Woman's War - (Security and Professional Intelligence Education) by Gail Harris & Pam McLaughlin (Paperback)

About the Book

When Gail Harris was assigned by the U.S. Navy to a combat intelligence job in 1973, she became the first African American female to hold such a position. Harris's memoir, A Woman's War, follows her 28-year career as a naval intelligence officer, sharing her unique experience ...

Book Synopsis

When Gail Harris was assigned by the U.S. Navy to a combat intelligence job in 1973, she became the first African American female to hold such a position. Harris's memoir, A Woman's War, follows her 28-year career as a naval intelligence officer, sharing her unique experience and perspective as she completed the complex task of providing intelligence support to military operations while also battling the status quo, office bullies, and politics.

Review Quotes

A Woman's War is an inspirational story for career intelligence professionals in general and for African American women in particular. A really valuable contribution to the intelligence literature.

A revealing look at the inner workings of the United States Intelligence community....This informative and fact-filled book answers many questions the public may have about how our leaders make tactical decisions in times of national emergencies. The behind-the-scenes look at the massive amount of data that must be sorted, and its importance evaluated, boggles the mind.

Harris became the first black woman to work in military intelligence when she joined the U.S. Navy in 1973. She has worked in every major conflict, from the cold war to the more recent challenges of cyberwar, but her particular battlefield has been sexism and racism in the military. She recalls her early desire to join the military despite the decidedly antimilitary mood of the nation because of the Vietnam War. An early mentor, when she was at the University of Denver School of International Studies, was Josef Korbel, Madeline Albright's father. When she joined the navy, there were few women, and they were mostly confined to nursing or administrative work. When opportunities did open up, she had to guard against being treated as a token or being bullied in the male-dominated culture. Harris rightly sees the lessons of stamina and determination learned from her personal and professional life as applying more broadly to women beyond the military.

This autobiography is part personal journal, part motivational speech, part history, and part how women began to play key roles in the intelligence field. . . .The book is full of ideas, advice, historical moments, and life. It is not a heavy read, and can be picked up and put down over a period of time without losing its value. In some ways, it provides a reality check to those thinking of joining the armed forces; for others, it is a story of determination, perseverance, spirituality, and success.

About the Author

Gail Harris spent 28 years in the Navy working as an intelligence officer.

Pam McLaughlin is a retired teacher and has been working since retirement as a ghost writer and copy editor.