Espionage and secret services Books

Book Synopsis'Part memoir, part hugely entertaining self-help manual for these tough times' Roger Alton, Daily Mail'A bona fide badass' The Sunday TimesFormer Secret Service Special Agent Evy Poumpouras shares the insights and skills from one of the oldest elite security forces in the world - to help you prepare for stressful situations, instantly read people, influence how you're perceived, and live a more fearless life.From gruelling training to clandestine interrogation rooms, to protecting the President of the United States of America, Evy shares rare behind-the-scenes glimpses while also exploring the psychology of human behaviour and the strategies used by the best negotiators. Evy demonstrates how we can learn from these experiences to heighten our own natural instincts to detect BS, develop grit and become the most resilient and powerful version of ourselves.Becoming Bulletproof is a timely guide to empowerment, mental strength, and overcoming fear and abuse - a guide to becoming bulletproof.Trade Review'Part memoir, part hugely entertaining self-help manual for these tough times' -- Roger Alton, Daily MailA bona fide badass * The Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisUlrik Skotte is a Danish journalist who has been chasing the truth about the Umbrella Murder and the mysterious Agent Piccadilly for more than 25 years. He eventually managed to track down Piccadilly and met him face to face in an apartment in Austria in 2021. Shortly after, Piccadilly was found dead in the same apartment. Ulrik Skotte lives in Copenhagen and owns the TV company Doceye, which produces documentaries for the Scandinavian and European markets.

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Book SynopsisAs gripping as any spy thriller, Hastings's achievement is especially impressive, for he has produced the best single volume yet written on the subject' Sunday TimesAuthoritative, exciting and notably well written' Daily TelegraphA serious work of rigourous and comprehensive history royally entertaining and readable' Mail on SundayIn The Secret War, Max Hastings presents a worldwide cast of characters and extraordinary sagas of intelligence and Resistance to create a new perspective on the greatest conflict in history. The book links tales of high courage ashore, at sea and in the air to the work of the brilliant boffins' battling the enemy's technology. Here are not only the unheralded codebreaking geniuses of Bletchley Park, but also their German counterparts who achieved their own triumphs and the fabulous espionage networks created, and so often spurned, by the Soviet Union. With its stories of high policy and human drama, the book has been acclaimed as the best history of the secTrade Review‘As gripping as any spy thriller. Hastings understands, better than any previous historian, that this is as much a story about human nature as it is about the mechanics of code-breaking or spycraft … he has the novelist’s eye for the telling detail … this book works because Hastings is simply a very fine writer who is not afraid of making judgements … Hastings’s achievement is especially impressive, for he has produced the best single volume yet written on the subject’ Lawrence Rees, Sunday Times ‘A total thriller with a full cast of killers, swashbucklers and beautiful adventuresses. The best history of war intelligence yet’ Simon Sebag Montefiore ‘This is his war and he writes with an easy assurance, scatter-gunning opinions … Hastings is on form. He has set out to provide thought and discussion and, with his familiar robustness, shotgun at side, he has succeeded’ The Times ‘Authoritative, exciting and notably well written’ Daily Telegraph ‘A serious work of rigorous and comprehensive history … royally entertaining and readable’ Mail on Sunday ‘Vintage Hastings: a vivid cast of characters, social observation and opinions forcefully expressed … Given the national fixation with spies and special forces, Hastings’s book is a very necessary corrective’ Evening Standard ‘Lively and entertaining … a rich gallery of rogues, eccentrics and brainstorming professors which … Hastings can manipulate with wonderful deftness’ Observer ‘A compendious, crisply argued and witty assessment’ Financial Times ‘[Hastings] writes with infectious relish … a magnificent parade of crooks, alcoholics and fantasists … [he] has drawn fascinating fresh material … A book that pulses along, yet is filled with acute insight into human ingenuity, frailty, and the ironies of evil’ Spectator ‘Magisterial … an author at the top of his game’ Country Life ‘Hastings deploys a formidable arsenal to tell his human stories, plus a refreshing degree of scepticism’ Daily Telegraph

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Book SynopsisWhen David Morehouse - a highly decorated army officer - was hit by a stray bullet, he began to be plagued with visions and uncontrolled out-of-body experiences. As a consequence, he was recruited as a psychic spy for STARGATE, a highly classified programme of espionage instigated by the CIA and the US Defence Department. Trained to develop spiritual, clairvoyant capacities, he became one of a select band of 'remote viewers' in pursuit of previously unattainable political and military secrets. When Morehouse discovered that the next step in the top-secret programme was 'remote influencing' - turning 'viewers' like himself into deadly weapons - he rebelled. In his efforts to expose the programme, he and his family endured the full force of the US intelligence community's attempts to silence him. As the multi-million-dollar STARGATE scandal was exposed to the world, Morehouse himself became the enemy of the secret services...In Psychic Warrior one of STARGATE's 'viewers' finally reveals the extraordinary truth of this secret operation. Originally published in 1996, there is a continuing demand for David Morehouse's story in the U.K. Out of print for over a year, this new edition of Psychic Warrior features a new foreword by the author.Trade Review"David Morehouse is a courageous man with an extraordinary story that transcends time and space." - Nexus.

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Book Synopsis'Merriman excels at recreating the physicality of their experiences: the smell of dense clay, the click-clack of a woman walking down the street above in high heels... Merriman has burrowed her way deep into interviews, news reports and Stasi files to fashion an impressive real life page-turner.' Guardian'An audacious and compelling tale, told with narrative tension and novelistic drive, creating a fascinating portrayal of life in Berlin in the early days of the Wall.' Observer'A fantastic story, exceedingly well told...more gripping than a thriller. The story arc, through betrayal and disaster to triumph, is perfect...a cracking tale that deserves retelling.' The Times'Helena Merriman's book is a tour de force... The chapters on the day of the escape are possibly the most suspenseful I have ever read, in fiction as well as nonfiction.' Scotsman'its skilful blend of a dynamic protagonist, intrigue, spooks, deception, and a love divided imbues Tunnel 29 with all the qualities of a taut Cold War spy thriller.' Sunday Business Post'Captivating... Ms Merriman's well-crafted book does justice to the extraordinary bravery of her characters.' Economist'This new book... allows readers to slip into Joachim's shoes as if living this extraordinary experience... This is a remarkable tale, beautifully told and utterly compelling.' BBC History Magazine-------------------------He's just escaped from one of the world's most brutal regimes.Now, he decides to tunnel back in.It's summer, 1962, and Joachim Rudolph, a student, is digging a tunnel under the Berlin Wall. Waiting on the other side in East Berlin - dozens of men, women and children; all willing to risk everything to escape.From the award-winning creator of the acclaimed BBC Radio 4 podcast, Tunnel 29 is the true story of the most remarkable escape tunnel dug under the Berlin Wall. Drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews with the survivors, and thousands of pages of Stasi documents, Helena Merriman brilliantly reveals the stranger-than-fiction story of the ingenious group of student-diggers, the glamorous red-haired messenger, the American News network which films the escape, and the Stasi spy who betrays it. For what Joachim doesn't know as he burrows closer to East Germany, is that the escape operation has been infiltrated. As the escapees prepare to crawl through the cold, wet darkness, above them, the Stasi are closing in.Tunnel 29 is about what happens when people lose their freedom - and how some will do anything to win it back.Acclaim for the TUNNEL 29 podcast:'Combining the fun of a thriller that we know will end happily with grim perspective on history and tyranny... stunning.' New Yorker'Reminiscent of a savvy Netflix block buster series.' Evening Standard'A truly exciting yarn... creates a sense for the listener of being right there in the tunnel, experiencing the dangers.' Observer

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Book SynopsisElizabeth Thorpe, codenamed Cynthia, was a glamorous American socialite recruited by MI6 to obtain intelligence from the Polish Foreign Ministry and from the Italian and Vichy French embassies in Washington. Her method was to seduce whatever targets could provide her with vital intelligence, a practice in which she hardly ever failed, enabling her to secure first the French and then the Italian naval codes. In the landings in North Africa, she was credited with having saved the lives of hundreds of Allied soldiers. This unique account by a British spymaster of his relationship with Cynthia, detailing his subsequent involvement with Kim Philby and the Cambridge spies and his dealings with his counterparts in the CIA and French intelligence, was entrusted by him to a junior colleague on the basis that it was not to be published until everyone in it was dead. Necessarily anonymous and impossible to fully verify, though most of it undoubtedly did happen and is part of the historical record, A Spy Called Cynthia provides a special insight into the world of intelligence and one of its most effective practitioners.

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Book SynopsisThe Army That Never Was: D-Day and the Great Deception tells the remarkable story of the deceptions, hoaxes and misdirections carried out by the Allies ahead of the most pivotal moment of the Second World War - the D-Day invasion. The most audacious of these schemes aimed to convince German forces that plans to storm Normandy were a mere sideshow, and featured a fictitious army led by General Patton and furnished with hundreds of real-world dummy landing craft, tanks and aircraft. New research reveals a hidden link with Britain's film industry, as the fascinating behind-the-scenes story of this dramatic gambit is explored in detail. Full of fascinating characters from the US, Britain and Germany, this compelling and propulsive narrative explores one of the most remarkable secret campaigns of the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisDuring the Cold War, writers and artists were faced with a huge challenge. In the Soviet world, they were expected to turn out works that glorified militancy, struggle and relentless optimism. In the West, freedom of expression was vaunted as liberal democracy's most cherished possession. But such freedom could carry a cost. This book documents the extraordinary energy of a secret campaign in which some of the most vocal exponents of intellectual freedom in the West became instruments - whether they knew it or not, whether they liked it or not - of America's secret service.

