Espionage and secret services Books

Book SynopsisThe dramatic story of a man who stood at the center of British intelligence operations, the ultimate spymaster of World War II: Thomas KendrickTrade Review“A remarkable piece of historical detective work. . . . Now, thanks to this groundbreaking book, the result of years of meticulous research and expert analysis, Kendrick’s role as one of the great spymasters of the twentieth century can be revealed.”—Saul David, Daily Telegraph“Fry . . . has done a remarkable job of reconstructing the life, networks and secrets of a man who spent most of his existence hiding them.”—James Owen, Times (UK)“Fry’s achievement in Spymaster is a considerable one. She tells a remarkable story, exploring both the private and the public life of Thomas Kendrick.”—Ahron Bregman, Jewish Chronicle“Detailed and assiduously researched. . . . A priceless addition to interwar intelligence history.”—Henry Hemming, BBC History Magazine“Fry’s endeavour itself in attempting to write about such an obscure man who lived a highly secretive life deserves credit since such a project is a daring one due to the vigorous research demands and efforts such a project necessitates.”—Bailey Schwab, Intelligence and National Security“Helen’s style of writing and choice of words is refreshing and a delight to read. Her research has been extremely meticulous and has undoubtedly resulted in one of MI6’s most successful intelligence officers.”—Fred Judge, Intelligence Corps historian“Riveting and meticulously researched. Fry explores the darkest recesses of global intelligence services during a most tumultuous and formative period. Raising questions that challenge established truths, Spymaster will intrigue and educate even the most informed minds.“—Charlotte Philby, author of A Double Life“Thomas Kendrick was a game changer, an original thinker and the ultimate spymaster. Thank you, Helen Fry, for bringing him back to life. This is a must read for everyone interested in British intelligence: a history that combines pace, humanity and forensic detail to build a picture of an astonishing career and individual.”—Tessa Dunlop, author of The Bletchley Girls“Rescues from history the untold but important story of the MI6 officer who helped save so many people from the clutches of the Nazis in late 1930s Vienna. A really fascinating read.”—Stephen Dorril, author MI6: Fifty Years of Special Operations“A fascinating account of a very singular life. . . . [T]he remarkable story of a rather obscure intelligence professional who had quite an impact on modern history.”—Nigel West, author of Spy Swap: The Humiliation of Russia’s Intelligence Services“You probably haven’t heard of Thomas Kendrick—and that’s the way he’d have wanted it—but his story deserves to be told. Helen Fry’s book uncovers the amazing hidden story of an espionage pioneer who risked the wrath of the Gestapo to rescue Austrian Jews.”—Robert Hutton, author of Agent Jack: The True Story of MI5’s Secret Nazi Hunter

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Influence operations." Once an exotic term from spy novels, remote from our daily lives, today it's a reality that touches all of us through our networked devices. Russia and China have gotten entry to our homes and to our minds, seeking to influence and disorient us. McLaughlin and Holstein are Paul Reveres for the 21st century, shouting the alarm and explaining how citizens, IT firms, and government must rebalance relations with China to protect our democratic system.Andrew J. Nathan, one of America’s top China-watchers and Class of 1919 Professor of Political Science, Columbia UniversityMcLaughlin and Holstein set out an immensely readable and sweeping view of how cyber vulnerabilities affect every aspect of our lives. With up-to-date examples from today’s headlines, the authors paint an alarming picture of how Russia and China have used the digital revolution to exploit our open democracy, with cyber theft of industrial secrets and personal data, and the spreading of pernicious disinformation on social media. Anyone who wants to understand the risks we face in the digital world, and to consider a range of excellent and thoughtful recommendations on how we can mitigate those risks, would enjoy reading Battlefield: Cyber.Glenn Gerstell, former General Counsel, National Security AgencyDirect but nuanced, terrifying yet inspiring, a page-turner of a narrative built on robust empirics: Battlefield: Cyber is the primer, and call to arms, that everyone needs for today's war. Michael McLaughlin and William Holstein paint, in diligently researched yet thrilling brushstrokes, both the obvious battle taking place under our very noses and the subtler one changing how battles are fought. In the process, they offer a preternaturally clear portrait of China's strategy -- and of U.S. foibles. Best of all, they provide hope for a path forward.Emily de la Bruyère, co-founder, Horizon AdvisoryWhen the history of America’s current era is written, the cybersecurity war among and between the United States, Russia and China, will play a pivotal role in understanding our socio-economic, politico-military history, and our political economy. Historians will ask: “What did America know about the threats of cyber-attacks? When did we know it? And, What did we do about it?” Mike McLaughlin and Bill Holstein do not pull punches. Battlefield: Cyber provides Americans today and historians tomorrow a thoughtful, well-investigated and documented insight into this cyber war, which may eclipse The Cold War in historical significance. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the future of democracy and the Great American Experiment. This book begs the question: “What is to Be Done?”Steven Soble, Chief Executive Officer, Assured EnterprisesPertinent exploration of how cyberspace combat has become a dangerous reality.“Make no mistake, America’s adversaries are fully engaged in a cyber war,” write the authors, “and it is raging all around us.” This initially sounds like hyperbole, but as the narrative unfolds, it begins to seem like an understatement. McLaughlin is a former senior adviser for U.S. Cyber Command, where he was responsible for the coordination of Department of Defense counterintelligence operations in cyberspace, and Holstein is a journalist who specializes in technology and China. The authors make a strong argument that Russia and China are winning an insidious digital war against the U.S. They explain how hacks, malware, and system penetrations work, dissecting some of the major incidents. Russia is mainly concerned with disruption, and its government has coopted hackers specializing in ransomware attacks into their operations. The Russian invasion of Ukraine was preceded by cyberattacks on the country’s communications systems and infrastructure, which were remarkably effective. China is more interested in colonizing American systems to insert malware, steal intellectual property, and gather personal data. Both countries have penetrated social media platforms and have established a covert presence in cloud systems. McLaughlin and Holstein propose moves to improve digital security in the U.S., looking to Taiwan as a model for cooperation between government and the private sector. A Department of Digital Services could provide coordination and support as well as pushing tech companies to move their operations out of China. Corporations have to be willing to share information and protective technology, and there must be a concerted effort to remove embedded malware from systems in companies, government agencies, and the military. McLaughlin and Holstein present a convincing case in clear language, and the result is a book that is likely to keep you awake at night.A disturbing, well-rendered study that reveals the extent of the digital struggle and charts a way forward for the U.S. - Kirkus (Starred Review)

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review“[A] remarkable book” —Nick Rennison, Daily Mail (Book Of The Week)“Interesting, informative, enlightening” — All About History“This is a great book and a valuable contribution to scholarship on the Second World War” — Michael Goodman, BBC History Magazine“The world has long been familiar with Bletchley Park, where German codes were cracked by a secret army of listeners intercepting enemy wireless transmissions. But now, another clandestine intelligence operation that played an equally important part in the war has come to light.”—Tony Rennell, Daily Mail (War Books of the Year) “Quite brilliantly tells of the intelligence bonanza gained from bugging the rooms where captured Nazi generals were held as they let their tongues wag”—Gerald Seymour, Daily Express ‘Best Books of 2020'“Fry provides a riveting account, through the use of surviving transcripts from the bugging operations at Trent Park, of how a captured German prisoner of war spoke to his ‘minders’ – and fellow inmates – about the extent and number of concentration camps throughout German occupied territories.”—Bailey Schwab, Intelligence and National Security“A fascinating, well-researched glimpse into a hitherto neglected corner of the intelligence history of the Second World War."—Nigel West, author of Double Cross in Cairo"Fry shines a revealing light into a dark and forgotten corner of the British wartime intelligence effort, with truly remarkable results."—Mark Felton, author of Operation Swallow“Fry has uncovered an astonishing story of wartime espionage, featuring prisoners of war, microphones hidden in vegetation and interrogations so subtle that the subjects never realised what was happening. Almost as amazing as the operation itself is that it stayed secret so long.”—Robert Hutton, author of Agent Jack“Fry traces the development and growing sophistication of interrogation technique during the Second World War, the overlay of apparent British eccentricity and creative deception on a determined intelligence operation … Fascinating.”—Michael Jago, author of The Man Who Was George Smiley

