James Bamford

James Bamford

James Bamford was born on September 15th, 1946 and is currently 79 years old. James Bamford was born in Atlantic City, NJ, USA. Bamford attended Suffolk University where he received a Juris Doctor Degree in International Law, the Institute on International and Comparative Law, University of Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne where he received a post graduate diploma and Yale Law School where he received a fellowship.

James Bamford is primarily known as a documentary producer and investigative journalist who is the leading expert on the National Security Agency (NSA). He has been called the NSA’s chief chronicler by The New Yorker.

He was an intelligence analyst working for the United States Navy during the Vietnam War when he was stationed in Hawaii. While still in college and working as a reservist, he became a whistleblower when he outed a program by the NSA that was eavesdropping on American citizens. His testimony resulted in wide-ranging reforms in US intelligence practice.

James has also written and produced PBS documentaries and The Spy Factory, his 2010 documentary won the Emmy Award. Previously, he covered the White House and also worked on World New Tonight on ABC as an investigative producer. He also reported on the Gulf War and other arenas in the Middle East.

At some point, he was charged with leaking classified documents to a prominent publication. However, he argued that everything he provided to the Baltimore Sun was in the public domain and got the case thrown out.

James Bamford has consulted in several espionage cases, the most prominent being the case U.S. v. Thomas Andrews Drake. He has also been an expert witness on a range of intelligence issues brought before the International Criminal Tribunal, the European Parliament, the House of Representatives, and the Senate.

James Bamford published his debut work The Puzzle Palace in 1983.

In this work, the author explores the inner workings of the NSA as he unmasks the powerful people who control it and often operate with impunity. He provides detailed information on the role the agency played in the Gulf War, Iran Contra, and the Korean Airlines Disaster, among other major events of the 80s and 90s.

In 2001, James Bamford published his second book, Body Secrets, which once again is all about the National Security Agency (NSA).

The book explores the inner world of the NSA and particularly its role in some of the most significant happenings in the world from the past. He documents each account drawing on previously classified documents of the NSA’s tireless hunt for intelligence on allies and enemies alike. It is an analysis of one of the most secretive agencies.

Related Authors

Fans of James Bamford also enjoy these authors:

1. Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher Series.
2. Steven Konkoly, author of the Ryan Decker Series.
3. Stephen King, author of The Dark Tower Series.
4. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter Series.
5. Michael Connelly, author of the Harry Bosch Series.

James Bamford: F.A.Q