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Book SynopsisThe New York Times bestseller: the incredible untold story of Virginia Hall, an American woman with a wooden leg who infiltrated Occupied France for the SOE and became the Gestapo's most wanted Allied spy, written by acclaimed biographer Sonia Purnell.Trade ReviewPurnell's account of Hall's hectic, amphetamine-fuelled exploits never falters. It recalls Caroline Moorehead's wonderful book, Village of Secrets, but has an added touch of Ben Macintyre's brio ... A rousing tale of derring-do' -- Richard Davenport-Hines * The Times, Book of the Week *Soon to be a film starring Daisy Ridley, Purnell's life of the SOE agent Virginia Hall is a cracking story about an extraordinarily brave woman * Telegraph Best Holiday Beach Reads *As gripping as any thriller ... a superb biography ... Purnell nimbly takes the reader through Hall's complicated manoeuvres all over central France and beyond. And in doing so, she paints a rounded portrait of a complicated, resourceful, determined and above all brave woman * Irish Times *Brimming with moving tales of courage in the face of tyranny, this is a worthy tribute to an incredible figure -- Deirdre O'Brien * Sunday Mirror *A cracking story of an extraordinarily brave woman . . . extraordinarily well-researched . . . thrilling -- Anne de Courcy * Telegraph *Excellent . . . Purnell's meticulous research into Hall's life and work has taken her not only through British SOE papers and resistance files in France, but also through nine levels of security at the CIA in Langley * Spectator *Purnell mixes telling detail with narrative verve to convey both the excitements of Hall's precarious existence and the force of her indomitable spirit * Mail on Sunday *Riveting ... one of the most breath-taking stories yet told of female courage behind enemy lines ... An intimate and moving portrayal * Sarah Helm, author of If This Is A Woman and A Life In Secrets *A gripping, relevant and timely read about a remarkable woman from a talented writer * Deborah Frances-White, author of The Guilty Feminist *Purnell's extensive research brings the facts of Virginia's life into brilliant focus -- Jane Shilling * Evening Standard *With her thriller-writer's style and copious new research, Purnell has written a fitting and moving tribute to an amazing woman * The Economist *It is easy to see why Hollywood is showing interest in Purnell's account of Hall, an authentic heroine who was also American, disabled and a woman. "Marie" thoroughly deserved her laurels -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *The extraordinary facts of [Hall's] life are brought onto the page here with a well-judged balance of empathy and fine detail. This book is as riveting as any thriller, and as hard to put down -- Mick Herron * New York Times *Gripping . . . With this book, the true extent of Hall's heroic contribution to the war effort is known at last -- Jane Warren * Express *Impressively researched and compellingly written, this brilliant biography puts Virginia Hall - and her prosthetic leg Cuthbert - back where they belong: right in the heart of resistance history * Clare Mulley, author of The Spy Who Loved and The Women Who Flew for Hitler *The remarkable life of the American Second World War spy Virginia Hall is due to get the Hollywood treatment - the Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley is slated to play her on screen. In Hall's biography by Sonia Purnell all the details of her incredible adventures are gathered together for a breath-taking read * Irish Examiner, This summer's top reads *Courage, resourcefulness, ingenuity: Hall possessed them all, and in Purnell she has found the ideal biographer * Tablet *Sonia Purnell has exhaustively researched Virginia Hall's career in archives in many countries, and she writes with authority and in vivid detail. This book is a cracking story * Oldie *A compelling biography of a masterful spy, and a reminder of what can be done with a few brave people -- and a little resistance * NPR *An incredible story of under-appreciated heroism * USA Today *An inspiring account of an extraordinary woman's bravery that will keep you gripping your seat -- Rebecca Wallersteiner * The Lady Book of the Week *Remarkable ... this lively examination... shows how, if Hall had been a man, dropping undercover in and out of occupied Vichy, Paris, and Lyon, setting up safe houses, and coordinating couriers for the Resistance, she would now be as famous as James Bond... Meticulous research results in a significant biography of a trailblazer who now has a CIA building named after her * Kirkus Reviews *This true tale of courage will take your breath away * Best *Purnell vividly resurrects an underappreciated hero and delivers an enthralling story of wartime intrigue...fans of WWII history and women's history will be riveted * Publishers Weekly *Fascinating! careful research and skilful writing, Sonia Purnell, in A Woman of No Importance, takes you deep into the covert operations Hall led in Nazi-occupied France, first for the British and then for the Americans. Readers will find this tale of her cunning and courage riveting * Douglas Waller, author of Wild Bill Donovan: The Spymaster Who Created the OSS and Modern American Espionage *Virginia Hall was considered the most dangerous of all the Allieds' spies by the Nazis - and her the untold story of the American with a wooden leg who became the French Resistance's key intelligence contact is finally revealed * Independent *This compelling story has remained under wraps until now, with the publication of Sonia Purnell's dramatic and extremely well-researched account. * Country Life *[A Woman of No Importance is] Sonia Purnell's astonishing account of the wartime escapades of special ops agent Virginia Hall . . . Hall's actions, which helped galvanise the Resistance movement, were guided by an indomitable spirit and fierce sense of purpose, and her perilous escape over the Pyrenees in November 1942 makes for nail-biting reading * Financial Times *A cracking biography of Virginia Hall, the tall, beautiful, one-legged Special Operations Executive agent who in 1941 was sent to occupied France undercover as a journalist to mobilise résistants ahead of D-Day. She became, in the Gestapo's view, the Allies' most dangerous spy. -- Daily Telegraph

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Book Synopsis'Literally impossible to put down’ New York Times Book Review Gordon Thomas has a grasp of history… this is one of the few books to have captured the true nature of the Israeli Government and the thorough process of the Israeli power elite. Ari Ben-Menashe, Former Adviser on Intelligence to the Israeli Government Created in 1951 to ensure an embattled Israel’ s future, the Mossad has been responsible for the most audacious and thrilling feats of espionage, counterterrorism and assassination ever ventured. Gideon’ s Spies has been created from closed-door interviews with Mossad agents, informants and spymasters, and drawing from classified documentsand top-secret sources, revealing previously untold truths about the Israeli intelligence agency. Bang-up-to-date, this new paperback edition of this best-selling book includes startling new information on subjects ranging from Weapons of Mass Destruction, international terrorism, North Korea’ s bird-flu war games and ‘ ethnic bombs’ . The riveting text is supported by glossaries, appendices and shows a Mossad as it has historically been: brilliant, ruthless, flawed but ultimately fascinating.

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Book SynopsisTHE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER An exciting Cold War story about a KGB double agent, by one of Britain''s greatest historians and the ultimate gift for anyone who loves a good spy thriller!''The best true spy story I have ever read'' John le Carré________________On a warm July evening in 1985, a middle-aged man stood on the pavement of a busy avenue in the heart of Moscow, holding a plastic carrier bag. In his grey suit and tie, he looked like any other Soviet citizen. The bag alone was mildly conspicuous, printed with the red logo of Safeway, the British supermarket.The man was a spy. A senior KGB officer, for more than a decade he had supplied his British spymasters with a stream of priceless secrets from deep within the Soviet intelligence machine. No spy had done more to damage the KGB. The Safeway bag was a signal: to activate his escape plan to be smuggled out of Soviet Russia. So began one of the boldest and most extraordinary episodes in the history of spying.Ben Macintyre reveals a tale of espionage, betrayal and raw courage that changed the course of the Cold War forever . . .________________''The world''s most important spy since the Second World War. Mercilessly gripping'' Sunday Times''Extraordinary. His best book yet'' John Preston, Evening Standard''A remarkable story of one man''s courage'' The Times, Book of the WeekBen Macintyre, Sunday Times bestseller, August 2023Trade ReviewAn incredible true life spy story...Every word ramps up the tension as you're drawn deeper into the danger * Mail on Sunday *If any spy writer were to put it in a novel, it would not be believed. But, blow by blow, trick by trick, it is all in Macintyre's book -- Fredrick ForsythHe writes like a novelist. One of the last chapters is as tense as any thriller. No wonder le Carré liked it * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisMossad is universally recognised as the greatest intelligence service in the world. It is also the most enigmatic, shrouded in a thick veil of secrecy. Many of its enthralling feats are still unknown; most of its heroes remain unnamed.From the kidnapping of Eichmann in Argentina and the systematic tracking down of those responsible for the Munich massacre to lesser-known episodes of astonishing espionage, this extraordinary book describes the dramatic, largely secret history of Mossad and the Israeli intelligence community.Examining the covert operations, the targeted assassinations and the paramilitary activities within and outside Israel, Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal detail the great stories of Mossad and reveal the personal tales of some of the best Mossad agents and leaders to serve their country.Trade Review'This book tells what should have been known and isn't - that Israel's hidden force is as formidable as its recognised physical strength.' - Shimon Peres, Former President Of Israel; 'Two insiders reveal some of the more fantastic episodes in the history of Israeli intelligence operations around the world ... This book focuses on the operational details and personalities behind the famed Mossad's record of assassination, kidnapping, sabotage, and clandestine surveillance.' - Publishers Weekly; "Mossad reads like a fast-paced thriller packed with tales of espionage." - Jewish Chronicle