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA thrilling history of MI9—the WWII organization that engineered the escape of Allied forces from behind enemy linesTrade Review“Fry has undertaken prodigious research…The book is a fitting tribute to the hundreds of men and women who risked their lives in assisting Allied escapees, and a welcome salute to those who broke out of their PoW camps that they might be returned to the battlefront.”—Giles Milton, The Sunday Times“A finely researched appraisal of MI9, one of the least known agencies of the Second World War, whose principal role was to help British prisoners of war escape from enemy-occupied territory.”—The Sunday Times ‘Best Paperbacks of 2021’ “Helen Fry’s engrossing tale M19…details the exploits of the secret organisation that rescued allied troops from behind Nazi lines.”—Martin Chilton, The Independent“Several recent books have shone light on the heroic part women played in the story of intelligence, and Fry illuminates their role even more...[A] noble, moving and inspiring book”—Allan Mallinson, Spectator“Once started, this is an impossible book to put down.”—David Webb-Carter, Aspects of History“In a brilliantly researched, absorbing and at times gripping text, Helen Fry takes the reader on an awe-inspiring and riveting journey as she details the work of M19, the secret service for escape and evasion in World War Two.”—John T. Morris, Love Wrexham Magazine“Fry is fortunate to have enjoyed access to previously classified files and documents, which allows for a more in-depth study of the department than ever before. The combination of this material, eyewitness testimony and some truly breathtaking tales of heroism and survival make this a must-read for anyone with an interest in the history of the intelligence services of World War II.”—All About History“Supplemented by vivid and captivating personal accounts of espionage, along with daring and heroic escape and evasion reports of POWs, Fry further underscores the critical role of “ordinary” individuals of occupied Europe who risked their lives and the well-being of their families.”—Kevin T. Hall, Global Military Studies Review“A well-written book…[Fry] never loses sight of her research interest.”—Winfried Heinemann, International Journal of Military History and Historiography“There is so much content in this book, so many stories of remarkable bravery and endeavour, that the main feeling is simply to be thankful that Fry has moved them closer to a wider audience, and her enthusiasm for her subjects shines through.”—Karl Hornsey, On: YorkshireMagazine“Fry, through the diligent use of declassified material from the MI9 files at the Kew National Archives, published and unpublished memoirs from personnel within the organisation, and papers in family possessions shows how MI9ʹs escapers made an important contribution to intelligence during the war.”—Bailey Schwab, Intelligence and National SecurityShortlisted for the 2020 Duke of Wellington Medal for Military History“A thoroughly comprehensive study of a much-neglected secret wartime organisation.”-Nigel West, author of MI6"A masterful page turner you won't be able to put down. The story of MI9 is one of the most inspiring and exciting of all WWII narratives.”—Alex Kershaw, author of Avenue of Spies 'Behind every Allied great escape in WWII there stood the brave and resourceful men and women of MI9, an intelligence organisation today almost completely forgotten … A masterful retelling with a fascinating cast of characters straight out of a John le Carré thriller.' Mark Felton, author of Castle of the Eagles“Important, informative and engaging. Fry draws an engrossing picture of the commitment and courage of tens of thousands of agents who helped "escapers" and "evaders" in the European Theatre of Operations.’—Michael Jago, author of The Man Who Was George Smiley

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Gatekeepers, a remarkable, behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to run the world's most powerful intelligence agency, and how the CIA is often a crucial counterforce against presidents threatening to overstep the powers of their office. Only 11 men and one woman are alive today who have made the life-and-death decisions that come with running the world's most powerful and influential intelligence service. With unprecedented, deep access to nearly all these individuals, Chris Whipple tells the story of an agency that answers to the United States president, but whose activities — spying, espionage, and covert action — take place on every continent. At pivotal moments, the CIA acts as a brake on rogue presidents, starting in the mid-seventies with DCI Richard Helms’ refusal to conceal Richard Nixon

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs the horror of Nazism tightened its grip on Germany, Jews found themselves trapped and desperate. For many, their only hope of salvation came in the form of a small, bespectacled British man: Frank Foley. Working as a Berlin Passport Control Officer, Foley helped thousands of Jews to flee the country with visas and false passports, personally entering the camps to get Jews out, and sheltering those on the run from the Gestapo in his own apartment. Described by a Jewish leader as 'the Pimpernel of the Jews', Foley was an unsung hero of the Holocaust.But why is this extraordinary man virtually unknown, even in Britain? The reason is simple: Foley was MI6 head of station in Berlin, bound to secrecy by the code of his profession.Michael Smith's work uncovering the remarkable truth led to the recognition of Frank Foley as Righteous Among Nations, the highest honour the Jewish state can bestow upon a Gentile. Foley is a story of courage and quiet heroism in the face of great evil - a reminder of the impact that one brave individual can have on the lives of many.Trade Review'One of the great heroic figures of the Holocaust, equal at least to Oskar Schindler and Raoul Wallenberg.' - Jerusalem Post; 'A fascinating book. Smith writes well: coolly and unexaggeratedly, sensibly and authoritatively' - Alan Judd, Daily Telegraph; 'Gripping. An outstanding book. The last word on the Final Solution' - Phillip Knightley, Mail on Sunday; 'Crisp and informative. Very effectively conveys the atmosphere of cumulative danger experienced by Jews in Germany under the Nazis.' - The Times; 'A reminder that goodness can triumph over evil.' - Daily Mail

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe story of one of the most astonishing episodes of espionage and deception of World War Two.This is the tale of two men: Claude Dansey, deputy head of MI6, and double agent Henri Dericourt, who was planted with the rival wartime secret service – SOE – at Dansey’s instructions. From there began a terrifying trail of destruction.After making contact with Dansey in 1942, Dericourt was recruited to SOE as the man desperately needed to organize top-secret flights in and out of occupied French territory. But at the same time Dericourt was in touch with German counter-espionage in Paris. As SOE congratulated themselves on a new asset, Dericourt gave the Nazis everything; every flight, operation and coded message he could.Against a background of unprecedented deception and betrayal, Dansey’s secret MI6 operation eventually led to the arrest of nearly one thousand men and women, hundreds of whom died in concentration camps.How did it go so wrong?A shocking, enthralling account of a devastating episode in the history of the British secret services, perfect for readers of Ben MacIntyre.

