Communicating With Intelligence: Writing and Briefing in the Intelligence and National Security Communities (Security and Professional Intelligence Education Series)

The only book of its kind. Great outline for writing in intel work

Title says it all. Must read book! Very helpful in understanding this specific topic. I would recommend it to anyone.

Excellent resource for those of us constantly working within the environment. Additionally, this makes and excellent training aid for subordinates.

James Major is a retired intelligence professional who spent years mentoring intelligence officers on how to write clear, concise papers, theses, and monographs that would be of use to policy makers in the Department of Defense and the academic community. This book adds to that mentoring effort and as a magnum opus for a widely respected author and intelligence officer it is essential reading for anyone who is looking to improve their writing skills or simply ensure that their substance and format will be one understood by those who make decisions within our government.The book provides all of the tools that one will need in order to write a clear, well documented, easily understood, paper, briefing, monograph, or even a manuscript for a book. Major focuses on both the substance and format of what must go into a good work, and this book will be extremely useful for students attending Primary Military Education programs - or simply working on an important written product in any educational or governmental program.For those who are looking for a much more easily digestable set of readings than the Chicago Manual of Style of the MLA format, I highly recommend this book. But it will be extremely useful for anyone who wants to become a better writer and briefer or simply is looking for a great resource for citing sources properly. It is vital reading for anyone who is looking to communicate clearly in intelligence, or who wants to write the very best works possible.

For beginning students, writing an intelligence assessment can be an extremely daunting task (believe me-I was at that point back in September). However, Major's book definitely helps readers with writing assessments. Contained within are numerous tips to improve your writing (including how to use the dreaded semicolon), and numerous examples of do's and do not's in writing. Major also inserts some humor into the book, actually making the book not boring to read at all. I definitely recommend this book not only to individuals in the intelligence industry, but also to those who could use a few tips in writing.