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Book SynopsisThe extraordinary true story of Guy Burgess, the man at the heart of the Cambridge Spy Ring and a linchpin of Cold War espionage.Trade ReviewAn abundance of vivid detail from many different voices, viewpoints and nationalities...Stalin's Englishman is a matchless and splendidly exciting read. * The Times *This exhaustively researched and absorbing book, the first full biographical study and likely to remain the definitive life. * New Statesman *A meticulously researched biography...an astonishing piece of research. * Sunday Times *Complicated, revelatory: a superb biography more riveting than a spy novel. * Sunday Telegraph *As one of this country's foremost literary agents, Andrew Lownie certainly knows what makes a good book, and in Stalin's Englishman he has delivered one of his own - many times over. * Independent *Not every question has been answered, but most have, and those that remain probably never will be. * Independent on Sunday *In this meticulous biography of the most colourful of the quintet, espionage expert Lownie argues convincingly that Burgess - often seen as a clownish buffoon - was the key member of the ring, and his treachery the most damaging. * Observer *A magnificent biography...Burgess has all the right ingredients for an engrossing story and Lownie, who has spent 30 years researching this biography, makes the most of it... a narrative as gripping as a thriller. * Daily Express *Scrupulous and comprehensive. * The Week *Is there anything significant left to say about members of the Cambridge spy ring, Moscow's 'magnificent five'? The answer, judging by this book, is a resounding yes. * Guardian *A masterly biography. * Mail on Sunday *The most comprehensive, readable and faultlessly researched account of one of Britain's most notorious (but colorful) traitors. Now we know just about all there is to know about this wretched man who betrayed friends, family, country... the lot! * Nigel West, author of The Secret War For The Falklands *One of the most important intelligence books in many years. * Eye Spy Magazine *A fascinating story, racily recounted. * The Oldie *Andrew Lownie demonstrates that there is plenty still to be learned about Burgess...an enjoyable and convincing biography. * Literary Review *This deeply researched new biography...Lownie has unearthed much fascinating material...well worth reading. * Evening Standard *Exhaustive research, elegant construction, psychological acuity, wit and the necessary sympathy. Lownie shows that Burgess's treason was far more significant than had been thought. * Spectator *Andrew Lownie's biography of Guy Burgess, Stalin's Englishman ... shrewd, thorough, revelatory. -- William Boyd * Guardian *In the sad and funny Stalin's Englishman, [Lownie] manages to convey the charm as well as the turpitude. -- Craig Brown * Guardian *The first full biography of Burgess is fascinating on both his methods and his motivation - and proves a more compelling page-turner than any spy thriller. * Mail on Sunday *Awful human beings make for splendid biographies, and the traitor Guy Burgess was a terrible specimen of humanity...This terrible man is brought back to vivid life by this well-researched, finely written book. * Times Best Biographies of Year 2015 *... a rich combination of spy story, cultural history, social outrage and character portrait. Several recent biographies with an espionage angle have seemed to me despicable in their sensationalism and gullibility but Lownie writes with scepticism, decency and a sharp regard for truth. * Richard Davenport-Hines, BBC History ‘Books of the Year’ *A biography that reads as compellingly as a fine novel. * Church Times *There's world-class gossip here. * The Spectator *This superb biography captures the ambiguity Burgess always inspires. * Daily Mail *Lownie's research is complete and impeccable. He has unearthed more facts on this case than anyone else writing in the field. Brilliant! * Intelligencer: Journal of US Intelligence Studies *A comprehensive biography, which convincingly revealed quite how important Burgess was for his KGB handlers. * Country Life *Lownie's book successfully rescues Burgess from the image he is sometimes given, as little more than a drunken buffoon...a meticulous account of Burgess's life and makes a useful contribution to Cold War intelligence history. * TLS *An impeccably researched biography, but also as an in-depth cultural study and a spy thriller of genuine, knuckle-gnawing tension. * The Independent *An astonishing, unique story. * Sarah Bradford, The Tablet *A remarkable and definitive portrait of the truly ghastly spy and traitor Guy Burgess who should surely never have been permitted to do us so much damage. And a portrait of the snobbery and laxity that permitted an Old Etonian who had changed sides to get away with it for so long. * Frederick Forsyth *Stalin's Englishman tells the outrageous story of a master manipulator and trickster, and evaluates his treason with a vigour that made it one of the great biographies of 2015. * The Times *A hugely entertaining read about one of the most notorious spies ever. Eric Ambler couldn't have provided a more fascinating story. * Philip Kerr *This is a must-read for anyone at all interested in espionage. The definitive and revelatory biography of one of the greatest traitors of the Cold War. -- Jeremy Duns * author of the Paul Dark spy series and Codename:Hero: The True Story of Oleg Penkovsky and the Cold War's Most Dangerous Operation *...a masterly and penetrating study of this strange man, the rich well-connected brilliant Cambridge scholar, who was a seriously dangerous agent for the Soviet Union from the 1930s until he fled with Maclean in 1951. -- Michael Hartland * author Seven Steps to Treason *Above all, this is a gripping study of a most unusual personality, written with compassion but without sentimentality. It is detailed, and impeccably sourced...Reminiscent of early John le Carré, this is a book to be relished with a glass of whisky at one's side - or should that be vodka? Highly recommended. * Marius Gabriel *Almost from the moment he skipped the country Guy Burgess has been the subject of biographers, from early journalists' hastily assembled clippings, via the academic study, to 'Stalin's Englishman' - the first 'life' that captures the man fully ... the decadent, the drunkard, the outrageous sex bandit ... and above the all the first life to reveal the full extent of Burgess's treason. Andrew Lownie's book will be definitive for years to come. -- John Lawton * author of the Inspector Troy series *I loved it. Beautifully written and riveting from start to finish. Also very funny. -- Piers Brendon * author of Ike: His Life and Times and The Dark Valley: A Panorama of the 1930s *Stalin's Englishman comes as close to touching the tortured and tempestuous soul of Guy Burgess as anything I have read. It's superbly researched and written with an extraordinary elegance that takes you by the hand and guides you along the pathways of outrageous treachery. Truly exceptional. * Michael Dobbs *A superb biography... full of detail, meticulously sifted by the author, and it's also engrossing and exciting. We are transported into the past with real skill... Brilliantly told. * Evening Standard *Lownie brilliantly chronicles the life of the man at the centre of the Cambridge spy ring. * Guardian *An extremely well-written biography...an astonishing piece of research. * Sunday Times *A fascinating book, enlivened by many new sources and the results of painstaking interviews. -- Edward Towne * The Historian *Stalin's Englishman is a fine biography about an effective spy and a disgraceful traitor who lived to enjoy Communist reality firsthand. It fills a major historical gap in espionage history. * Studies in Intelligence *A crack biography of a man who was a preposterous enigma. * Kirkus *A superb biography, the quality of which is unlikely tobe surpassed. * Intelligence & National Security *Fine biography, packed with detail...impressive primary and secondary reasearch * Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisSpies and Lies by Alex Joske is a groundbreaking exposé of elite influence operations by China’s little-known Ministry of State Security. Revealing for the first time how the Chinese Communist Party has tasked its spies to deceive the world, it challenges the conventional account of China’s past, present and future. Mere years ago, Western governments chose to cooperate with China in the hope that it would liberalise, setting aside concerns about human rights abuses, expansionism and espionage. But the axiom of China's 'peaceful rise' has been fundamentally challenged by the Chinese Communist Party’s authoritarian behaviour under Xi Jinping. How did we get it wrong for so long? Spies and Lies pierces the Ministry of State Security’s walls of secrecy and reveals how agents of the Chinese Communist Party have spent nearly 40 years manipulating Western leaders’ attitudes – from an Australian prime minister to the US Congress, prominent think tanks and the FBI – about China’s rise. Through interviews with defectors and intelligence officers, classified Chinese intelligence documents and original investigations, the book unmasks dozens of active Chinese intelligence officers along with global MSS fronts including travel agencies, writers associations, publishing houses, alumni associations, newspapers, Buddhist retreats, a record company and charities. Spies and Lies is an extraordinary insight into the most successful influence operation in history, one which has fooled the West for years, and indispensable reading. Trade Review'Mr. Joske’s incisive history and analysis provides a much-needed look inside Beijing’s complex, often ruthlessly effective efforts to shape and soften Western responses to its rapid global ascendance.' – Dan Blumenthal, Wall Street Journal 'The revelations by Joske – an ultra-talented researcher into the Chinese Communist Party’s covert influence ops – will keep you up all night reading, learning and marvelling at how Beijing’s agents pulled the wool over the eyes of the world for so long. A brilliant book.' – Matt Pottinger, former US Deputy National Security Advisor 'Alex Joske is one of the leading researchers on the subject of Chinese Communist Party influence and interference around the world' – Josh Rogin, The Washington Post 'There are only a handful of researchers in Australia of whom it can be said their work has a truly global impact. Alex is one of them.' – Clive Hamilton, author of Silent Invasion 'Fearless and forthright, Alex Joske has for years now been ahead of the media and academic pack in chasing the story of how the Commuinst Party’s intelligence and influence apparatus operates abroad.' – Nick McKenzie, The Age 'Joske, only a couple of years removed from university, has quickly risen to prominence on issues of Chinese government influence.' – David Barboza, The Wire China 'Alex Joske is one of the most innovative and impressive voices on China policy today.' – Mike Gallagher, Member of US Congress Mr. Joske’s incisive history and analysis provides a much-needed look inside Beijing’s complex, often ruthlessly effective efforts to shape and soften Western responses to its rapid global ascendance. * Wall Street Journal *

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Book Synopsis''One of the biggest intelligence coups in recent years'' The TimesFor years KGB operative Vasili Mitrokhin risked his life hiding top-secret material from Russian secret service archives beneath his family dacha. When he was exfiltrated to the West he took with him what the FBI called ''the most complete and extensive intelligence ever received from any source''. This extraordinary bestselling book is the result. ''Co-authored in a brilliant partnership by Christopher Andrew and the renegade Soviet archivist himself ... This is a truly global exposé of major KGB penetrations throughout the Western world'' The Times''This tale of malevolent spymasters, intricate tradecraft and cold-eyed betrayal reads like a cold war novel'' Time''Sensational ... the most informed and detailed study of Soviet subversive intrigues worldwide'' Spectator''The most comprehensive addition to the subject ever published'' Sun

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Book SynopsisThe riveting story of the hundred-year intelligence war between Russia and the West with lessons for our new superpower conflict with China''A masterpiece'' CHRISTOPHER ANDREW, author of The Defence of the Realm: The Authorised History of MI5''The book we have all been waiting for'' BRENDAN SIMMS, author of Hitler: A Global Biography''Gripping, authoritative... A vivid account of intelligence skulduggery'' KirkusEspionage, election meddling, disinformation, assassinations, subversion, and sabotage - all attract headlines today about Putin''s dictatorship. But they are far from new. The West has a long-term Russia problem, not a Putin problem. Spies mines hitherto secret archives and exclusive interviews with former agents to tell the history of the war that Russia and the West have been waging for a century. Espionage dark arts were the Kremlin''s means to equalise the imbalance of arms between the East and West before, during and after the Cold War. There was nothing ''unprecedented'' about Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. It was business as usual, new means for old ends.The Cold War started long before 1945. Western powers gradually fought back after the Second World War, mounting their own shadow war, deploying propaganda, recruiting intelligence networks and pioneering new spy technologies against the Soviet Union. Spies is an inspiring, engrossing story of the best and worst of mankind: bravery and honour, treachery and betrayal. The narrative shifts across continents and decades, from the freezing streets of St. Petersburg in 1917 to the bloody beaches of Normandy; from coups in faraway lands to present-day Moscow, where troll farms weaponise social media against Western democracies. This fresh reading of history makes Spies a unique and essential addition to the story of the unrolling conflict between Russia, China and the West that will dominate the twenty-first century.

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Book SynopsisAn addictive and exciting puzzle book based on 500 years of British espionage history, drawn direct from the catalogues of The National Archives----The fates of nations, outcomes of wars and general sweep of history have often hinged upon the deciphering of devilishly difficult codes and devious deceptions by spymasters.In Spydle, The National Archives and Britain's leading puzzle masterminds, Dr Gareth Moore and Laura Jayne Ayres, have drawn on five centuries of British spycraft and cryptography to compile an unputdownable history of real-life codebreaking and espionage through a series of addictive puzzles.Using original documents, maps, ciphers, plans, letters and telegrams from plots and espionage relating to Mary, Queen of Scots, the Gunpowder Plot, Mata Hari, Agent Zigzag and dozens more, Spydle's puzzles are based on real codes and conundrums.Packed with fiendish puzzles covering over 500 years of espionage, could you be a code-cracking spymaster and untangle history's most cryptic mysteries?Play Spydle to find out . . .

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Book SynopsisThe actual course given to all secret agents in SOE before working behind enemy lines. It includes everything you needed to know to go undercover from documents, cover stories and how to live off the land to how to get through an interrogation.The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation formed in 1940 to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in occupied Europe against the Axis powers, and to aid local resistance movements.In late 1942, SOE was asked to increase the number of agents to aid the invasion of mainland Europe. Part of agent training was tradecraft' the practical details on how to be a clandestine agent behind enemy lines which every agent had to attend at various bases centred around Beaulie in Hampshire.The course was a set of lectures and this book contains the actual text of those lectures which were discovered in the National Archives this year. It is not only a fascinating insight into the workings of one of the Seco

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Book SynopsisIn this groundbreaking book, Kevin Shipp, a veteran CIA agent who worked with all four Directorates of the agency, including protecting the head of the CIA, provides his perspective on how the agency has strayed so far from its original mission to provide accurate intelligence to the American president.   You will learn about the founding of the Agency, how the intelligence agencies have manipulated journalists through Project Mockingbird, as well as their new efforts with the Center for Global Engagement and Big Tech interference. Shipp will also give you his up close and personal assessment of how the directors of the agency have contributed to our safety or undermined it. Shipp and Heckenlively detail how the CIA has blocked whistleblowers and the reforms they champion, while also controlling our country through secret alliances with large corporations, Wall Street, Big Media, the drug trade, and blackmail of our political leaders.   Shipp provides his own

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Book SynopsisONE OF THE GREATEST SPY STORIES OF ALL TIME Nothing can stop an enemy from picking wireless messages out of the free air - and nothing did. In England, Room 40 was born . . .In January 1917, with the First World War locked in terrible stalemate and America still neutral, German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmerman gambled the future of the conflict on a single telegram.But this message was intercepted and decoded in Whitehall''s legendary Room 40 - and Zimmerman''s audacious scheme for world domination was exposed, bringing America into the war and changing the course of history.The story of how this happened, and the incalculable consequences are thrillingly told in Barbara Tuchman''s brilliant exploration.Trade ReviewA most exciting book, full of vivid pen portraits and curious episodes * Sunday Times *As thrilling as a John Buchan novel * Times Literary Supplement *Its 200 pages are worth more than all the thrillers and whodunits of the fiction writers put together * Herald *A fine exciting book told with intense drama. A thriller of real life * Observer *Brilliant. Told with great literary and dramatic talent * New York Times *All the ingredients of an Eric Ambler spy thriller * Saturday Review *Dazzling -- Max Hastings on 'Guns of August'Magnificent. A masterpiece of the historian's art -- on 'Guns of August' * Guardian *