Read more less

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 Trade ReviewAn engrossing history of the century-long intelligence war between the US, Britain and Russia... crisp and authoritative * Financial Times *Spies has scholarly clout as well as an insider feel... It is hardly news that the Soviet Union spied a lot. But there are few accounts as comprehensive as this one, spanning the Bolshevik revolution to the present day, while weaving in new archival material, some declassified as recently as 2022 * The Economist *A pioneering study of espionage from 1917 to the present day... Walton distinguishes himself from many other writers in the field of intelligence studies by scrutinising the real impact that espionage, whether Western or Soviet, had on international relations * Literary Review *Gripping as a spy thriller, accessible and well-researched as the best history, this is an epic account of the global espionage game between Russia and America from Lenin to Putin, a world history through spying * Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The World: A Family History of Humanity *A vivid account of intelligence skulduggery... Walton is incisive in his analyses... A gripping, authoritative work * Kirkus, starred review *4 stars... The book goes from an age when the West saw spying as ungentlemanly, and was on the back foot, up to today - and warns we are already in a cold war with China and must act before it's too late * Sun *Spies is therefore not just a book about espionage or even intelligence, but also an ambitious and impressive account of the changing nature of information * Times Literary Supplement *Walton seems to have rushed to every archive, East and West, just as the archivist turned the key in the lock so that he could blow the dust off long-held secrets. His pages crackle with the electric thrill of discovery... People may debate Walton's judgement on particular episodes in the cold war, but thanks to his astoundingly deep research they will do so armed with invaluable new information * New York Review of Books *Walton engagingly charts the complex interactions between the intelligence services of the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union (and its successor, Russia) over more than a century... enlivened by original research and sharp writing -- Lawrence D. Freedman * Foreign Affairs, Best Books of 2023 *The big book has no longueurs, and even gains momentum as it turns to the present day. Mr Putin's invasion of Ukraine serves as a capstone to Mr. Walton's century long story, though he knows that the Cold War between Russia and America will not be the story of the 21st century. Accordingly, he looks to shed light on America's rivalry with China * Wall Street Journal *A masterpiece! The intelligence report on Russia and Ukraine in February 1922 with which Spies begins could have been written on the eve of Putin's invasion a hundred years later in February 2023. A major obstacle to understanding the current crisis, triumphantly overcome by Calder Walton, is Historical Attention-Span Deficit Disorder. As Spies vividly demonstrates, we are living through the latest stage of an Epic Intelligence War Between East and West which began a century ago and shows no sign of ending. * Christopher Andrew, author of The Defence of the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5 *Spies is the book we have all been waiting for. Calder Walton is one of the leading intelligence historians of his generation, and his epic account - replete with human drama and tragedy - shows that Russia's struggle against the west neither began with the Cold War nor ended with the disintegration of the Soviet Union. This volume will engross the general reader and policy makers alike, not least because it provides an unsettling window into the behaviour of the second challenger, the People's Republic of China. * Professor Brendan Simms, Cambridge University *Spies grabs you from the opening page and never lets go. One of our foremost historians of the East-West intelligence war takes us deep inside this grand and often spine-chilling struggle, which predated the Cold War and still rages today. Authoritative, sweeping, chock full of fresh and riveting details, this is a gem of a book. * Fredrik Logevall, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Embers of War *Calder Walton's deeply researched and artfully crafted book offers a masterclass in twentieth-century and contemporary history. It is rich with trenchant analysis, surprising details, cautionary tales, and unique insight into the 'hundred years war' between American and Russian intelligence agencies. Spanning the Bolshevik Revolution to the war in Ukraine, it is essential reading for anyone trying to understanding the complicated trajectory of current events * Fiona Hill, deputy assistant to the U.S. president and senior director for European and Russia on the U.S. National Security Council from 2017 to 2019 *Calder Walton has written the definitive compendium of intelligence operations in the Cold War, and their critical, if hidden, influence in shaping events and outcomes * Paul Kolbe, former chief of CIA's Central Eurasian Division *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisWinner of the 2005 Pulitzer PrizeThe explosive, New York Times bestselling first-hand account of America''s secret history in AfghanistanPrize-winning journalist Steve Coll has spent years reporting from the Middle East, accessed previously classified government files and interviewed senior US officials and foreign spymasters. Here he gives the full inside story of the CIA''s covert funding of an Islamic jihad against Soviet forces in Afghanistan, explores how this sowed the seeds of bn Laden''s rise, traces how he built his global network and brings to life the dramatic battles within the US government over national security. Above all, he lays bare American intelligence''s continual failure to grasp the rising threat of terrrorism in the years leading to 9/11 - and its devastating consequences.''Riveting ... the finest historical narrative so far on the origins of al Qaeda in the post-Soviet rubble of Afghanistan ... provides fresh details

Read more less

Book Synopsis'I cannot think of a better biography of a spy chief'Richard Davenport-Hines, The SpectatorSir Maurice Oldfield was one of the most important British spies of the Cold War era.Trade ReviewAn exemplary biography... it is full of perceptive intimacies and plenty of tradecraft, subterfuge, deception and revelation. I cannot think of a better biography of a spy chief. -- Richard Davenport-Hines * The Spectator *a frank and clear-eyed, if affectionate, biography of a great public servant, cruelly traduced -- Matthew Parris * Spectator, Books of the Year 2016 *An intriguing portrait of a brilliant man * Mail on Sunday *Gripping and candid. * The Times *A welcome biography of a man able to combine warm family and personal relationships with hard-headed intellectual analysis, taking the cold decisions needed to succeed in the most unaccountable and secret of government agencies. -- Richard Norton-Taylor * Guardian *[Maurice Oldfield] was the first professional intelligence officer to make it all the way to the top and become Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service and he was a seminal figure in the creation of the modern MI6. An invisible legend, but a legend nevertheless. -- Frederick ForsythA lively, readable and delightful portrait of one of the most charming men to emerge from the shadows. * Sunday Telegraph *This is the finest biography of a British Spymaster ever written. From Oldfield’s Derbyshire roots to the peaks and valleys of his MI6 career, the insights are revealing, the judgements are fair and the well-wrought narrative makes a compelling read. This is a marvellous addition to the historical literature of the secret world. -- Jonathan AitkenDenied access to the official files but with the co-operation of former intelligence officers, Oldfield's nephew has produced an immensely enjoyable biography of the most important post-war spy chief of Britain's still very, very secret Secret Intelligence Service, revealing the previously unknown private person and the man who kept the British government informed during the Cold War. -- Stephen Dorril, author of MI6: Fifty Years of Special OperationsA revealing study of this most unlikely of spy chiefs, the clever farmer’s son from Derbyshire who reached the top of the most class-bound of professions. Pearce paints a rounded portrait of an enigmatic personality, but one whose skilful reading of human nature and empathy with colleagues made him a popular ‘Chief’ of the Secret Intelligence Service in the dangerous days of the Cold War. * Roger Hermiston, author of The Greatest Traitor *Fuller and more rounded than previous accounts... Pearce amplifies and clarifies our image of a man who contributed significantly to the national zeal and, arguably, world peace. -- Alan Judd * Literary Review *A fascinating insight into the complex world of a master spy. -- Charles Cumming, author of A Divided Spy

