Drew Sullivan of the Associated Press recommends a research tool called NameBase, available for free at http://www.pir.org Namebase, run by Public Information Research, "is an index of names pulled from books, magazines, newletters and all sorts of strange and rare sources dealing with the CIA, intelligence, corporate fraud, drug-dealing, the mob and more than a few conspiracy theories," Sullivan says.
"If you can't remember what Thomas Clines or Richard Secord was involved in, this is your place." Drew Sullivan can be reached by e-mail at drew@ap.org