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Book Synopsis‘A brilliant page-turner by one of Holland's finest investigative journalists’ Rutger Bregman, author of Humankind ‘Essential . . . What’s revealed are networks of spies and criminals fighting an invisible war that involves us all’ Eliot Higgins, bestselling author of We Are Bellingcat Summer 2017: computer screens go blank in 150 countries. The NHS is so affected that hospitals can only take in patients for A&E. Ambulances are grounded. Computer screens turn on spontaneously and warnings appear. Employees who desperately pull the plugs are too late. Restarting is pointless; the computers are locked. And now the attackers ask each victim for money. This is hijack software. It is just one example of how vulnerable the digital world has made us. Based on the cases he investigated over a period of six years, award-winning Dutch journalist Huib Modderkolk takes the reader on a tour of the corridors and back doors of the globalised digital world. He reconstructs British-American espionage operations and reveals how the power relationships between countries enable intelligence services to share and withhold data from each other. Looking at key players including Edward Snowden, Russian hackers Cozy Bear and Evgeniy Bogachev, ‘the Pablo Escobar of the digital era’, Modderkolk opens our eyes to the dark underbelly of the digital world with the narrative drive of a thriller.Trade ReviewA brilliant page-turner by one of Holland's finest investigative journalists -- Rutger Bregman, bestselling author of HUMANKINDHuib Modderkolk provides a unique insight into the shadowy conflict that is happening all around us, enabled by our own addiction to the internet. What's revealed are networks of spies and cybercriminals fighting an invisible war that involves us all, whether we realise it or not. An essential read for anyone who really wants to know what the internet is doing to our societies -- Eliot Higgins, bestselling author of WE ARE BELLINGCATThis is even better than John le Carré, because it’s true -- Matthijs van NieuwkerkIn the old days, anyone wanting to understand the world read the Bible. Anyone wanting to understand the world today should read this book -- Arjen Lubach

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewAny debate over the relative merits and demerits of regime change as a legitimate tool of foreign-policy needs to begin with Lindsey A. O'Rourke's fantastic book. It's a well-written, important work that should productively inform foreign-policy debates going forward. Essential reading. * The National Interest *This is a book for scholars and policy makers; the footnotes are copious and extensive. * Choice *Covert Regime Change is a valuable book that sheds light on an important issue. * Survival: Global Politics and Strategy *Unlike many other books built around accounts of CIA plots, Covert Regime Change takes a scholarly and quantitative approach. It provides charts, graphs, and data sets. Meticulous analysis makes this not the quickest read of any book on the subject, but certainly one of the best informed. O'Rourke injects a dose of rigorous analysis into a debate that is often based on emotion. * Global Research *O'Rourke's work provides ample evidence that attempts at forcible regime-change are unlikely to achieve desired ends at a reasonable cost. * Christopher Preble, War on the Rocks *Well researched and argued, it places the initial debate over covert action within the national security decisionmaking process during the first years of the Cold War. * International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence *In this well-researched and clearly written book, Lindsay A. O'Rourke vigorously argues that during the Cold War U.S. officials repeatedly launched covert interventions in foreign countries, even though most of the operations failed to effect regime changes, because the officials saw them as cheap ways to enhance U.S. security and power.... A well-executed, valuable study. * Journal of American History *O'Rourke's book offers a onestop shop for understanding foreignimposed regime change. Covert Regime Change is an impressive book and required reading for anyone interested in understanding hidden power in world politics. * Political Science Quarterly *O'Rourke's contribution to the history of US foreign relations, intelligence history, and international relations theory is not just valuable but also original. O'Rourke's dataset identifies more than 60 covert efforts to bring about regime change... pursued by the United States between 1947 and 1989. Few authors have sought to chronicle and analyze them as comprehensively and systematically as O'Rourke, and no one has succeeded as she has. We owe her a great debt. * Parameters *Table of ContentsList of Figures and Tables Acknowledgments 1. The False Promise of Covert Regime Change 2. Causes: Why Do States Launch Regime Changes? 3. Conduct: Why Do States Intervene Covertly versus Overtly? 4. Consequences: How Effective Are Covert Regime Changes? 5. Overview of U.S.-backed Regime Changes during the Cold War 6. Rolling Back the Iron Curtain 7. Containment, Coup d'état and the Covert War in Vietnam 8. Dictators and Democrats in the Dominican Republic 9. Covert Regime Change after the Cold War Notes Index

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Book Synopsis'Gripping and shocking' - Tim Shipman, author of All Out War'An extraordinary development' - The Times'An impressively detailed account of a remarkable alliance' - Jeremy Bowen, The New StatesmanThe Times best political books of 2022Despite being one of the world's most powerful intelligence networks, the Five Eyes has been steeped in secrecy since its formation in 1956. The international intelligence collaboration between Britain, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, has shaped global events since its inception - and continues to do so to this day.Over eight decades, the alliance's agencies, including the CIA, FBI, MI5, MI6, GCHQ, and ASIO, have swapped secrets and tradecraft, and pooled resources. From Nazi hunters and World War II codebreakers, to spymasters and political leaders embroiled in the recent security crisis around Russia and Ukraine, they have shared a common purpose and common enemy, in spite of a mutual mistrust.In this revised and updated edition, Richard Kerbaj expertly weaves together stories of this extraordinary alliance and the unlikely cast of characters who have played a crucial role in its history. Impeccably researched and including interviews with world leaders and intelligence officials, The Secret History of the Five Eyes is a major contribution to the literature of international intelligence. ____________________________'This thought-provoking and informative book suggests that the era of globetrotting lone agents such as James Bond is long gone.' - Sydney Morning Herald'The stories Kerbaj tells reveal ... a story of failure - of missing warnings that could have prevented atrocities, of misusing intelligence to start a war' - Observer 'Scintillating ... full of scoops ... by focusing on the human relationships which are the beating heart of the Five Eyes, Kerbaj has made a singular contribution to the intelligence discourse. It's a service to democracy.' - The Australian'Kerbaj ... has chronicled the history of the Fives Eyes spy network. His list of interviewees speaks for itself - several former heads of MI5, MI6, GCHQ, the CIA, four former British and Australian prime ministers, and myriad other current and former spooks. But this account is unencumbered by any sense of an agreed or official narrative (the usual price for this level of journalistic access).' - Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall Editor, The Sunday Times'Sensational' - Nigel Nelson, Political Editor, The Mirror'An impressively detailed account of a remarkable alliance' - Jeremy Bowen, The New Statesman'Examines decades of intelligence sharing' - The Telegraph'Reopen[s] the debate' - The Times'Explosive' - The World News

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Book SynopsisDiscover the truth behind one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of World War II.Who was the enigmatic Jean Moulin, a man as skilled in deception as he was in acts of heroism? The memory of this French Resistance hero, who was betrayed to the Gestapo and tortured by Klaus Barbie, the infamous Butcher of Lyon', is revered alongside that of other national icons. But Moulin's story is full of unanswered questions and the truth of his life is far more complicated than the legend. Patrick Marnham, winner of the Marsh Prize for biography, thrillingly tells the epic story of France's greatest war hero, bringing to light the shadowy and often deceitful world of the French Resistance, and offers a shocking conclusion to one of the great unsolved mysteries of World War II.Trade ReviewSecret agents do not leave reliable accounts of their activities, nor do doubleand triple-agents act from simple motives. The lucidity comes, like the solution of a good detective story, towards the end of a tangled tale full of unusual suspects. * The Sunday Times *A brilliantly sustained, atmospheric and often tensely thrilling narrative [. . .] This book is a remarkable achievement that evokes the whole tragedy of wartime France. * The Independent *This is first-rate history that reads like a thriller and keeps the reader engrossed to the very end. * Literary Review *A gripping account of the last days of the French Resistance hero who was tortured to death by Klaus Barbie. Marnham’s biography is a brilliant mix of political thriller and wartime history. * J.G. Ballard *Enthralling and intelligent, a masterly exploration of the sinister labyrinth that was wartime France [...] It is a remarkable book, utterly fascinating. * Allan Massie *... Patrick Marnham is very good on French self-deception: a moral self-deception which began with Vichy for psychological reasons and continued under de Gaulle. His book is as gripping as a detective story. * Antony Beevor *If you are interested in France, the real France, or if you are interested in the Second World War, or if you are interested in courage, real courage, and how it can rise to meet the most severe test imaginable, then I believe you ought to make it your business to read Patrick Marnham’s extraordinary book.’ * Alan Furst *Table of ContentsIllustrations Acknowledgements Introduction The Legend Caluire Into the Pantheon Part I: Life 1. A Republican Cradle, 1789–1899 2. Growth of a Senior Civil Servant, 1899–1919 3. A Secret Man, a Complex Man, 1919–1934 4. Moulin Rouge, 1934–1939 Part II: War 5. The Prefect of Chartres, 1939–1940 6. Zones, 1940–1941 7. Life on Half-Pay, 1940–1941 8. An Envoy to London, 1941 Part III: Death 9. Life Underground, 1942–1943 10. Vive la Nuit! November 1942–June 1943 11. An Urn and a Pot of Jam, June–July 1943 Part IV: Resurrection 12. The machinery of Insurrection, 1943–1944 13. Murdering History, 1945–1949 14. The Doctor’s Waiting Room, 21 June 1943 Postscript Postscript to the New Edition Glossary Chronology Notes Select Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.Vaguely she began to wonder which of these worldly men round her was the mysterious Scarlet Pimpernel,' who held the threads of such daring plots, and the fate of valuable lives in his hands.In the early days of the bloody French Revolution, fleeing aristocrats are being captured and sent to the guillotine. But the mysterious Scarlet Pimpernel along with his band of English gentlemen is outwitting the revolutionaries. Known only by his calling card, he arrives in disguise and smuggles the nobles out of danger to the safety of England. But can he guard his true identity forever, or will he give his life for his cause?

