David Priess
@davidpriess.bsky.social
Intelligence, geopolitics, and learning | Global Head of Training & Education, Emergent Risk Interrnational | Senior Fellow, Hayden Center | Former CIA & State Department | Duke poli sci PhD | Author, The President’s Book of Secrets
Pinned
David Priess
@davidpriess.bsky.social
· Dec 26
Welcome, new arrivals!
I served at CIA and the State Dept, followed by non-profit & private sector leadership roles. I offer info/insight on nat’l security, intelligence, and the presidency & how it all intersects with history and culture.
Celebrating books, all things Arctic, space, and dogs.
I served at CIA and the State Dept, followed by non-profit & private sector leadership roles. I offer info/insight on nat’l security, intelligence, and the presidency & how it all intersects with history and culture.
Celebrating books, all things Arctic, space, and dogs.
Reposted by David Priess
Fun and games on civ-mil relations with @eliotacohen.bsky.social and Eric Edelman, arguing over Huntington, military resignations, and whether mil or civ deserve more blame for failure in Iraq.
The Military’s Silent Rebellion (w/ Kori Schake) | Shield of the Republic
YouTube video by The Bulwark
www.youtube.com
February 9, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Fun and games on civ-mil relations with @eliotacohen.bsky.social and Eric Edelman, arguing over Huntington, military resignations, and whether mil or civ deserve more blame for failure in Iraq.
Reposted by David Priess
It’s that time of year. One of the most useful annual reviews of Russia.
www.valisluureamet.ee/en.html
www.valisluureamet.ee/en.html
Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service
Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service
www.valisluureamet.ee
February 10, 2026 at 1:35 PM
It’s that time of year. One of the most useful annual reviews of Russia.
www.valisluureamet.ee/en.html
www.valisluureamet.ee/en.html
Reposted by David Priess
Electric hydrofoils are quiet, emission-free and cheap to run. Proponents believe they could shift traffic from clogged roads to underused waterways. Some cities are putting those claims to the test
“Flying” electric boats could remake urban transport
The convergence of three technologies has made possible the reinvention of the hydrofoil
econ.st
February 10, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Electric hydrofoils are quiet, emission-free and cheap to run. Proponents believe they could shift traffic from clogged roads to underused waterways. Some cities are putting those claims to the test
Reposted by David Priess
The Washington Post—for which I wrote editorials for nearly a decade—has closed its Kyiv bureau.
@lawfaremedia.org has not—and we will not.
We now employ more people in Kyiv than the Washington Post.
Let me tell you about what we have done in Ukraine over the past year and why we are not leaving
@lawfaremedia.org has not—and we will not.
We now employ more people in Kyiv than the Washington Post.
Let me tell you about what we have done in Ukraine over the past year and why we are not leaving
February 6, 2026 at 6:55 PM
The Washington Post—for which I wrote editorials for nearly a decade—has closed its Kyiv bureau.
@lawfaremedia.org has not—and we will not.
We now employ more people in Kyiv than the Washington Post.
Let me tell you about what we have done in Ukraine over the past year and why we are not leaving
@lawfaremedia.org has not—and we will not.
We now employ more people in Kyiv than the Washington Post.
Let me tell you about what we have done in Ukraine over the past year and why we are not leaving
Last month, the estimable @engelsbergideas.bsky.social interviewed me for Sweden’s Axess Television about intelligence briefings for US presidents.
I hope you enjoy some of the stories I shared here:
m.youtube.com/watch?v=7dcO...
I hope you enjoy some of the stories I shared here:
m.youtube.com/watch?v=7dcO...
David Priess: Global Challenges and the President’s Daily Brief
YouTube video by Axess Television
m.youtube.com
January 14, 2026 at 2:16 AM
Last month, the estimable @engelsbergideas.bsky.social interviewed me for Sweden’s Axess Television about intelligence briefings for US presidents.
I hope you enjoy some of the stories I shared here:
m.youtube.com/watch?v=7dcO...
I hope you enjoy some of the stories I shared here:
m.youtube.com/watch?v=7dcO...