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Longlisted for the Airey Neave Book Prize, Airey Neave Trust""Zegart provides not just a sweeping history of the U.S. intelligence community but also nuggets that help place events in a new context. . . . A perfect primer for anyone trying to understand how the intelligence community is meeting the challenges of the digital age."---Dina Temple-Raston, Washington Post"A lucid and sobering account of how digital and other technological breakthroughs are ‘generating new uncertainties and empowering new adversaries’ for the United States at a time when its intelligence agencies are uniquely stressed. . . . Zegart offers no easy solutions but warns that the world of cyberwarfare requires both a ‘paradigm shift’ and ‘mobilization in milliseconds.’ In the new world, national security must take precedence over intelligence gathering, enabling decision makers to respond forcefully and quickly to cyberattacks. The divide between Washington and tech giants must be bridged or a day of reckoning will surely come."---Harvey Klehr, Wall Street Journal"In Spies, Lies, and Algorithms, Amy Zegart of Stanford University looks at how technology is transforming cloak-and-dagger work." * The Economist *"This book cements Zegart's reputation as a leading historian and analyst of American foreign intelligence. . . . Highly recommended." * Choice *"Astute. . . . Brilliant. . . . In the wireless 21st-century world, espionage, sabotage, and brainwashing are no longer the province of government agencies; nearly anyone with an internet connection can do it. Disturbing but superbly insightful." * Kirkus Reviews, starred review *"This is a comprehensive and much needed study on the impact of technology on intelligence by a leading scholar in the field. Clear in argument, the book is meticulously researched and highly readable."---Dan Lomas, International Affairs

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe true story of Crabb's colourful life and his mysterious disappearance in 1945.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe story of the woman who ensured that Churchill never let state secrets slip

Read more less

Book SynopsisHitler's Spy Princess

Read more less

Book SynopsisAnthony Tucker-Jones, a former intelligence officer, is an author, commentator and writer who specialises in military history. He has written more than 50 books as well as several hundred features online and in print. His latest study provides a fascinating account of the role of espionage and other undercover activities during World War II.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrue account of the rise and fall of the American genius Robert Oppenheimer, chosen by the U.S. military to head a team of scientists to develop the first atomic bomb. Timed with the release of Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jnr