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Book SynopsisThe first book to tell the full story of American isolationism, from the founding era through the Trump presidency.In his Farewell Address of 1796, President George Washington admonished the young nation to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world. Isolationism thereafter became one of the most influential political trends in American history. From the founding era until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States shunned strategic commitments abroad, making only brief detours during the Spanish-American War and World War I. Amid World War II and the Cold War, Americans abandoned isolationism; they tried to run the world rather than run away from it. But isolationism is making a comeback as Americans tire of foreign entanglement. In this definitive and magisterial analysis-the first book to tell the fascinating story of isolationism across the arc of American history-Charles Kupchan explores the enduring connection between the isolationist impulse and the American experience. He also refurbishes isolationism''s reputation, arguing that it constituted dangerous delusion during the 1930s, but afforded the nation clear strategic advantages during its ascent.Kupchan traces isolationism''s staying power to the ideology of American exceptionalism. Strategic detachment from the outside world was to protect the nation''s unique experiment in liberty, which America would then share with others through the power of example. Since 1941, the United States has taken a much more interventionist approach to changing the world. But it has overreached, prompting Americans to rediscover the allure of nonentanglement and an America First foreign policy. The United States is hardly destined to return to isolationism, yet a strategic pullback is inevitable. Americans now need to find the middle ground between doing too much and doing too little.Trade ReviewIn this excellent account, Kupchan, a former policy maker, traces the history of American foreign policy from the French and Indian War to the Trump presidency, organizing his work around the nation's isolationist tradition. * J. D. Doenecke, CHOICE *...so comprehensive. It goes through the entire American history of foreign policy through the lens of isolationism. It's such an impressive work. * Justin Kempf, Democracy Paradox *With this well-written and interesting book on a traditionally important subject isolationism in American history and as an ongoing issue Prof. Kupchan has made a significant contribution to the literature on international affairs. * Alexander J. Groth, Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs *Comprehensive and objective, Kupchan's Isolationism is a useful contribution to the history and contemporary understanding of American isolationism. * Henry Kissinger, former United States Secretary of State *Isolationism is a carefully researched, clearly presented study of American foreign policy that demonstrates the enduring power of American skepticism about open-ended International commitments while making the case for continued American engagement. By grounding his policy arguments in a careful review of American history, Kupchan not only strengthens his case but sets an example which other policymakers would be wise to follow. * Walter Russell Mead, Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship, Hudson Institute; Professor of Foreign Affairs, Bard College; and Global View Columnist, The Wall Street Journal *This is a significant book. Kupchan has produced the first comprehensive study of American isolationism. He is totally fair-minded and unfailingly insightful in telling the story of isolationism from its origins at the founding of the Republic down to its resurgence at the outset of this new century. This is a book that everyone who cares about the past and present of American foreign policy should read. * John M. Cooper, Professor Emeritus of History, University of Wisconsin-Madison *At a time when the way forward in US foreign relations seems more uncertain than ever, Kupchan takes a timely, detailed, and unsparing look at the role of isolationism in the broad sweep of US history. The general reader, scholar, and policymaker can all profit from this compelling account. * Mary E. Sarotte, author of The Collapse *The battle for the future of America's foreign policy rages all around us. This learned, wise, and deeply engaged history of US isolationist impulses from the founding up to today is a much-needed book, and the selective commitments and judicious retrenchments it calls for are recipes for good policymaking. * Odd Arne Westad, Professor of History and Global Affairs, Yale University; author of The Cold War: A World History *At a time when many are urging America to retreat internationally, Kupchan's illuminating history of US foreign policy reminds us of isolationism's pitfalls as well as its continuing allure. Scholars and policy makers alike will benefit from this book's trenchant analysis of America's past and wise counsel about how to forge a more balanced, realistic, and enduring foreign policy going forward. * Peter Trubowitz, Professor of International Relations, London School of Economics *Charles Kupchan reminds us that a globally assertive foreign policy is more the exception than the norm in American history. Even those who do not fully agree with his arguments will find this book sharply argued, provocative, and engaging. * Hal Brands, Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) *In this timely, judicious, and thoughtful book, Kupchan adds depth and dimension to our understanding of the United States' foreign relations and the strategic choices now facing it. In tracing isolationism's origins to the earliest days of the Republic and showing its iterations in successive generations, he reminds us of how powerful a force it has been * and remains. Essential reading both for those who are going to be in charge in the next years and for anyone who cares about the US and the world.Margaret MacMillan, Professor of History, University of Toronto *Astute political history. * Kirkus *An erudite and evenhanded study of the isolationist impulse in American foreign policy. * Publishers Weekly *Isolationism is a deeply researched, fascinating look at how an urge to keep the world at bay has largely defined the United States and its foreign policy since the country's founding. * Foreign Policy *[A] valuable volume... compellingly demonstrates that the notion of American exceptionalism was as closely tied to isolationism-the 'city on a hill,' standing above and apart from a quarrelsome world-as it later would be to the country's postwar internationalism. * Foreign Affairs *Isolationism arrives at a prescient moment. * Financial Times *Isolationism has many merits. It comprehensively describes the arc of American diplomatic history from George Washington's 'Farewell Address' to Donald Trump's redux of 'America First.' It is also eminently fair-minded, not only to the liberal internationalists and deep engagers whom Kupchan thinks have set America up for our post-Cold War fall but especially to the alternative grand strategic tradition that Kupchan fears has gotten a bad rap since World War II. * American Conservative *It is only now, with this book, that someone has treated the full scope of isolationism with true insight and understanding. Charles Kupchan has told for the first time the entire history of this foreign policy phenomenon from its inception at the founding of the American republic down to the present time. * H-Diplo *Taken in all, Kupchan has produced a first-rate account. The style is readable, the research thorough, manifesting a superior mastery of primary sources and the scholarly literature. By and large, Kupchan's treatment is masterful, essential reading for policymakers and a public that is prone to cliché thinking. Professors of American diplomatic history would do well to assign this work; at the very least, they should update their lecture notes. Hopefully, this work will force Americans to leave the world of polemics for that of reflection and responsible analysis. * H-Diplo *Table of ContentsPreface 1. American Isolationism: Past as Prelude? 2. An Anatomy of Isolationism Part I - The Era of Isolationism, 1789-1898 3. The Revolutionary Era: Contemplating Nonentanglement 4. From the French Revolution to the War of 1812: Isolationism as Doctrine 5. Westward Expansion and the Monroe Doctrine: The Limits of Hemispheric Ambition 6. The Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Rise of American Power: Restraint Amid Ascent Part II - The Defeat of Realist and Idealist Internationalism, 1898-1941 7. The Spanish-American War and the Onset of Imperial Ambition 8. Republican Imperialism and the Isolationist Backlash 9. Wilsonian Idealism and the Isolationist Backlash 10. The 1920s: Influence without Responsibility 11. From the Great Depression to Pearl Harbor: Delusions of Strategic Immunity Part III - The Rise and Fall of Liberal Internationalism, 1941-2020 12. World War II and the Cold War: The Era of Liberal Internationalism 13. The End of the Cold War and the Isolationist Comeback 14. Between Isolationism and Liberal Internationalism: The Search for a Middle Ground

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Book Synopsis'A thrilling account' Daily Mail'Thrilling and inspiring' Daily Mirror'Extraordinary bravery... made this woman one of WWII's most remarkable spies. That she survived the war was almost miraculous' TimeThe year is 1942, and World War II is in full swing.Odette Sansom decides to follow in her war hero father's footsteps by becoming an SOE agent to aid Britain and her beloved homeland, France. Five failed attempts and one plane crash later, she finally lands in occupied France to begin her mission.It is here that she meets her commanding officer Captain Peter Churchill. As they successfully complete mission after mission, Peter and Odette fall in love. All the while, they are being hunted by the cunning German secret police sergeant, Hugo Bleicher, who finally succeeds in capturing them.They are sent to Paris's Fresnes prison, and on to concentration camps in Germany, where they are starved, beaten, and tortured. But in the face of despair, they never give up hope, their love for each other, or the whereabouts of their colleagues.This is a portrait of true courage, patriotism and love amidst unimaginable horrors and degradation.Trade Review"Written in the style of a thriller, this is a thrilling account of the exploits of World War II's most highly decorated spy, Odette Sansom." Daily Mail"A nonfiction thriller." Wall Street Journal"Reading like a thrilling spy novel and the most exciting sort of non-fiction - well researched, well written, and fast-paced enough to keep the pages turning - this will interest fans of the history of espionage, World War II history, military history, women's history, and biography." Library Journal"With evident sympathy, Loftis tells a well-researched, novelistic story of a heroine and patriot… Swift and entertaining, Loftis's work reads less like a biography and more like a thriller."Publishers Weekly"A true-life thriller... Every chapter ends on a cliffhanger... A vivid history of wartime heroism."Kirkus Reviews"Extraordinary bravery... made this woman one of World War II's most remarkable spies. That she survived the war was almost miraculous." TIME"The stuff of classic World War II thrillers." Newsday"A story of sheer bravery and survival that should astound even an avid reader of military history. A splendid read about a splendid woman." Washington Times"How an 'ordinary' mom of three became Britain's most decorated WWII spy."New York Post"Continues the scholarly thriller style of Into the Lion's Mouth." Orlando Sentinel"Loftis gives Sansom the epic story her experience warrants, full of spycraft, complex and important missions, incredible feats of bravery, and love." CrimeReads"Fascinating... A page-turner, especially the final third of the book which provides a riveting account of the mayhem of the final days of WWII... Loftis's meticulous research is evident throughout." The Cipher Brief"Readers will not want to put this book down... A spy thriller instead of a dry biography." MilitaryPress.com"[A] fascinating story of resistance and romance." Daily Beast"Captivating. Odette was one helluva fighter. Loftis is one helluva writer, who tells her story like a novel. I'm calling it now: This will be a movie." South Coast Today"Code Name: Lise is impossible to put down. Suffused with romance, told with a novelist's eye for page - turning thrills and the historian's acumen for facts, Loftis brings to colorful life a hero for our time, Odette Sansom. Like Unbroken and Code Girls, Odette Sansom's story is epic, intensely personal, emotionally rich, and hard to forget." Doug Stanton, #1 New York Times bestselling author of 12 Strong and In Harm's Way"An astonishing story of love, survival, and almost unimaginable courage. Code Name: Lise is non-fiction that reads like a thriller and will keep readers riveted." Tilar Mazzeo, New York Times bestselling author of Irena's Children"Code Name: Lise is a grand adventure, part thriller, part love story, and full of wonderful details about the tradecraft of wartime espionage and the bravery of unsung heroes. A remarkable achievement that does honour to its subject. I hope someone takes it to the big screen as it has everything." Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of The Switch and Judgment"Larry has a knack for finding untold stories that read more like fiction than fact, and he's done it again with Code Name: Lise. Having grown up reading about the Jedburgh teams - the forerunners of US Special Forces - I found the story riveting, not the least because it's true, and Larry's relentless research makes Odette Sansom's heroics leap off the page, putting her in the pantheon of our own Special Forces heroes." Brad Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of Daughter of War"Loftis delivers a tale of courage, daring, valour - and love - for the ages. Code Name: Lise is the closest history comes to a romance novel." Elizabeth Cobbs, New York Times bestselling author of The Hamilton Affair"Larry Loftis brings the past to life with a brilliantly researched and executed tale of one woman's unparalleled heroism in occupied France during World War II. A riveting true story of love, betrayal and sacrifice, as engaging as any thriller, and not to be missed." Mark Greaney, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Mission Critical"Larry Loftis has crafted a true thriller, a highly entertaining account of the most highly decorated spy of WWII. A great read."Alex Kershaw, New York Times bestselling author of The First Wave and Avenue of Spies"Another masterpiece from Larry Loftis, the king of nonfiction thrillers. If you try just one nonfiction book this year, there's no question... it should be this one." The Real Book Spy"Loftis's detail of Sansom's life reads like a spy thriller, but with the research of a nonfiction narrative, covering one of the best stories of clandestine heroism during the Second World War." WeAreTheMighty.com"Loftis keeps the action going at the pace of a novel - escapes, torturous Gestapo interrogations, even a little romance - all based on documents and recorded interviews. The result is a complex, grey - area world, with loyalties shifting and turning on a dime." Beachcomber"This is a well written book, almost a romance novel, almost a horror story, almost a war story, that can leave the reader somewhat breathless. The author has that knack of shifting the emphasis onto another detail just when the narrative gets exciting. This enhances the book greatly... A cracking book from one end to the other." NB Magazine

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Book SynopsisA spy story like no other. Private spies are the invisible force that shapes our modern world: they influence our elections, effect government policies and shape the fortunes of companies. More deviously, they are also peering into our personal lives as never before, using off-the shelf technology to listen to our phone calls, monitor our emails and decide what we see on social media.Spooked takes us on a journey into a secret billion-dollar industry in which information is currency and loyalties are for sale. An industry so tentacular it reaches from Saddam Hussein to an 80s-era Trump, from the Steele dossier written by a British ex-spy to Russian oligarchs sitting pretty in Mayfair mansions, from the devious tactics of Harvey Weinstein to the growing role of corporate spies in politics and the threat to future elections.Spooked reads like the best kind of spy story: a gripping tale packed with twists and turns, uncovering a secret side of our modern world.Trade ReviewMeier sets out to investigate the investigations industry . . . a revealing read -- Brendan Daly * Business Post *A gobsmacking book detailing the rise of wannabe James Bonds . . . an enjoyable romp through the stranger-than-fiction world of private intelligence agencies... Meier is a Pulitzer-winning former New York Times reporter, and he stirs an incredible amount of well-researched material into this book . . . a mad whirl of double-cross, Machiavellian machinations and, of course, money. -- Darragh McManus * Irish Independent *