You are far too kind
January 12, 2026 at 8:14 PM
You are far too kind
I’m overjoyed to announce my fellowship at the George Washington Presidential Library, allowing me to spend part of my time this year researching Washington’s choices about intelligence during his presidency.
Huge thanks to GWPL @Mount_Vernon & to GWPl Executive Director @lmchervinsky.bsky.social 🙏
Huge thanks to GWPL @Mount_Vernon & to GWPl Executive Director @lmchervinsky.bsky.social 🙏
a portrait of george washington with the caption done well meme-gen.ai
ALT: a portrait of george washington with the caption done well meme-gen.ai
media.tenor.com
January 12, 2026 at 7:58 PM
I’m overjoyed to announce my fellowship at the George Washington Presidential Library, allowing me to spend part of my time this year researching Washington’s choices about intelligence during his presidency.
Huge thanks to GWPL @Mount_Vernon & to GWPl Executive Director @lmchervinsky.bsky.social 🙏
Huge thanks to GWPL @Mount_Vernon & to GWPl Executive Director @lmchervinsky.bsky.social 🙏
“Agent-running is all about people…. it’s about a case officer and an agent in a safehouse, a car meeting, or even conducting a dead drop. The safety of the agent, the sanctity of the operation, is paramount.”
Great @mpolymer1.bsky.social essay:
engelsbergideas.com/notebook/the...
Great @mpolymer1.bsky.social essay:
engelsbergideas.com/notebook/the...
The art of agent-running
Agent-running is all about people. The safety of agents – who often treat their case officers as confessional, priest-like figures – is paramount.
engelsbergideas.com
January 7, 2026 at 1:43 PM
“Agent-running is all about people…. it’s about a case officer and an agent in a safehouse, a car meeting, or even conducting a dead drop. The safety of the agent, the sanctity of the operation, is paramount.”
Great @mpolymer1.bsky.social essay:
engelsbergideas.com/notebook/the...
Great @mpolymer1.bsky.social essay:
engelsbergideas.com/notebook/the...
The best news of the new year so far. Congratulations to you—and SCSP! 🤜🤛
January 4, 2026 at 9:55 PM
The best news of the new year so far. Congratulations to you—and SCSP! 🤜🤛
Books I’ve read this year in fiction (part 4)
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson
Edge of Honor by @bradthor.bsky.social
Blindsight by Peter Watts
Happy New Year!
/end
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson
Edge of Honor by @bradthor.bsky.social
Blindsight by Peter Watts
Happy New Year!
/end
December 31, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Books I’ve read this year in fiction (part 4)
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson
Edge of Honor by @bradthor.bsky.social
Blindsight by Peter Watts
Happy New Year!
/end
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson
Edge of Honor by @bradthor.bsky.social
Blindsight by Peter Watts
Happy New Year!
/end
Books I’ve read this year in fiction (part 3)
Anathem by Neal Stephenson
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neil Stephenson and Nicole Galland
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
18/19
Anathem by Neal Stephenson
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neil Stephenson and Nicole Galland
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
18/19
December 31, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Books I’ve read this year in fiction (part 3)
Anathem by Neal Stephenson
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neil Stephenson and Nicole Galland
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
18/19
Anathem by Neal Stephenson
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neil Stephenson and Nicole Galland
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
18/19
Books I’ve read this year in fiction (part 2)
Darwin’s Radio by Greg Bear
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Master of the Revels by Nicole Galland
The Persian by David McCloskey
17/19
Darwin’s Radio by Greg Bear
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Master of the Revels by Nicole Galland
The Persian by David McCloskey
17/19
December 31, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Books I’ve read this year in fiction (part 2)
Darwin’s Radio by Greg Bear
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Master of the Revels by Nicole Galland
The Persian by David McCloskey
17/19
Darwin’s Radio by Greg Bear
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Master of the Revels by Nicole Galland
The Persian by David McCloskey
17/19
Books I’ve read this year in fiction (part 1)