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe definitive biography of the undisputed giant of English literature, a man whose own true history has long been hidden behind the fictional world of his books''Compendious and compelling ... it is impossible to imagine this Life being bettered'' WILLIAM BOYD, NEW STATESMAN''Smiley himself could not have done a better job'' SUNDAY TIMESLong after The Spy Who came in from the Cold made John le Carré a worldwide, bestselling sensation, David Cornwell, the man behind the pseudonym, remained an enigma. In this definitive biography, written with unprecedented access to the man himself, Adam Sisman offers an illuminating portrait of a fascinating and enigmatic writer.In Cornwell''s lonely childhood, Adam Sisman uncovers the origins of the themes of love and abandonment which dominated le Carré''s fiction: the departure of his mother when he was five, followed by ''sixteen hugless years'' in the dubious care of his father, a man of eneTrade ReviewUltimately it's about love ... this is a very emotional book. John le Carré had an utterly heartbreaking childhood ... This is the best biography of 2015 - a rare achievement that invites rereading -- Edward Wilson * Independent *Compendious and compelling...Sisman is excellent at the nuts and bolts of writing and of being published...it must be difficult to write the life of a man who is still very much with us, and in the public eye, no matter how much liberty the biographer has been given to tell the story, warts and all. Sisman - a very fine and astute biographer - has done an excellent, not to say exemplary, job under the circumstances ... it is impossible to imagine this Life being bettered -- William Boyd * New Statesman *This is the way to do it. Why this admirably balanced, patiently detailed biography of John le Carré is not on the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction shortlist beats me ... Sisman does full justice to [the] rawness at the heart of le Carré -- David Sexton * Evening Standard *Admirable * Financial Times *Balanced, focused and compelling * Economist *The spy novelist’s life is explored and explained with immaculate care and attention to detail * Sunday Times *This book is testament to Sisman’s skill and perseverance … With his excellent grasp of the wider history, Sisman is good at anchoring Cornwell in this shadowy environment, as he guides his readers through the models for various characters … Sisman brings admirable clarity to what could have been a meander in a wilderness of mirrors -- Andrew Lycett * Spectator *A perceptive and elegant interpreter of complex lives -- Jonathan Dimbleby * Radio Times *Excellent ... Shows how memory, fact and fiction have danced in Le Carré’s life ... [A] masterful biography * Catholic Morning Herald *Absorbing new doorstopper * Western Morning News *Sisman often came to know the reality of what happened in Cornwell’s life better than Cornwell himself did * Newsweek *Respectful though far from sycophantic - Best Books of 2015 -- Gaby Wood * Daily Telegraph *This riveting, thorough biography reveals the real world of Cornwell to be every bit as fascinating as his much-loved fiction. The perfect Christmas present for the le Carré fan in your life * Sunday Times *Cornwell has admitted that he can no longer separate many of the facts of his life from his lies and fictions. For Sisman this is like a red rag to a bull and you can feel the thrill of the chase throughout his terrific John le Carré * Independent *However gripping John le Carré’s novels … Hang onto your hats, because the author’s real life story is equally thrilling. Biographer Adam Sisman peels back layers of le Carré to reveal David Cornwall ... This is a masterpiece of storytelling and factual revelations * Compass *Fascinating * Metro *John le Carré will not be the final word on this subject but it could hardly be bettered -- Robert McCrum * Observer *Sisman pulls it off: this is a well-written and highly readable book which is neither hagiography nor hatchet job ... Within that world he [John le Carré] conveys some of the truths of human nature, endeavour and fallibility. This is a real and rare achievement and in Adam Sisman he has a biographer worthy of it -- Alan Judd * Times Literary Supplement *Absorbing … An insightful and highly readable portrait of a writer and a man who has often been classified as elusive and enigmatic as his fictional heroes -- Michiko Kakutani * New York Times *Perceptive, entertaining * Guardian, 'Book of the Day' *A masterpiece * Irish Examiner, 'Books of the Year' *Extraordinary, absorbing … The most enthralling life of a writer I’ve read since I found myself riveted by Samuel Johnson’s Life of Milton 40 odd years ago … [A] magnificent book about an extraordinary man … Nothing about him [John le Carré] is more shrewd and wise and self-revealing than this superb biography he has elicited from Sisman * Australian *Excellent * Choice magazine *Meticulous and illuminating … Thankfully, his biography stops well short of hagiography * Tablet *[Sisman's] revealing biography, written in blessedly readable prose, makes a three-dimensional figure of a subject who can come across as something of a superman * Daily Telegraph *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThrough analysis of a series of case studies, recently declassified documents and exclusive interviews with national security experts in the public and private sectors, the book provides an in-depth and illuminating appraisal of the evolving accountability regime for intelligence contractors.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn King of Spies, prize-winning journalist and bestselling author of Escape From Camp 14, Blaine Harden, reveals one of the most astonishing – and previously untold – spy stories of the twentieth century.Donald Nichols was 'a one man war', according to his US Air Force commanding general. He won the Distinguished Service Cross, along with a chest full of medals for valor and initiative in the Korean War. His commanders described Nichols as the bravest, most resourceful and effective spymaster of that forgotten war. But there is far more to Donald Nichols' story than first meets the eye . . .Based on long-classified government records, unsealed court records, and interviews in Korea and the U.S., King of Spies tells the story of the reign of an intelligence commander who lost touch with morality, legality, and even sanity, if military psychiatrists are to be believed. Donald Nichols was America's Kurtz. A seventh-grade dropout, he created his own black-ops empire, commanding a small army of hand-selected spies, deploying his own makeshift navy, and ruling over it as a clandestine king, with absolute power over life and death. He claimed a – 'legal license to murder' – and inhabited a world of mass executions and beheadings, as previously unpublished photographs in the book document.Finally, after eleven years, the U.S. military decided to end Nichols's reign. He was secretly sacked and forced to endure months of electroshock in a military hospital in Florida. Nichols told relatives the American government was trying to destroy his memory.King of Spies looks to answer the question of how an uneducated, non-trained, non-experienced man could end up as the number-one US spymaster in South Korea and why his US commanders let him get away with it for so long . . .Trade ReviewBlaine Harden’s King of Spies is jaw-droppingly good — a quirky, unlikely, thrilling true story of intrigue and daring and depravity told by a master of the genre * David Maraniss, author of Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story *Blaine Harden has now produced a fascinating trilogy of stranger-than-fiction books about North Korea. His latest, King of Spies, is about a gay, middle school dropout who was one of the few U.S. officials to predict the outbreak of the Korean War and whose espionage activities had a profound impact on the course of the war. You’ve probably never heard of Donald Nichols, but you’ll never forget him after reading King of Spies * Barbara Demick, author of Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea *A must-read for readers interested in Korea, the ­Korean War, or U.S. intelligence operations * Library Journal *King of Spies is a dark story of espionage and evil by a wild American military spymaster in Korea, a tale both revelatory and tragic. Blaine Harden's superb book throws open a long-ignored chapter in the Korean War; a compelling and disturbing read, not to be missed * David E. Hoffman, author of The Billion Dollar Spy: A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal *A thrilling real-life spy story told by a terrific writer. * Tim Weiner, author of Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA *Blaine Harden has done what no one else thought to do in seven decades: He’s brought us the full, secret, astonishing story of one of the most improbably powerful characters in American history, and he has done so with crystalline writing and in jaw-dropping detail * Steve Twomey, author of Countdown to Pearl Harbor: The Twelve Days to the Attack *Many accounts of the Korean War are full of mystery, hinting at horrific crimes and large-scale covert operations. King of Spies pierces that mystery through the story of a remarkable American operative who took his mission to mind-boggling extremes. The adventures that fill these pages, from bleak battlefields to the corridors of power, tell us much about how the world really works * Stephen Kinzer, author of Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq *Fascinating account of an espionage pioneer who thrived during the Korean War and then disappeared into disgraced obscurity . . . An engrossing hidden history of wartime espionage, with elements of derring-do and moral barbarity. * Kirkus *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe incredible true story of a British physicist who was an undercover spy for the Soviets. The world first heard of Klaus Fuchs, the head of theoretical physics at the British Research Establishment at Harwell in February 1950 when he appeared at the Old Bailey, accused of passing secrets to the Soviet Union. For over sixty years disinformation and lies surrounded the story of Klaus Fuchs as the Governments of Britain, the United States and Russia all tried to cover up the truth about his treachery. Piecing together the story from archives in Britain, the United States, Russia and Germany, The Spy Who Changed the World unravels the truth about Fuchs and reveals for the first time his long career of espionage. It proves that he played a pivotal role in Britain''s bomb program in the race to keep up with the United States in the atomic age, and that he revealed vital secrets about the atom bomb, as well as the immensely destructive hydrogen bomb to the Soviet Government. It is a dramatic tale of clandestine meetings, deadly secrets, family entanglements and illicit love affairs, all set against the tumultuous years from the rise of Hitler to the start of the Cold War.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDiscover the life and daring exploits of the real-life model for the world's most famous spy, James Bond: Sidney Reilly! When a twenty-year-old Ukrainian arrived in London as a candidate for the position of secret agent in Britain’s Secret Intelligence Bureau, the chiefs of what would one day become MI5 were wise to hire him, as he would become Britain’s greatest spy, a man known by several names. His ingenuity and his mastery of the trade, and his audacity and coolness when in danger, were highly praised. To penetrate the Irish Republican Army (IRA), he was given the code name of Sidney Reilly. He was tasked with kidnapping Lenin and Trotsky during the Russian Revolution, and visited the major battlefronts across Soviet Russia during the civil war, sending back proposals to defeat the Reds. He stole Germany's naval plans from Krupp and the harbor plans in Mongolia for Britain’s allies, and he posed as a German officer to engage in discussions with the Kaiser and his chiefs of staff about their U-boat tactics against the Allies. He also helped to obtain oil from Persia to modernize Britain’s Naval Fleet when Churchill was First Lord of the Admiralty. In 1953, novelist Ian Fleming used Reilly’s secret Admiralty Intelligence file to write his novels about a fictional secret agent he called James Bond 007. But Reilly’s true exploits were even more thrilling and fantastic than those of the fictional James Bond. Reilly was Britain’s best spy—but was he also a Soviet double-agent? Author John Harte retells Reilly’s story as it really was, in fast-moving prose with an eye for telling detail—and provides a twist: He tells us what really happened to Reilly after he vanished in Soviet Russia in 1925 and was assumed to have been murdered by Stalin’s secret police. Find out what really happened to the man who inspired the creation of the world's most famous spy in The Greatest Spy. But Bond’s adventures were fantasies, whereas Reilly’s were real.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMI5 is arguably the most secret and misunderstood of all the British government departments. Its enigmatic title - much more than its proper name, the Security Service - stands in the public mind for the dark world of the secret services in general. In reality it has a very specific brief: counter-intelligence. Its object is to combat espionage and subversion directed against the UK. Nigel West's book traces the history of MI5 clearly and accurately from its modest beginnings in 1909 until 1945, with the main part of the book focussing upon the important role which MI5 played in the Second World War. This includes the story of the sixteen enemy agents who were rounded up in Britain who were either hanged or shot; the manipulation of the Axis espionage networks by the use of turned' Abwehr agents (the famous Double Cross System), and the all-important check on its success provided by the intercepted German signals so brilliantly decoded at Bletchley; and the various deceptions practised on the German High Command. The book, which is laced with true anecdotes as bizarre and compulsively readable as any novel, is the fruit of years of painstaking research in the course of which Nigel West has traced and interviewed more than a hundred people who figure prominently in the story: German and Soviet agents, counter-intelligence officers and, most remarkably, more than a dozen of the double agents. In this new and revised edition, Nigel West details the organisational charts which show the structure of the wartime security apparatus, in what is regarded as the most accurate and informative account ever written of MI5 before and during the Second World War.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhile there have been other books about Aldrich Ames, Circle of Treason is the first account written by CIA agents who were key members of the CIA team that conducted the intense "Ames Mole Hunt." Sandra Grimes and Jeanne Vertefeuille were two of the five principals of the CIA team tasked with hunting one of their own and were directly responsible for identifying Ames as the mole, leading to his arrest and conviction.One of the most destructive traitors in American history, CIA officer Aldrich Ames provided information to the Soviet Union that contributed to the deaths of at least ten Soviet intelligence officers who spied for the United States. In this book, the two CIA officers directly responsible for tracking down Ames chronicle their involvement in the hunt for a mole. Considering it their personal mission, Grimes and Vertefeuille dedicated themselves to identifying the traitor responsible for the execution or imprisonment of the Soviet agents with whom they worked. Their efforts eventually led them to a long-time acquaintance and coworker in the CIA's Soviet-East European division and Counterintelligence Center, Aldrich Ames.Not only is this the first book to be written by the CIA principals involved, but it is also the first to provide details of the operational contact with the agents Ames betrayed. The book covers the political aftermath of Ames's arrest, including the Congressional wrath for not identifying him sooner, the FBI/CIA debriefings following Ames's plea bargain, and a retrospective of Ames the person and Ames the spy. It is also the compelling story of two female agents, who overcame gender barriers and succeeded in bringing Ames to justice in a historically male-oriented organization. Now retired from the CIA, Grimes and Vertefeuille are finally able to tell this inside story of the CIA's most notorious traitor and the men he betrayed.Trade ReviewCircle of Treason is an enormously important account of a complex, often frustrating, case written by those who did much of the work to break it."--Studies in Intelligence "The authors provide intriguing insights into the background and tradecraft of a number of productive operations the CIA ran against the GRU and KGB from the 1960s through the 1980s. They also show how, when operations went wrong or were compromised by traitors, sources paid with their lives. Circle of Treason has the advantage of being written by two intelligence professionals, not by academics or journalists, and thus is an authoritative account of the Soviet sources that were providing the U.S. with invaluable information during the Cold War until Ames betrayed them. Because classified material on operational cases was going to be made public, the CIA took over three years to approve the book's publication. The authors note that 90% of the disputes were resolved in their favor." --The Wall Street Journal "In a brutally frank account of CIA traitor Aldrich Ames's career, Grimes, a 26-year veteran of the CIA's Clandestine Service, and Vertefeuille, a long-time CIA counterintelligence officer, pull back the curtain on the hunt for an American who spent years working for the KGB without being discovered. Espionage buffs will love the details taken from previously classified CIA files, as well as a penetrating view of him as an "All-American boy" and spy. Well-researched and written in a clear, no-frills style, this fascinating Cold War saga will allow any American without a security clearance to better understand how Aldrich Ames could have become one of the most damaging moles in U.S. intelligence history." --Publishers Weekly "What makes this volume interesting is that it was written by longtime CIA insiders, who saw firsthand how the agency's network inside the Soviet Union crumbled. They write authentic sketches of agents working for the CIA who were betrayed by Ames, such as Dmitriy Polyakov, a general in the GRU (Soviet military intelligence), the highest-ranking Soviet official in uniform to spy for the United States during the Cold War, who was arrested and executed after Ames identified him. This book adds an insider perspective to the bookshelf…" --The Washington Post "The Ames story of vast treasonous duplicity may have been often told, but this is an insiders' perspective, with clarifying details and upfront identification of the vicious damages, the sad glories and the assorted 'warts' of the case. It provides an extraordinarily detailed discussion of the agents and their secrets betrayed by Ames, with stunning assessments of the devastating losses for all structural and human components. Having met the criteria and demands of the CIA's Publications and Review Board provides prima facie notice of cooperation, but the depth and intricacy of the revelations simply must be seen in print to be believed. Whatever the rationale for the unabashed candor, there is a truism [that has always been known inside Langley but not always in a Hollywood context], 'you could not make up this stuff.' Indeed Mmes. Grimes and Vertefeuille, did not make it up, but relate it in intimate, excruciating, and spellbinding details, making it all the more extraordinary and worth reading." -- American Ex-Prisoners of War Bulletin "…[A] fine book which is gripping without any pyrotechnics, a story that could not be told except by the women who brought Ames down." -- The Dispatch (Columbus, MS) "Circle of Treason, written by two women CIA employees--Sandra Grimes and Jeanne Vertefeuille--is an extraordinary tribute to their training, ingenuity, years of service and access to CIA top secret files, Soviet agents collaborating with the CIA, and FBI colleagues. It took them years to uncover the CIA mole in their midst. The book is a tribute to their work." --Betty McIntosh, retired CIA officer and author of Sisterhood of Spies "All in all, Circle of Treason is a disturbing read, but an essential one for anyone interested in the intricate detail work involved in a counterintelligence investigation -- and a tribute to two women who helped push it to a conclusion." -- The Washington Times "This is an important contribution to the field of literature. Although there are a half dozen books dealing with the Aldrich Ames case, they are of very differing quality and none contains all the background information on sources which CIA recruited inside the KGB and GRU that this book contains. Also, this is an 'insider' story. These two women actually participated in the running of some of these operations, watched their sources being arrested and executed by the Soviets, and then spent years of their lives uncovering Ames, the 'mole' who gave it all away. Very engagingly written. For me it was a page-turner!" --RADM Thomas A. Brooks, USN (Ret.), former Director of Naval Intelligence "Only the authors of Circle of Treason could write this fascinating insider account, which not only deals with their tenacious, painstaking pursuit of the CIA's most damaging spy but also reveals the extraordinary efforts the CIA took to ensure the safety of its sources fighting the oppressive Soviet regime. This is essential reading for intelligence professionals and for anyone interested in the day-to-day reality behind Cold War espionage." --Michael Sulick, former Director of CIA's National Clandestine Service "You can now read the insiders' own, long-awaited account of the unmasking and capture of Aldrich Ames, the most notorious and damaging CIA officer to ever work as a KGB mole inside the Agency. This is the team that caught him. This is the story of how they did it. His betrayal greatly damaged U.S. national security, led to the executions of at least 8 courageous Soviet intelligence officers, and roiled the U.S. Intelligence Community for years. No picture of this infamous case is complete without this gripping narrative by the investigators themselves." --Peter Earnest, Executive Director, International Spy Museum "A story that only two CIA mole hunters could tell, Circle of Treason fills the gaps in earlier books, giving readers a vivid, behind-the-scenes account of how America's worst CIA traitor, Aldrich Ames, was unmasked. Sandy Grimes and Jeanne Vertefeuille put human faces on his many victims, revealing important details about their personal lives, motivations, and the incredible secrets they provided us that cost them imprisonment or their lives. A thoroughly researched and riveting, must read." --Pete Earley, author of Confessions of a Spy: The Real Story of Aldrich Ames "Writing with inside knowledge and access, retired CIA officers Sandy Grimes and Jeanne Vertefeuille bring clarity and vivid color to the complex and often misunderstood story of the Aldrich Ames spy case. They were involved, supporting CIA's most important cases in the Soviet Union, first witnessing the arrests of valuable agents and then uncovering Ames' treachery with hard work and brilliant insights. Circle of Treason is a page-turner, the real story a thousand times more interesting than spy novels and fictional movies." --Burton Gerber, retired CIA operations officer, co-editor of and contributor to Transforming U.S. Intelligence and Vaults Mirrors and Masks: Rediscovering U.S. Counterintelligence