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Book SynopsisFrom CIA to CEO is an ops manual for entrepreneurs that reveals how the esoteric techniques of the CIA can help anyone find their voice, discover their potential, and thrive in the world of business.Agent-turned-entrepreneur Rupal Patel shares the unique skills she developed as a woman and as a field agent in the high-octane, alpha-male world of the CIA, and combines those clandestine insights with her experience as a business leader and mentor. She reveals how methods such as Profiling and Situational Awareness help amplify strengths and build resilience. How game-changing new frameworks like Identity Driven Leadership and Personal Energy Mapping instil drive, purpose and conviction. And how the CIA mindset encourages you to remake the rules to find your own path and reach your goals.Full of motivating stories and unique exercises, From CIA to CEO will equip you with the all the tools you'll need for achieving Mission Success

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Book SynopsisThe first book ever written about FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover by a member of his personal staff—his former assistant, Paul Letersky—offers unprecedented, “clear-eyed and compelling” (Mark Olshaker, coauthor of Mindhunter) insight into an American legend.The 1960s and 1970s were arguably among America’s most turbulent post-Civil War decades. While the Vietnam War continued seemingly without end, protests and riots ravaged most cities, the Kennedys and MLK were assassinated, and corruption found its way to the highest levels of politics, culminating in Watergate. In 1965, at the beginning of the chaos, twenty-two-year-old Paul Letersky was assigned to assist the legendary FBI director J. Edgar Hoover who’d just turned seventy and had, by then, led the Bureau for an incredible forty-one years. Hoover was a rare and complex man who walked confidently among the most powerful. His personal privacy was more tightly guarded than the secret “files” he carefully collected—and that were so feared by politicians and celebrities. Through Letersky’s close working relationship with Hoover, and the trust and confidence he gained from Hoover’s most loyal senior assistant, Helen Gandy, Paul became one of the few able to enter the Director’s secretive—and sometimes perilous—world. Since Hoover’s death half a century ago, millions of words have been written about the man and hundreds of hours of TV dramas and A-list Hollywood films produced. But until now, there has been virtually no account from someone who, for a period of years, spent hours with the Director on a daily basis. Balanced, honest, and keenly observed, this “vivid, foibles-and-all portrait of the fabled scourge of gangsters, Klansmen, and communists” (The Wall Street Journal) sheds new light on one of the most powerful law enforcement figures in American history.Trade Review“There has never been an account quite like The Director…Letersky has mined his experience to draw a vivid, foibles-and-all portrait of the fabled scourge of gangsters, Klansmen, and communists.” —Wall Street Journal“[Recounts] Letersky’s years in the FBI’s innermost circles….A fly-on-the-wall portrait of interest to students of crime—and rumor.” —Kirkus Reviews“A fascinating and long overdue look, from the inner sanctum, at J. Edgar Hoover’s decades-spanning dictatorial grip on the FBI. Paul Letersky takes you deep inside the psyche of the man who knew all the secrets and played them like a card shark. With a fistful of aces, Hoover imposed his will while protecting his own mysterious inner life.” —Tom Brokaw, Special Correspondent for NBC News and bestselling author of The Greatest Generation“There have been plenty of books about J. Edgar Hoover but this one brings new meaning to the term, ‘the devil is in the details’…. Letersky is a fine writer and storyteller and he told me things I never knew about the man—love him or hate him—who was a major figure in American history.” —Bob Schieffer, CBS News“Fascinating and engaging… Letersky brings to life a bygone era of G-Men, galoots, and molls—and, delightfully, Hoover's motherly gatekeeper “Miss Gandy,” who plays Moneypenny to the author's Bond.” —Chris Whipple, New York Times bestselling author of The Gatekeepers and The Spymasters“I have been writing about the FBI for a quarter century, and as a kid I even trick-or-treated at J. Edgar Hoover’s house. Even so, I discovered in former Special Agent Paul Letersky’s The Director new and fascinating insights...Neither a paean nor a hatchet job, this clear-eyed and compelling account of the author’s years with the director, followed by his adventures as a street agent, is a welcome contribution to the history of law enforcement and the culture of its most famous agency.” —Mark Olshaker, coauthor of Mindhunter, The Killer Across the Table, and The Killer’s Shadow“I entered the FBI under Mr. Hoover who turned out to be the best Director I served under in my twenty-seven years at the Bureau. This book is an honest and accurate portrayal of Hoover's personality and acts of kindness as well as the control he had over not just the FBI but politicians. A must read.” —Joe Pistone aka Donnie Brasco, former FBI Special Agent“Folksy and fascinating. Letersky had unusual personal access to Hoover and he documents many of his boss’ worst instincts and rigid eccentricities, but also debunks some of the pointless and nasty rumors.” —Sanford J. Ungar, former Director of Voice of America and host of “All Things Considered,” and author of FBI: An Uncensored Look Behind the Walls“For a span of decades that defies belief, J. Edgar Hoover wielded more power than any other lawman in American history. Paul Letersky’s rich eyewitness stories of a supercop who could be both steel-fisted and strangely soft makes this by far the most illuminating portrait of Hoover I’ve read.” —Don Brown, former prosecutor and bestselling author of Travesty of Justice“Though I worked for the FBI for a quarter century, I found many of the things Letersky talks about in The Director shockingly new, simply because no one dared speak them until now. The book rounds out what we know about J. Edgar Hoover. Yes, he was demanding, odd at times, secretive, and vindictive, but he was far more complex than most people imagine. Only could a person working by his side, who answered his phone and read his mail and dealt with his fits of pique and bursts of enthusiasm, give us this insight.” —Joe Navarro, former Special Agent and author of Three Minutes to Doomsday“Letersky draws back the curtain of history to offer a rare, cinematic glimpse into the psychology and motivation of the Bureau’s first Director, J. Edgar Hoover….A must read for anyone interested in the most celebrated of American law enforcement agencies.” —Robert K. Wittman, Founder of the FBI Art Crime Team and New York Times bestselling author of Priceless and The Devil’s Diary“Anyone interested in American history will find fascinating what the book reveals about ‘The Director’ and his agents. As a former member of Special Operations who learned to make maximum use of intel, I found entertaining what Letersky shows about the power of secrets.” —Tom Satterly, author of All Secure and, also, retired Delta Force operator whose life was portrayed in Black Hawk Down

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“The freshness and honesty of Mission France make it an ideal book for taking a new look at the secret war, at a time when knowledge of these brave women’s exploits is fading from living memory.”—Vin Arthey, The Scotsman“A well-researched chronicle that intertwines each woman’s journey from ordinary daughters and wives to pioneering figures of the conflict who were adept in everything from parachuting to wireless operation.”—France Magazine“Despite the deserved praise for Special Operations Executive members Violette Szabo and Noor Inayat Khan, many of its other agents are forgotten. Kate Vigurs here attempts to redress the balance, looking at the widely varying experiences of all 39 women who undertook such daring missions.”—Military History“Gripping. . . . Based on new archival research and interviews, these are three-dimensional tales of failure and betrayal, as well as heroism and bravery.”—History Revealed, “Book of the Month”“A fascinating account. . . . It’s a tale of triumph and tragedy, of romance but also ruin: 14 of F Section’s heroines died in hideous circumstances. . . . Mission France stands as a fitting epitaph to their courage and humanity.”—Giles Milton, BBC History MagazineShortlisted for the 2021 Society for Army Historical Research Best First Book Prize“Apart from a few names, those of all the women who became SOE agents in France are largely unknown. But, in her compelling new book, Kate Vigurs has brought together the stories of all the women’s triumphs and tragedies. Stories that should not be missed.”—Susan Ottaway, author of Violette Szabo: The Life That I Have“Thirty-nine ordinary women reacting to extraordinary circumstances. . . . Eschewing the glamorous image so often foisted on to the women of the SOE, Vigurs offers a cooler, more perceptive insight into varieties of courage.”—Siân Rees, author of Lucie Aubrac: The French Resistance Heroine Who Defied the Gestapo“Mission France is an important addition to the story of the female agents of SOE’s F Section. It handles the history of these women by means of compassionate analysis and successfully avoids the hagiographical approach so favoured by other writers.”—Mark Seaman, author of Undercover Agent: How One of SOE’s Youngest Agents Helped Defeat the Nazis“A riveting and brilliantly researched account of 39 women agents of SOE. Vigurs takes us on a journey of intrigue, betrayal, escape and sometimes tragedy. A must-read for all fans of the secret war, it is the definitive account of the secret underworld of occupation.”—Richard J. Aldrich, author of GCHQ: The Uncensored Story of Britain’s Most Secret Intelligence

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Book SynopsisThe dramatic, untold story of the extraordinary women recruited by Britain's elite spy agency to help pave the way for Allied victoryTrade ReviewCompelling - these under-reported stories of fearless and principled women will provide inspiration - BooklistWith skill and heart, Sarah Rose captures the adventures of an extraordinary group of women who kept the resistance alive during the darkest days of World War II, risking everything to liberate their loved ones, their nations, and democracy itself. I couldn't stop reading - Jason Fagone, Author of The Woman Who Smashed CodesRose delivers a swift moving . . . expert blow-by-blow account . . . A spy thriller that fights against the idea of "the original sin of women at war" - Kirkus ReviewsDaring, modern, and gorgeously written . . . This is the D-Day book the world has been waiting for - Karen Abbott, Author of Sin in the Second City and Liar, Temptress, Soldier, SpySarah Rose's D-Day Girls is . . . a page-turning spy story that will, at long last, inscribe the names of three remarkable female spies-Andree Borrel, Odette Sansom, Lise de Baissac-into our history books - Susannah Cahalan, Author of Brain on FireA fresh, thrilling account of the female spies whose courage and audacity helped win the day on June 6, 1944 - Alex Kershaw, Author of the Bedford Boys and Avenue of Spies

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Book SynopsisNow a green, open space enjoyed by residents, Fort Hunt, Virginia – about 15 miles south of Washington, DC. – was the site of one of the highest-level, clandestine operations during World War II. Shortly after entering World War II, the U.S. military realised that it had to work on exploiting any advantages it might gain on the Axis Powers. One part of these endeavours was to establish a secret facility not too close, but also not too far from the Pentagon, which would interrogate and eavesdrop on the highest-level Nazi prisoners and also translate and analyse captured German war documents. The complex established at Fort Hunt was known by the code name: PO Box 1142.The American servicemen who interrogated German prisoners or translated captured German documents were young, bright, hardworking, and absolutely dedicated to their work. Many of them were Jews, who had escaped Nazi Germany as children – some had come to America with their parents, others had escaped alone, but their experiences and those they had been forced to leave behind meant they all had personal motivation to do whatever they could to defeat Nazi Germany. They were perfect for the difficult and complex job at hand. They never used corporal punishment in interrogations of German soldiers but developed and deployed dozens of tricks to gain information.The Allies won the war against Hitler for a host of reasons, discussed in hundreds of volumes. This is the first book to describe the intelligence operations at PO Box 1142 and their part in that success. It will never be known how many American lives were spared, or whether the war ended sooner with the programs at Fort Hunt, but they doubtless did make a difference. Moreover these programs gave the young Jewish men stationed there the chance to combat the evil that had befallen their families.Table of ContentsPreface Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Escape from the Nazis Chapter 3: Setting Up the Program Chapter 4: Name, Rank, Serial Number and ... Chapter 5: There Was More Than One Way to Skin a Cat Chapter 6: Translating Captured Documents Chapter 7: Operation Paperclip Chapter 8: Reunions at Fort Hunt Chapter 9: What Happened to the Soldiers after 1142 Appendix: Escape and Evasion

