CIA Agent's Penetrating Memoir of Early Days of OEF

CIA Agent's Penetrating Memoir of Early Days of OEF Jawbreaker-The Attack on bin Laden and Al-Qaeda: A Personal Account by the CIA's Key Field Commander. Gary Berntsen and Ralph Pezzullo. Crown Publishers. 328 pages; maps; photos; index; $25.95.

America's global war on terrorism is frequently portrayed in terms that are starkly black and white, but the fact is that winning that war also involves dealing in shades of gray. It is that gray part of the spectrum that provides the backdrop for Gary Berntsen's personal memoir of leading CIA field operations in Afghanistan during the opening days of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).

The short version of America's initial response …