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Foundation’s Edge by Isaac Asimov
16/19
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Foundation’s Edge by Isaac Asimov
16/19
December 31, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Books I’ve read this year in fiction (part 1)
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Foundation’s Edge by Isaac Asimov
16/19
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Foundation’s Edge by Isaac Asimov
16/19
Books I’ve read this year in general nonfiction (part 4)
The Book-Makers: A History of the Book in Eighteen Lives by Adam Smyth
Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman
If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All by Eliezer Yudkowsky & Nate Soares
15/19
The Book-Makers: A History of the Book in Eighteen Lives by Adam Smyth
Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman
If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All by Eliezer Yudkowsky & Nate Soares
15/19
December 31, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Books I’ve read this year in general nonfiction (part 4)
The Book-Makers: A History of the Book in Eighteen Lives by Adam Smyth
Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman
If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All by Eliezer Yudkowsky & Nate Soares
15/19
The Book-Makers: A History of the Book in Eighteen Lives by Adam Smyth
Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman
If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All by Eliezer Yudkowsky & Nate Soares
15/19
Books I’ve read this year in general nonfiction (part 3)
The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness by Reinhold Niebuhr
Christianity and Power Politics by Reinhold Niebuhr
Moral Man and Immoral Society by Reinhold Niebuhr
The Library by @apettegree.bsky.social & Arthur der Weduwen
14/19
The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness by Reinhold Niebuhr
Christianity and Power Politics by Reinhold Niebuhr
Moral Man and Immoral Society by Reinhold Niebuhr
The Library by @apettegree.bsky.social & Arthur der Weduwen
14/19
December 31, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Books I’ve read this year in general nonfiction (part 3)
The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness by Reinhold Niebuhr
Christianity and Power Politics by Reinhold Niebuhr
Moral Man and Immoral Society by Reinhold Niebuhr
The Library by @apettegree.bsky.social & Arthur der Weduwen
14/19
The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness by Reinhold Niebuhr
Christianity and Power Politics by Reinhold Niebuhr
Moral Man and Immoral Society by Reinhold Niebuhr
The Library by @apettegree.bsky.social & Arthur der Weduwen
14/19
Books I’ve read this year in general nonfiction (part 2)
Alien Earths by Lisa Kaltenegger
Genesis by Henry Kissinger, Craig Mundie, and Eric Schmidt
The Age of AI by Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, and Daniel Huttenlocher
Co-Intelligence by @emollick.bsky.social
13/19
Alien Earths by Lisa Kaltenegger
Genesis by Henry Kissinger, Craig Mundie, and Eric Schmidt
The Age of AI by Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, and Daniel Huttenlocher
Co-Intelligence by @emollick.bsky.social
13/19
December 31, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Books I’ve read this year in general nonfiction (part 2)
Alien Earths by Lisa Kaltenegger
Genesis by Henry Kissinger, Craig Mundie, and Eric Schmidt
The Age of AI by Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, and Daniel Huttenlocher
Co-Intelligence by @emollick.bsky.social
13/19
Alien Earths by Lisa Kaltenegger
Genesis by Henry Kissinger, Craig Mundie, and Eric Schmidt
The Age of AI by Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, and Daniel Huttenlocher
Co-Intelligence by @emollick.bsky.social
13/19
Books I’ve read this year in general nonfiction (part 1)
Comfortably Numb: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd by Mark Blake
Dreams: The Many Lives of Fleetwood Mac by Mark Blake
Careless People by @sarahchurchwell.bsky.social
The Allure of the Multiverse by @phalpern.bsky.social
12/19
Comfortably Numb: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd by Mark Blake
Dreams: The Many Lives of Fleetwood Mac by Mark Blake
Careless People by @sarahchurchwell.bsky.social
The Allure of the Multiverse by @phalpern.bsky.social
12/19
December 31, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Books I’ve read this year in general nonfiction (part 1)
