In True Face

“Engaging and enlightening, In True Face [is] an important addition to the canon of nonfiction books about an institution encrusted in myths created by movies, television, novels, hostile intelligence services and, occasionally, the agency itself.”
 

“Mendez details her fascinating career in this gripping memoir… an entertaining and enlightening glimpse inside the opaque world of spycraft.”

“Fans of true espionage will enjoy Mendez’s stories of a formative era in intelligence history.”

“An extraordinarily brave and entertaining book. Jonna Mendez shows us that one of the CIA’s biggest secrets was its treatment of women and the consequences not only for its officers, but the nation it was supposed to serve.”

“Few outside the intelligence community understand the pressures and deceptions involved in spying. Even fewer know what it means to navigate this world while also fighting against discrimination. But all that secrecy can take a toll. In this book, Jonna Mendez takes a risk that she never could in her spying days--to tell the full and unvarnished truth.”

“Who can imagine James Bond without secret weapons, tricky cars and disguises? Meet Jonna, the CIA’s version of Q and the first woman to master the many skills of deception and spy craft.  With more than a decade of undercover operations, I had met only a few of the Agency’s rare, but storied technical officers — the ones responsible for many of the most sensitive, elaborate activities. In True Face had me glued to the pages until I finished in one sitting! This is a rare glimpse at the Spy-vs-Spy that won the Cold War and wages still. A must-read and inspiration to women who fear not.”

“In this refreshingly personal account, Jonna Mendez uses stories from her amazing 25 year CIA career to shed light on everything from clandestine photographic operations to decades of sexism at the Agency to mind-blowing disguise technology. A must-read for anyone interested in intelligence.”

"I loved the book. Part adventure story, part real-life espionage novel, and part life journey, the book comes alive with Jonna’s rich vignettes of a life and work overseas for the CIA. Most importantly, Jonna battled terrible institutional misogyny to rise from a contract spouse to Chief of Disguise at CIA, where she was a critical component of the CIA’s espionage activities against our nation’s toughest adversaries. Jonna’s experiences will no doubt inspire the next generation of female CIA officers.”
 

"In True Face: A Woman's Life in the CIA, Unmasked ranks as one of the great CIA autobiographies of all time. It is a must read for anyone interested in the CIA's unique mission and what it was like for a woman rising through the ranks to a position of great importance. Jonna Mendez's story of her career is inspiring. It is also filled with vignettes of espionage, as well as the humor and the challenges of daily life serving in the world's best intelligence service, that make it a page turner. Thanks to Jonna for sharing her career with all of us!"

“Engaging and enlightening… This consistently absorbing book is a wonderful memoir that offers more than simply a compelling life story.”
 

“In her best-selling new memoir, In True Face, the agency’s onetime Chief of Disguise makes her 27-year intelligence career sound like a gender-switched Bond movie.”
 

“Engaging… full of fascinating details.”
 

“Jonna Mendez’s In True Face is more than just an autobiography; it is an essential piece of intelligence literature that provides a nuanced view of CIA operations through the eyes of one of its most innovative officers. As we turn the pages of her life story, we are reminded of the enduring impact of those who operate in the shadows, their legacies shaping not just the history of espionage but also the very fabric of international politics.”