Read more less

Book SynopsisOn 9 November 1939, two unsuspecting British agents of the Special Intelligence Services walked into a trap set by German Spymaster Reinhard Heydrich. Believing that they were meeting a dissident German general for talks about helping German military opposition to bring down Hitler and end the war, they were instead taken captive in the Dutch village of Venlo and whisked away to Germany for interrogation by the Gestapo. The incident was a huge embarrassment for the Dutch government and provided the Germans with significant intelligence about SIS operations throughout Europe.The incident itself was an intelligence catastrophe but it also acts as a prism through which a number of other important narrative strands pass. Fundamental to the subterfuge perpetrated at Venlo were unsubstantiated but insistent rumours of high-ranking Germany generals plotting to overthrow the Nazi regime from within. After the humiliation suffered when Hitler tore up the Munich Agreement, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was anxious to see just how much truth there was in these stories; keen to rehabilitate his reputation through one last effort to find a peaceful rapprochement with Germany.When Franz Fischer, a small-time petty crook and agent provocateur, persuaded British SIS operatives in the Netherlands that he could act as a go-between for the British government with disaffected German generals, the German Security chief Reinhard Heydrich stepped in and quietly took control of the operation. Heydrich’s boss, head of the Gestapo Heinrich Himmler, was anxious to explore the possibility of peace negotiations with Britain and saw an opportunity to exploit the situation for his personal benefit.On the day before a crucial meeting of conspirators and British agents on the Dutch-German border, a bomb exploded in the Bürgerbräukeller in Munich in the exact spot where Hitler had stood to deliver a speech only minutes earlier. The perpetrator was quickly arrested, and Hitler demanded that Himmler find evidence to show that the two events were intimately connected—the British agents were snatched hours later.While the world was coming to terms with the fearsome power of German military might the British intelligence capability in northern Europe was consigned to the dustbin in the sleepy Dutch town of Venlo. This first full account of the Venlo incident explores the wider context of this German intelligence coup, and its consequences.Trade Review. . .there is much of interest for the reader in this book including the often overlooked description of both agent’s time in captivity as well as their correspondence with each other in the postwar era in which they disagreed on the nature of their captivity, including the results of their repeated interrogations. * The NYMAS Review *The text meanders from WWI to the Cold War, including interwar spying in the Netherlands, where both countries had spy HQs. * The Historical Miniatures Gaming Society 14/12/2022 *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1 British and Dutch Intelligence Chapter 2 Internal German Resistance Movements Chapter 3 Operation Gleiwitz [Operation Himmler] Chapter 4 The Elser Plot Chapter 5 The Venlo Incident Chapter 6 Captivity Appendices