Comfortably Numb: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd by Mark Blake
Dreams: The Many Lives of Fleetwood Mac by Mark Blake
Careless People by @sarahchurchwell.bsky.social
The Allure of the Multiverse by @phalpern.bsky.social
12/19
Comfortably Numb: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd by Mark Blake
Dreams: The Many Lives of Fleetwood Mac by Mark Blake
Careless People by @sarahchurchwell.bsky.social
The Allure of the Multiverse by @phalpern.bsky.social
12/19
Books I’ve read this year in intelligence/national security (part 3)
Active Measures by Thomas Rid @ridt.bsky.social
Democracy and War by Norbert Röttgen @nroettgen.bsky.social
US Naval Power in the 21st Century by Brent Droste Sadler
Sea Power by @admiralstav.bsky.social
11/19
Active Measures by Thomas Rid @ridt.bsky.social
Democracy and War by Norbert Röttgen @nroettgen.bsky.social
US Naval Power in the 21st Century by Brent Droste Sadler
Sea Power by @admiralstav.bsky.social
11/19
December 31, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Books I’ve read this year in intelligence/national security (part 3)
Active Measures by Thomas Rid @ridt.bsky.social
Democracy and War by Norbert Röttgen @nroettgen.bsky.social
US Naval Power in the 21st Century by Brent Droste Sadler
Sea Power by @admiralstav.bsky.social
11/19
Active Measures by Thomas Rid @ridt.bsky.social
Democracy and War by Norbert Röttgen @nroettgen.bsky.social
US Naval Power in the 21st Century by Brent Droste Sadler
Sea Power by @admiralstav.bsky.social
11/19
Books I’ve read this year in intelligence/national security (part 2)
The Technological Republic by Alexander Karp and Nicholas Zamiska
War and Power by @phillipsobrien.bsky.social
Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime by Eric O’Neill
The New Nuclear Age by Ankit Panda @nktpnd.bsky.social
10/19
The Technological Republic by Alexander Karp and Nicholas Zamiska
War and Power by @phillipsobrien.bsky.social
Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime by Eric O’Neill
The New Nuclear Age by Ankit Panda @nktpnd.bsky.social
10/19
December 31, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Books I’ve read this year in intelligence/national security (part 2)
The Technological Republic by Alexander Karp and Nicholas Zamiska
War and Power by @phillipsobrien.bsky.social
Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime by Eric O’Neill
The New Nuclear Age by Ankit Panda @nktpnd.bsky.social
10/19
The Technological Republic by Alexander Karp and Nicholas Zamiska
War and Power by @phillipsobrien.bsky.social
Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime by Eric O’Neill
The New Nuclear Age by Ankit Panda @nktpnd.bsky.social
10/19
Books I’ve read this year in intelligence/national security (part 1)
On Grand Strategy by John Lewis Gaddis
Spy Schools by Daniel Golden
Intelligence and Contemporary Conflict, edited by @matthefler.bsky.social
The Spy Archive by Dexter Ingram
9/19
On Grand Strategy by John Lewis Gaddis
Spy Schools by Daniel Golden
Intelligence and Contemporary Conflict, edited by @matthefler.bsky.social
The Spy Archive by Dexter Ingram
9/19
December 31, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Books I’ve read this year in intelligence/national security (part 1)
On Grand Strategy by John Lewis Gaddis
Spy Schools by Daniel Golden
Intelligence and Contemporary Conflict, edited by @matthefler.bsky.social
The Spy Archive by Dexter Ingram
9/19
On Grand Strategy by John Lewis Gaddis
Spy Schools by Daniel Golden
Intelligence and Contemporary Conflict, edited by @matthefler.bsky.social
The Spy Archive by Dexter Ingram
9/19
Books I’ve read this year in US history (part 2)
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham
A Country of Vast Designs by Robert W. Merry
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris
What the Anti-Federalists Were For by Herbert Storing
8/19
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham
A Country of Vast Designs by Robert W. Merry
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris
What the Anti-Federalists Were For by Herbert Storing
8/19
December 31, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Books I’ve read this year in US history (part 2)
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham
A Country of Vast Designs by Robert W. Merry
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris
What the Anti-Federalists Were For by Herbert Storing
8/19
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham
