollenweider, former CIA Intelligence Officer

As an FBI detailee, I found the CIA culture very different from the FBI’s. No one did more to facilitate trust between the FBI and CIA than Les Paldy. Through his brilliance, kindness, and authenticity, he made a seismic difference. Les is the real deal, and this book is an amazing peek into his extraordinary life and career.

-- Martin Gilvary, SSA FBI-retired

An inside look at the double life of a university professor turned CIA contract intelligence officer.