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Book Synopsis'A deeply human read, wonderfully written, on the foibles of a fascinating, flawed, treacherous and sort of likeable character.' Philippe Sands Those people who were betrayed were not innocent people. They were no better nor worse than I am. It's all part of the intelligence world. If the man who turned me in came to my house today, I'd invite him to sit down and have a cup of tea. George Blake was the last remaining Cold War spy. As a Senior Officer in the British Intelligence Service who was double agent for the Soviet Union, his actions had devastating consequences for Britain. Yet he was also one of the least known double agents, and remained unrepentant. In 1961, Blake was sentenced to forty-two years imprisonment for betraying to the KGB all of the Western operations in which he was involved, and the names of hundreds of British agents working behind the Iron Curtain. This was the longest sentence for espionage ever to have been handed down by a British court. On the surface, Blake was a charming, intelligent and engaging man, and most importantly, a seemingly committed patriot. Underneath, a ruthlessly efficient mole and key player in the infamous 'Berlin Tunnel' operation. This illuminating biography tracks Blake from humble beginnings as a teenage courier for the Dutch underground during the Second World War, to the sensational prison-break from Wormwood Scrubs that inspired Hitchcock to write screenplay. Through a combination of personal interviews, research and unique access to Stasi records, journalist Simon Kuper unravels who Blake truly was, what he was capable of, and why he did it.Trade ReviewThe most comprehensive and insightful biography [of George Blake] to date -- Ben Macintyre * Times *Kuper provides a different and valuable perspective, humane and informative. If the definition of a psychopath is someone who refuses to accept the consequences of his actions, does George fit the definition? There he sits, admitting it was all for nothing, but has no regrets. Or does he? -- John Le CarréTruly enthralling, gets under the skin, gives us a more nuanced sense of who Mr Blake - or is it Comrade Blake? - really was and what, if anything, actually motivated him. It's a deeply human read, wonderfully written, on the foibles of a fascinating, flawed, treacherous and sort of likeable character. -- Philippe SandsA beguiling and endlessly interesting portrait of one man's rigid, Panglossian desire to see the best in everything ... The beauty of "Spies, Lies, and Exile" is the manner in which Blake's wide-eyed credulity is matched, blow for blow, by Mr. Kuper's considered skepticism and his ability, at the end, to see through the veneer of self-deception -- Henry Hemming * WSJ *

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Book SynopsisWe live in an age of subterfuge. Spy agencies pour vast resources into hacking, leaking, and forging data, often with the goal of weakening the very foundation of liberal democracy: trust in facts. Thomas Rid, a renowned expert on technology and national security, was one of the first to sound the alarm. Even before the 2016 election, he warned that Russian military intelligence was 'carefully planning and timing a high-stakes political campaign' to disrupt the democratic process. But as crafty as such so-called active measures have become, they are not new. In this astonishing journey through a century of secret psychological war, Rid reveals for the first time some of history's most significant operations - many of them nearly beyond belief. A White Russian ploy backfires and brings down a New York police commissioner; a KGB-engineered, anti-Semitic hate campaign creeps back across the Berlin Wall; the CIA backs a fake publishing empire, run by a former Wehrmacht U-boat commander that produces Germany's best jazz magazine.Trade ReviewMindbending... The Kremlin's renewed efforts will ensure that Active Measures appears on the reading list of government officials and security experts. But it would be a disservice to reduce it to such a narrow space. For this is a book about something much bigger: our relationship with truth and our desire for lies -- Peter Pomerantsev * Spectator *In rich detail, Rid walks us through a hundred years of political warfare, recounting the exploits powers both major and minor inflicted on one another via the disinformation units of their intelligence agencies. Some of the stories are hair-raising -- Jonathan Freedland * NYRB *Groundbreaking ... Thomas Rid looks deep into neglected East European State Security archives, tracks down Cold War-era active measures officers, and examines fresh digital forensics in order to tell the true history of what we now know as disinformation. Active Measures is full of great stories that give contemporary events the historical context that has, until now, been missing. -- Anne Applebaum * Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Gulag: A History *Clausewitz for the cyber era -- John S Gardner * Guardian *Thomas Rid's timely Active Measures is an instant classic. He provides a comprehensive look at the political attacks we witnessed in 2016, and reminds us that deception and disinformation have deep historical roots. He also shows that the effects of active measures can be long-lasting, but can also boomerang on those who initiate them. As free societies look to defend against future deception campaigns, they will need to understand both the past and the new technologies that help to weaponize the practice in the present. Thomas Rid's excellent book is the best place to start. -- John Sipher * former member of the CIA's Senior Intelligence Service *Thomas Rid, a recognized expert in information security, investigates the history of disinformation, taking us back to its modern origins. He tells a series of thrilling stories of how this subtle game was played by the founder of the Soviet secret police, his successors at the KGB, their Western counterparts, and contemporary Russian intelligence operators. Rid has produced a book that is destined to become a seminal work on the topic. -- Andrei Soldatov * coauthor of The Red Web: The Kremlin's War on the Internet *Active Measures provides a comprehensive look at the disinformation game, from the 1920s through the digital revolution. Thomas Rid gives the reader an insider's view of how high-profile influence campaigns are designed and executed, thus providing historical perspective that can help us blunt the impact of disinformation. For that reason alone, Active Measures is a must-read. -- Nada Bakos * former analyst and targeting officer at the CIA *Skillfully illuminates and demystifies this ballyhooed but much-misunderstood subject * Publishers Weekly starred review *Engrossing ... invaluable -- James Gibney * The American Scholar *

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Book SynopsisThe acclaimed and enthralling story of the dark side of Elizabethan rule, from Stephen AlfordElizabeth I''s reign is known as a golden age, yet to much of Europe she was a ''Jezebel'' and heretic who had to be destroyed. The Watchers is a thrilling portrayal of the secret state that sought to protect the Queen; a shadow world of spies, codebreakers, agent provocateurs and confidence-men who would stop at nothing to defend the realm.Reviews:''Forget Le Carré, Deighton and the rest - this is more enthralling than any modern spy fiction'' Daily Telegraph''Absorbing and closely documented ... Alford vividly evokes this murky world of codes, ciphers, invisible ink, intercepted letters, aliases, disguises, forgeries and instructions to burn after reading ... flowing narrative [and] crisp judments ... engrossing'' Guardian''[Alford] has brought a dash of le Carré to the 16th century'' The Times <Trade ReviewForget Le Carré, Deighton and the rest - this is more enthralling than any modern spy fiction -- Rupert Christiansen * Daily Telegraph *Absorbing and closely documented ... his accounts of the unmasking of the Throckmorton and Babington plots are full and gripping, and he throws much light on the secret agents who exposed these and similar conspiracies ... Alford vividly evokes this murky world of codes, ciphers, invisible ink, intercepted letters, aliases, disguises, forgeries and instructions to burn after reading ... flowing narrative [and] crisp judments ... engrossing -- Keith Thomas * Guardian *Alford brings these men, their worlds and the unfortunate victims of their espionage vividly out of the shadows. Their interlocking biographies and adventures combine to produce a portrait of a mid-to-late Elizabethan England that was ruled by Walsingham's maxim: "There is less danger in fearing too much than too little" ... [Alford] has brought a dash of le Carré to the 16th century -- Dan Jones * Times Book of the Week *Alford paints a vivid and staggeringly well-researched portrait of the sinister side of Elizabethan England ... This is a spectacular book. It sheds new light on plots that most historians have ceased to explore and brings less famous conspiracies to the attention of the general reading public * Herald *Fascinating ... If you want to know the inside story of this struggle, the dark heart of calculation and the fight for survival, then this is the book to read. I know no better -- Alan Judd * Spectator *An enthralling account of the murky shadow-world of Elizabethan espionage ... The fascination of Alford's book ... lies in its focus on the worker bees in the intelligence hive. He has delved deep into encrypted archives to discover the lengths to which Elizabethan Englishmen were prepared to go to destroy their queen, or to defend her - and one of the surprises of a story full of dizzying twists is quite how many of them ended up attempting to do both ... In a bravura piece of counterfactual storytelling, Alford describes the moment in an imagined 1586 when one of the many plots to assassinate Elizabeth finally succeeded ... The heart of the Tudor state, as Alford compellingly shows, is entirely human in its darkness -- Helen Castor * Times Higher Education *The Watchers ... provides a genuine - and compelling - reappraisal of one of the most studied periods in English history: the reign of Elizabeth I. In exploring the world (or underworld) of Elizabethan espionage, Alford takes us on a darker, more disturbing and arguably more fascinating journey through the Elizabethan era than any other historian of the period ... [He] begins by taking the reader through a terrifyingly dramatic account of an assassination attempt in 1586, which leaves Queen Elizabeth mortally wounded ... It is an imaginary, but startlingly real scenario ... By telling it here, Alford sets the scene perfectly for the rest of the narrative, putting the reader in the mindset of the Virgin Queen's paranoid ministers ... a fascinating cast of characters ... engaging and perfectly pitched narrative ... Alford weaves together the bewilderingly complex threads of plots and counterplots so skilfully that as a reader you are never left floundering -- Tracy Borman * BBC History Magazine *Alford ... has delved deeply into 16th-century archives to unearth a history of the dark underside to the Elizabethan golden age - a page-turning tale of assassination plots, torture, and espionage * Publishers Weekly *An intimate and revealing exploration of the men who did the Elizabethan security state's dirty work. Lifting the lid on the Protestant-Catholic 'cold war' of the late sixteenth century, Stephen Alford sifts the sources with a forensic eye, bringing to life the motley collection of self-interested chancers and drifters, religious and political zealots who watched each other in the streets of London, Paris and Rome. Leading us into the dark corners, safe houses and interrogation chambers of this twilight world, The Watchers paints a fascinating picture of the vast and nebulous threat facing Elizabethan England - and its determination to deal with that threat by any means necessary -- Thomas Penn, author of WINTER KINGDetailed and diligently researched * Sunday Times *[A] deep and convincing new study of the Elizabethan security services ... Previous attempts to understand the world of Tudor espionage ... have been hampered by the intractability of the source materials ... So it is greatly to the author's credit that he tells us much that is new about the diverse, and frankly bizarre, personalities who protected Elizabeth from an assassin's bullet and her realm from invasion ... Alford's mastery of the Elizabethan state papers delivers a detailed, believable and often compelling account of the strategies deployed by the state ... Alford is even-handed in his approach, not flinching from the grisly details of state-sponsored torture and execution, but also trying to see the situation from the government's point of view -- John Cooper * Literary Review *Stephen Alford has written a gripping account of these cruel and dramatic events, proving that the survival of Protestant England was purchased at a very high price indeed * Sunday Express *

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Book SynopsisA Telegraph Book to Read for Autumn 2022A Times Best Non-fiction Book for Autumn 2022A Daily Mail Book of the Year 2022A Waterstones Best Book of 2022: BiographyThe astonishing new portrait of the master of spy fiction, by the woman he kept secret for almost half his lifeJohn le Carré led a life entirely constructed of secrets. First as a British spook' during the Cold War, then as a world-renowned writer of espionage fiction, but also in his personal involvements. He guarded his private life with fierce determination, so that even when he finally permitted his life story to be written, there was still one element he insisted be excluded: the women.Married with children for virtually all his adult life, le Carré David Cornwell had a number of secret affairs, usually conducted abroad with women encountered by chance on his travels. These relationships were always intense, dramatic, even tragic, yet each was destined to last no more than a few months. But there was one love affair thatTrade Review.‘A posthumous love-letter to David Cornwell…le Carré’s private life seems to be perfectly aligned to his work.’The Daily Telegraph ‘Dawson is always aware of the complex duplicities le Carré is indulging in (she’s no fool) … A sly and clever book’William Boyd, New Statesman ‘A fascinating insight into how the betrayal, infidelity and lies that are at the heart of Le Carré’s spy novels were duplicated with exhausting precision in his private life’ Daily Mail ‘Those interested in le Carré will discover much fascinating detail … intelligent and perceptive’Adam Sisman, Spectator ‘A profound character study of a great writer’ The Times ‘Very sharp and funny’ Daily Telegraph