A Country of Vast Designs by Robert W. Merry
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris
What the Anti-Federalists Were For by Herbert Storing
8/19
Books I’ve read this year in US history (part 1)
Mark Twain by Ron Chernow
Washington by Ron Chernow
President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier by CW Goodyear
Realities of American Foreign Policy by George Kennan
The Great Bridge by David McCullough
7/19
Mark Twain by Ron Chernow
Washington by Ron Chernow
President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier by CW Goodyear
Realities of American Foreign Policy by George Kennan
The Great Bridge by David McCullough
7/19
December 31, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Books I’ve read this year in US history (part 1)
Mark Twain by Ron Chernow
Washington by Ron Chernow
President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier by CW Goodyear
Realities of American Foreign Policy by George Kennan
The Great Bridge by David McCullough
7/19
Mark Twain by Ron Chernow
Washington by Ron Chernow
President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier by CW Goodyear
Realities of American Foreign Policy by George Kennan
The Great Bridge by David McCullough
7/19
Books I’ve read this year in world history (part 5)
The War Below by Ernest Scheyder
On Tyranny by @TimothySnyder.bsky.social
Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global by @LauraInParis.bsky.social
The Sovereign State and Its Competitors by Hendrik Spruyt
The Prize by Daniel Yergin
6/19
The War Below by Ernest Scheyder
On Tyranny by @TimothySnyder.bsky.social
Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global by @LauraInParis.bsky.social
The Sovereign State and Its Competitors by Hendrik Spruyt
The Prize by Daniel Yergin
6/19
December 31, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Books I’ve read this year in world history (part 5)
The War Below by Ernest Scheyder
On Tyranny by @TimothySnyder.bsky.social
Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global by @LauraInParis.bsky.social
The Sovereign State and Its Competitors by Hendrik Spruyt
The Prize by Daniel Yergin
6/19
The War Below by Ernest Scheyder
On Tyranny by @TimothySnyder.bsky.social
Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global by @LauraInParis.bsky.social
The Sovereign State and Its Competitors by Hendrik Spruyt
The Prize by Daniel Yergin
6/19
Books I’ve read this year in world history (part 4)
A Brief History of Finland by Matti Klinge
The Tragedy of Empire by Michael Kulikowski
Dangerous Games: The Uses and Abuses of History by Margaret Macmillan
Chip War by Chris Miller
The Middle Kingdoms by Martyn Rady
5/19
A Brief History of Finland by Matti Klinge
The Tragedy of Empire by Michael Kulikowski
Dangerous Games: The Uses and Abuses of History by Margaret Macmillan
Chip War by Chris Miller
The Middle Kingdoms by Martyn Rady
5/19
December 31, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Books I’ve read this year in world history (part 4)
A Brief History of Finland by Matti Klinge
The Tragedy of Empire by Michael Kulikowski
Dangerous Games: The Uses and Abuses of History by Margaret Macmillan
Chip War by Chris Miller
The Middle Kingdoms by Martyn Rady
5/19
A Brief History of Finland by Matti Klinge
The Tragedy of Empire by Michael Kulikowski
Dangerous Games: The Uses and Abuses of History by Margaret Macmillan
Chip War by Chris Miller
The Middle Kingdoms by Martyn Rady
5/19
Books I’ve read this year in world history (part 3)
The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow
The Peaceable Kingdom? by Phil Gurski @BorealisSavis.bsky.social
Fury and Ice: Greenland, the United States and Germany in World War II by @peterharmsen.bsky.social
4/19
The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow
The Peaceable Kingdom? by Phil Gurski @BorealisSavis.bsky.social
Fury and Ice: Greenland, the United States and Germany in World War II by @peterharmsen.bsky.social
4/19
December 31, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Books I’ve read this year in world history (part 3)
The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow
The Peaceable Kingdom? by Phil Gurski @BorealisSavis.bsky.social
Fury and Ice: Greenland, the United States and Germany in World War II by @peterharmsen.bsky.social
4/19
The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow
The Peaceable Kingdom? by Phil Gurski @BorealisSavis.bsky.social
Fury and Ice: Greenland, the United States and Germany in World War II by @peterharmsen.bsky.social
4/19