Sherman Kent and the Board of National Estimates

These collected essays by Sherman Kent were edited by Donald P. Steury and published in 1994 by the History Staff of the Center for the Study of Intelligence Central Intelligence Agency Washington D.C. Kent was chairman of the Board of National Estimates from 1952 - 1967 and these declassified essays represent the essence of his thinking on estimate preparation as well as important historical background on the methodology used before and during his tenure. The foreword is by J. Kenneth McDonald then (1994) chief of the CIA History Staff and the text includes some security-related redactions. This book long out of print is a foundational text in the study of intelligence analysis. For the general non-fiction reading public Kent's illustrative anecdotes about De Gaulle Bedell Smith Dean Acheson etc. offer color and interest as does his lessons learned essay on analysis failure in predicting Soviet missile deliveries to Cuba.