Describes and assesses the activities of the National Security Agency, the nation's most secret government agency--established in secrecy, many times larger than the CIA, and in control of a huge budget and a vast technology.Inthis remarkable tour de force of investigative reporting, James Bamfordexposes the inner workings of America's largest, most secretive,and arguably most intrusive intelligence agency. The NSA has long eludedpublic scrutiny, butThe Puzzle Palacepenetrates its vast network of power and unmasks the people who controlit, often with shocking disregard for thelaw. With detailed information on the NSA's secret role in the KoreanAirlines disaster, Iran-Contra, the first Gulf War, and other majorworld events of the 80s and 90s, this is a brilliant account of the useand abuse of technological espionage.