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book tells the story of the various Allied operations and schemes instigated to keep Spain and Portugal out of WWII, which included the widespread bribery of high ranking Spanish officials and the duplicity of Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, head of the Abwehr.Ian Fleming and Alan Hillgarth were the architects of Operation Golden Eye, the sabotage and disruption scheme that would be put in place had Germany invaded Spain. Fleming visited the Iberian Peninsula and Tangiers several times during the war, arguably his greatest achievement in WWII and the closest he came to being a real secret agent. It was these visits which supplied much of the background material for his fiction – Fleming even called his home on Jamaica where he created 007 'Goldeneye'.The book begins with Hitler's dilemma about which way to move, and his meeting with Francisco Franco at Hendaye in October 1940, a major turning point in the war when an alliance between Germany and Spain seemed possible. Simmons explores the British reaction to this, with Operation Tracer being created by Admiral Godfrey, head of Naval Intelligence. This was a plan to leave a listening and observation post buried in the Rock of Gibraltar should it have fallen to the Germans. A chapter is also devoted to Portugal – the SIS and SOE operations there and the vital Wolfram wars. Operation Golden Eye was eventually put on standby in 1943 as the risk of the Nazis occupying Spain was much reduced. Simmons consulted Foreign Office, SOE, CIA and OKW files when writing this book.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe computer was born to spy, and now computers are transforming espionage. But who are the spies and who is being spied on in today's interconnected world? This is the exhilarating secret history of the melding of technology and espionage. Gordon Corera's compelling narrative, rich with historical details and characters, takes us from the Second World War to the internet age, revealing the astonishing extent of cyberespionage carried out today. Drawing on unique access to intelligence agencies, heads of state, hackers and spies of all stripes, INTERCEPT is a ground-breaking exploration of the new space in which the worlds of espionage, geopolitics, diplomacy, international business, science and technology collide. Together, computers and spies are shaping the future. What was once the preserve of a few intelligence agencies now matters for us all.Trade ReviewRiveting ... Making use of excellent sources, Corera, the BBC's security correspondent, has produced a highly relevant read that addresses the key debate in intelligence gathering - the balance between privacy and security -- Stephen Dorril * THE SUNDAY TIMES *If you are looking for a clear and comprehensive guide to how communications have been intercepted, from cable-cutting in the First World War to bulk data collection exposed by Ed Snowden, this is it ... A most readable account of how computers and the internet have transformed spying -- Richard Norton-Taylor * GUARDIAN *What good timing for [this] book ... Gordon Corera's book takes us through the labyrinth of cyber-espionage ... It concerns a psychosis of control, whereby the digitisation of spying infests every cranny of our lives -- Ed Vulliamy * OBSERVER *Bleakly entertaining ... The lesson of INTERCEPT is that secret information is power, and that there is no end to the struggle to capture it and control it -- Richard Walker * CapX *Gordon Corera, best known as the security correspondent for BBC News, somehow finds time to write authoritative, well-researched and readable books on intelligence. Here he explores the evolution of computers from what used to be called signals intelligence to their transforming role in today's intelligence world. The result is an informative, balanced and revealing survey of the field in which, I suspect, most experts will find something new -- Alan Judd * SPECTATOR *Never mind all those cold-war thrillers set in 1970s Berlin. The true golden age of spying and surveillance - whether carried out by states or, increasingly, by companies - is now * ECONOMIST *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAt an auction in Edinburgh in 2010, the sale of an old walking stick belonging to a British officer, Captain Gill, shed new light on one of the mysterious crimes of the Victorian era. Captain William Gill and his companions, the noted Arabist Professor Edward Palmer of Cambridge University and a young naval lieutenant, Harold Charrington, were killed in an ambush by Bedouin in the Sinai Desert in 1883. The trio had been tasked with informal diplomacy in the region, specifically to prevent the Arab sheikhs from joining the Egyptian rebels and to secure their non-interference with the Suez Canal. The gruesome murders shocked late-Victorian Britain, and led to pressure from the Queen, Parliament and the Press for the British government to launch a manhunt for the killers in a vast desert area with mountainous terrain. This book traces the story behind the murder of the three men, uncovering the reason for their journey to the desert, the story of the murder itself and the backlash home in England. It shines light on a fascinating, forgotten crime, as well as on early intelligence operations in the Middle East.

Read more less

Book Synopsis'All the power and intrigue of a cinematic thriller ... immersive, dramatic, and historically edifying' KirkusMoscow in the late 1970s: one by one, CIA assets are disappearing. The perils of American arrogance, mixed with bureaucratic infighting, had left the country unspeakably vulnerable to ultra-sophisticated Russian electronic surveillance.. The Spy in Moscow Station tells of a time when-much like today-Russian spycraft was proving itself far ahead of the best technology the U.S. had to offer.This is the true story of unorthodox, underdog intelligence officers who fought an uphill battle against their government to prove that the KGB had pulled off the most devastating and breathtakingly thorough penetration of U.S. national security in history.Incorporating declassified internal CIA memos and diplomatic cables, this suspenseful narrative reads like a thriller-but real lives were at stake, and every twist is true as the US and USSR attempt to wrongfoot each other in eavesdropping technology and tradecraft. The book also carries a chilling warning for the present: like the State and CIA officers who were certain their "sweeps" could detect any threat in Moscow, we don't know what we don't know.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the shadows was another war… An unputdownable account of the Nazi spy operation and how it ultimately failedDuring the Second World War there was, behind the scenes, a bitter conflict was stamped ‘Top Secret’. It was a war of infiltration and misdirection, espionage and assassination. And the Nazis were determined not to let anyone best them.Revealing the full extent of Nazi’s secret intelligence networks, bestselling author Charles Whiting takes the reader into organisations like the Abwehr, Germany’s renowned military intelligence bureau, and features interviews with key figures like such key figures as Giskes, who fooled the Americans at the Battle of the Bulge, and Ritter, who stole the highly classified US Norden bombsights. There are accounts of hubris, heroism and cowardice; stunning triumphs and excruciating defeats, all out of the public eye and revealed only decades later.Over a period of thirty years, Whiting met and interviewed a huge number of Nazi and Allied survivors involved in what came to be known as ‘The War in the Shadows’. The result is an extraordinary and gripping story combining great cunning with staggering incompetence.Perfect for readers of Ben Macintyre and Max Hastings, Hitler’s Secret War outdoes the best spy novel and demonstrates yet again that fiction cannot rival history.