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Book Synopsis''Everything about this story is astounding'' Bryan Appleyard, Sunday TimesTrinity was the codename for the test explosion of the atomic bomb in New Mexico on 16 July 1945. Trinity is now also the extraordinary story of the bomb''s metaphorical father, Rudolf Peierls; his intellectual son, the atomic spy, Klaus Fuchs, and the ghosts of the security services in Britain, the USA and USSR.Against the background of pre-war Nazi Germany, the Second World War and the following Cold War, the book traces how Peierls brought Fuchs into his family and his laboratory, only to be betrayed. It describes in unprecedented detail how Fuchs became a spy, his motivations and the information he passed to his Soviet contacts, both in the UK and after he went with Peierls to join the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos in 1944. Frank Close is himself a distinguished nuclear physicist: uniquely, the book explains the science as well as the spying.Fuchs returned toTrade ReviewA masterclass in thriller writing, it bears comparison with the most gripping spy sagas of Ben Macintyre -- Graham Farmelo * Guardian *A brilliant new biography ... The book introduces crucial changes to ... the official version of events. -- Bryan Appleyard * Sunday Times *Engrossing, brilliantly researched ... The scale of Fuchs's spying was astounding, as were its consequences -- Jay Elwes * Spectator *He has delved into the archives to produce a remarkable story ... meticulous but highly readable -- Manjit Kumar * The Times *

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Book SynopsisThe second sensational volume of ''One of the biggest intelligence coups in recent years'' (The Times)When Vasili Mitrokhin revealed his archive of Russian intelligence material to the world it caused an international sensation. The Mitrokhin Archive II reveals in full the secrets of this remarkable cache, showing for the first time the astonishing extent of the KGB''s global power and influence. ''The long-awaited second tranche from the KGB archive ... co-authored by our leading authority on the secret machinations of the Evil Empire'' Sunday Times''Stunning ... the stuff of legend ... a unique insight into KGB activities on a global scale'' Spectator''Headline news ... as great a credit to the scholarship of its author as to the dedication and courage of its originator'' Sunday Telegraph''There are gems on every page'' Financial Times

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Book SynopsisThe incredible real life story of the world''s first super spy''Full of stimulating detail... vivid glimpses of the world of Elizabethan espionage'' GUARDIAN''Walsingham emerges from these pages as a hero of epic stature'' DAILY TELEGRAPHFrancis Walsingham was the first ''spymaster'' in the modern sense. His methods anticipated those of MI5 and MI6 and even those of the KGB. He maintained a network of spies across Europe, including double-agents at the highest level in Rome and Spain - the sworn enemies of Queen Elizabeth and her Protestant regime. His entrapment of Mary Queen of Scots is a classic intelligence operation that resulted in her execution. As Robert Hutchinson reveals, his cypher expert''s ability to intercept other peoples'' secret messages and his brilliant forged letters made him a fearsome champion of the young Elizabeth. Yet even this Machiavellian schemer eventually fell foul of Elizabeth as her confidence grew Trade ReviewFull of stimulating detail... vivid glimpses of the world of Elizabethan espionage -- Simon Calow * GUARDIAN *Robert Hutchinson's lucid and learned volume gives us a vivid portrait of Walsingham... an excellent book * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *Walsingham emerges from these pages as a hero of epic stature * DAILY TELEGRAPH *An accessible, authoritative account of Francis Walsingham's life and work. Written with a sense of the dramatic... The author is very good at evoking the atmosphere of suspicion and paranoia during Elizabeth's reign and seems to relish describing the methods of torture at Walsingham's disposal and the brutality of the age. It makes Elizabethan statecraft immediate and entertaining * BOOK MAGAZINE *Compelling * LITERARY REVIEW *Impeccably researched... the author has constructed what almost amounts to a thriller in this gripping narrative * GOOD BOOK GUIDE *The story told here is intense and compelling * BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE *Hutchinson neatly combines his expert knowledge with an impressive narrative suspense and mordant sense of humour... A darkly informative read * WATERSTONES BOOKS QUARTERLY *The strength of this book lies in its combination of brilliant original research with a compelling narrative * HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW *

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Book SynopsisThe Skripal Files tells the full story behind the Salisbury Poisonings, one of the most shocking incidents to occur in Britain in recent memory. Broadcaster and historian Mark Urban interviewed Sergei Skripal in the months before the poisoning and explains why Skripal was targeted for assassination.'A scrupulous piece of reporting, necessary, timely and very sobering' – John Le CarréChosen as one of the best political books of 2018 by the Sunday Times.4 March 2018, Salisbury, England.Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were enjoying a rare and peaceful Sunday spent together, completely unaware that they had been poisoned with the deadly nerve agent Novichok. Hours later both were found slumped on a park bench close to death.Following their attempted murders on British soil, Russia was publicly accused by the West of carrying out the attack, marking a new low for international relations between the two since the end of the Cold War.The Skripal Files is the definitive account of the Salisbury Poisonings and how Skripal’s story fits into the wider context of the new spy war between Russia and the West. The book explores Sergei's past as a spy in the Russian military intelligence, explains how he was turned to work as an agent by MI6, and his imprisonment in Siberia. His eventual release as part of a spy-swap brought him to Salisbury where, on that fateful day, he and his daughter found themselves fighting for their lives.Trade ReviewFascinating account of the poisoning case . . . Other books will follow on the Skripals, but they will struggle to match the texture of Urban’s research, its knowledgeable hinterland * The Times *A scrupulous piece of reporting, necessary, timely and very sobering -- John Le CarréEngrossing . . . Urban tells the story of Skripal’s undercover career well, much of it previously unknown and gleaned from around 10 hours of conversations with him at his Salisbury home -- Luke Harding, GuardianBased on his extensive interviews with Skripal, provide an original and often fascinating read on the games that spies played in the wake of the Cold War * Sunday Times *A detailed account of Skripal’s life leading up to these terrible events * Daily Telegraph *Table of ContentsIntroduction - Introduction: Introduction Section - Prologue: An Unlawful Use of Force Section - Part One: Agent Chapter - 1: The Pitch Chapter - 2: Sergei's Journey Chapter - 3: Into the Darkness Chapter - 4: Master Race No Longer Chapter - 5: Breakthrough in Madrid Chapter - 6: Inside the Glass House Chapter - 7: The View From Vauxhall Chapter - 8: Back Into the Light Section - Part Two: Prisoner Chapter - 9: Inside Lefortovo Chapter - 10: Litvinenko Chapter - 11: IK 5 Chapter - 12: Hitmen Chapter - 13: The Fateful Letter Chapter - 14: Operation Ghost Stories Chapter - 15: Deliverance Chapter - 16: Christie Miller Road Section - Part Three: Target Chapter - 17: Sunday 4 March Chapter - 18: The Fight For Survival Chapter - 19: 'Highly Likely' Russia Chapter - 20: The Investigation Falters Chapter - 21: The Information War Chapter - 22: The Long Road to Recovery

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Book SynopsisThe shocking history of the espionage and infiltration of American media during WWI and the man who exposed it. A man who was not who he claimed to be...Russia was not the first foreign power to subvert American popular opinion from inside. In the lead-up to America’s entry into the First World War, Germany spent the modern equivalent of one billion dollars to infiltrate American media, industry, and government to undermine the supply chain of the Allied forces. If not for the ceaseless activity of John Revelstoke Rathom, editor of the scrappy Providence Journal, America may have remained committed to its position of neutrality. But Rathom emerged to galvanize American will, contributing to the conditions necessary for President Wilson to request a Declaration of War from Congress—all the while exposing sensational spy plots and getting German diplomats expelled from the U.S. And yet John Rathom was not even his real name. His swashbuckling biography was outrageous fiction. And his many acts of journalistic heroism, which he recounted to rapt audiences on nationwide speaking tours, never happened. Who then was this great, beloved, and ultimately tragic imposter? In The Imposter’s War, Mark Arsenault unearths the truth about Rathom’s origins and revisits a surreal and too-little-known passage in American history that reverberates today. The story of John Rathom encompasses the propaganda battle that set America on a course for war. He rose within the editorial ranks, surviving romantic scandals and combative rivals, eventually transitioning from an editor to a de facto spy. He brought to light the Huerta plot (in which Germany tied to push the United States and Mexico into a war) and helped to upend labor strikes organized by German agents to shut down American industry. Rathom was eventually brought low by an up-and-coming political star by the name of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Arsenault tracks the rise and fall of this enigmatic figure, while providing the rich and fascinating context of Germany’s acts of subterfuge through the early years of World War I. The Imposter's War is a riveting and spellbinding narrative of a flawed newsman who nevertheless changed the course of history.Trade Review“World War I German skulduggery combined with the biography of a flamboyant newspaper editor who trumpeted it. John Rathom (1868-1923) became famous, but Arsenault’s research reveals him as a fraud. Rathom was quickly forgotten, but Arsenault does readers a favor by reviving his memory.” * Kirkus Reviews *“In this superb debut, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Arsenault tells the stranger-than-fiction story of the efforts of John Rathom (1868–1923), the Australian-born editor of the Providence Journal, to shift American attitudes toward involvement in WWI. His eye-opening account, which also covers a Navy scandal that could have derailed FDR’s political career, is a valuable look at both the ethics of journalism that prioritizes the ends over the means and century-old antecedents for foreign propaganda disseminated as part of a sophisticated scheme. Enthralling.” * Publishers Weekly (starred) *“Arsenault has a wonderful time sharing the story of how he nailed down details of Rathom’s life that bore no resemblance to the versions he peddled. [Arsenault writes] with considerable panache.” * Washington Post *“In his first nonfiction book, Boston Globe reporter Arsenault not only resurrects Rathom and uncovers the surprising secret of his true background but also provides a complete sense of the world in which Rathom lived. Well researched and clearly written, this book provides insights into journalism and parts of American history that still resonate.” * Booklist *“Mark Arsenault has crafted a most unusual war story—a fast-moving tale populated by spies, fakers, double-dealers, maneuvering diplomats and vengeful political figures. At the heart of this twisty saga of Great Powers politics sits John R. Rathom, a U.S. newspaper editor with a false identity who tossed journalistic ethics to the wind in his zeal to push the country into World War I against Germany. Arsenault employs meticulous research and a breezy story-telling style to lay bare the scope of Rathom’s brazenly deceptive campaign—and he offers a vivid look at the propaganda war that raged long before American troops would tread the battlefields of Europe. The Imposter’s War adds to the wider narrative about World War I a character of intrigue and towering ambition not soon to be forgotten.” -- Ken Ellingwood, author of First to Fall: Elijah Lovejoy and the Fight for a Free Press in the Age of Slavery"In The Imposter’s War, Mark Arsenault weaves a spellbinding tale of intrigue, espionage and the spies, propagandists and conmen who helped propel a reluctant United States into World War I. At the center was an unlikely figure, John Rathom, a flamboyant newspaperman in Providence, Rhode Island whose life was a lie. Arsenault does an amazing job excavating the shocking truth about the Australian’s origins and bringing to life a turbulent America in the early 20th Century. A historic page-turner!" -- Mike Stanton, Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author of The Prince of Providence and Unbeaten

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Book SynopsisAn intriguing look behind the scenes of British intelligence, charting Walter Bell's career in MI6 and MI5 spanning some of the most important geopolitical events in the twentieth century.

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