Read more less

Book SynopsisEveryone knows the story of Enigma and secret codebreaking in the Second World War: the triumph of Bletchley Park over world-class cipher technology. Except that excellence in codebreaking was nearly betrayed by incompetence in codemaking.German codebreakers were effective and Allied codes and ciphers were weak. With both sides reading each other’s codes, the biggest secret of all – that the codes had been broken – was now at risk. Sooner or later, on one side or the other, the cipher failures would become known, the systems would be changed and the most valuable source of intelligence would dry up.Were it not for obstinacy, overconfidence and ostrichism. On both sides. The Germans demanded that the traitors be rooted out; the British stifled cipher questions beneath a tangle of committees. The codebreakers’ contest became a struggle to lose the cipher war.From the very outset, the Enigma secret was one of treachery, betrayal and deception. This is the story of the people who fought behind the scenes for cipher security – and of the Enigma traitors.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the summer of 1942, Stanley Lovell, a renowned industrial chemist, received a mysterious order to report to an unfamiliar building in Washington, D.C. When he arrived, he was led to a barren room where he waited to meet the man who had summoned him. After a disconcerting amount of time, William ‘Wild Bill’ Donovan, the head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), walked in the door. ‘You know your Sherlock Holmes, of course,’ Donovan said as an introduction. ‘Professor Moriarty is the man I want for my staff... I think you’re it.’Following this life-changing encounter, Lovell became the head of a secret group of scientists who developed dirty tricks for the OSS, the precursor to the CIA. Their inventions included Bat Bombs, suicide pills, fighting knives, silent pistols, and camouflaged explosives. Moreover, they forged documents for undercover agents, plotted the assassination of foreign leaders, and performed truth drug experiments on unsuspecting subjects.Based on extensive archival research and personal interviews, The Dirty Tricks Department tells the story of these scheming scientists, explores the moral dilemmas that they faced, and reveals their dark legacy of directly inspiring the most infamous program in CIA history: MKULTRA.Trade ReviewThe Dirty Tricks Department is a fascinating tale vividly told, full of sabotage and skulduggery, deviousness and invention, and populated by a cast of remarkable characters. James Bond meets Sherlock Holmes – but in deadly serious real life. -- H.W. Brands * New York Times bestselling author of the Pulitzer Prize finalists Traitor to His Class and The First American *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Without the networks of the French Resistance, the invasion would not have been possible' Major General Walter Bedell Smith, Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary ForceDays after France fell in June 1940, Charles de Gaulle appointed André Dewavrin to create, from scratch, the Free French Intelligence Service.Recruiting agents among the sailors, farmers, painters, housewives and children of Occupied France, he managed cells of spies across the country, and focused their attention on one goal: preparing for the Allied invasion of France, even at the risk of torture and death.Hitler’s fortifications along the European coastline – known as the Atlantic Wall – were their target. Gun battery locations, troop movements, and more... All this information was funnelled back to the Allies by a network of brave individuals, creating a living map that became essential to the planning of D-Day, and the selection of Normandy as the invasion point.Using a wealth of material both published and unpublished, including interviews with Dewavrin and de Gaulle himself, Collier has produced an authentic record of one of the most remarkable episodes of the Second World War; a human story of a group of ordinary people whose faith paved the way for Eisenhower’s great sweep across Europe. Perfect for readers of Antony Beevor and Max Hastings.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe fascinating history of Russia's secret agents targeting Japan, from the Edo shogunate to the Second World War.

Read more less

Book Synopsis'A compelling history of the dark arts of statecraft... Fascinating' Jonathan Rugman'Rich in anecdote and detail.' The TimesToday's world is in flux. Competition between the great powers is back on the agenda and governments around the world are turning to secret statecraft and the hidden hand to navigate these uncertain waters. From poisonings to electoral interference, subversion to cyber sabotage, states increasingly operate in the shadows, while social media has created new avenues for disinformation on a mass scale.This is covert action: perhaps the most sensitive - and controversial - of all state activity. However, for all its supposed secrecy, it has become surprisingly prominent - and it is something that has the power to affect all of us. In an enthralling and urgent narrative packed with real-world examples, Rory Cormac reveals how such activity is shaping the world and argues that understanding why and how states wield these dark arts has never been more important.Trade ReviewRich in anecdote and detail... Cormac, you can see, is an engaged teacher, the kind of lecturer who holds his students' attention with illustrative stories of derring-do and dirty tricks. They will like this book, as I do, with its relish of good yarns... A zippy read. * The TImes *A compelling history of the dark arts of statecraft - from assassination and sabotage through to disinformation, election interference and cyberattack. Rory Cormac combines the best true-life spy stories with thoughtful analysis of the perils of covert government operations. So full is it of fascinating and astutely examined examples of these murky practices that you wouldn't want his book to fall into the wrong hands. * Jonathan Rugman, author of The Killing in the Consulate *Even as major powers flaunt their military hardware and brazenly trample over borders, their struggles also continue in the shadows. Rory Cormac's raid into this confusing terrain is daring, incisive and exact, an intellectual special operation in itself. In particular, it reveals the hard choices and delicate trade-offs practitioners must consider, between secrecy, control and impact. Much that is written on this subject is overblown and vapid. Cormac's work, by contrast, is a much-needed correction. Britain needs Cormac. * Patrick Porter, author of The False Promise of Liberal Order *A dazzling journey through the subterranean world of covert action: from assassination, secret wars, cyberattacks and sabotage, to rigging elections, spreading influence, and subverting democracy. This major new book is stacked full of fascinating examples from around the world, perceptive analysis and careful warnings. A must read for anyone interested in international politics and secret statecraft. * Jamie Gaskarth, author of Secrets and Spies *An absolute must read for understanding the wide range of tools states pursue in the realm of covert statecraft. It has immense lessons for cyber operations, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and more. * Michael Poznansky, author of In the Shadow of International Law *Rory Cormac offers a delightfully incisive and much needed corrective to the opacity surrounding covert action. He shows that reality is, in fact, far more interesting than fiction... It may sound odd to say, but despite it being about some of the most underhanded behaviors a state can undertake, it is a fun book to read. It is a must read for both practitioners of the dark arts and the curious general public alike. * Diplomatic Courier *A must read for those interested in intelligence, secret warfare and the hidden hand. * Intelligence and National Security *A valuable and thought-provoking work, the most thorough treatment of the topic to date. * Studies in Intelligence *An important public service... Cormac's book has an ambitious scope, and its arguments and information are truly timeless. * International Affairs *Table of Contents1: How to assassinate your enemies 2: How to get away with murder 3: How to influence others 4: How to subvert governments and undermine democracy 5: How to rig an election 6: How to stage a coup 7: How to wage a secret war 8: How to pick your rebels 9: How to sabotage 10: How to cyberattack 11: How to wield the hidden hand

Read more less

Book SynopsisA wealthy lawyer, debonair ladies' man, consummate actor, and courageous gambler, Dusko Popov played the role of playboy amongst the top echelons of British society to become one of Germany's most trusted spies. In fact, he was one of Britain's most successful double agents, and, some say, the inspiration for James Bond. With full access to FBI and MI5 records, along with private family papers, his incredible adventures can now be told authoritatively for the first time. Recruited by the Abwehr in 1940, 27-year-old Popov immediately offered his services to the British. His code-name was Tricycle. Throughout the war he fed the Germans with a constant stream of military 'intelligence', all vetted by MI5, and came to be viewed as their most important and reliable agent in Britain. But when he was ordered by the Abwehr to the United States to report on the defences at Pearl Harbor, J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI, failed to heed his warnings, distrusting all spies and detesting Popov in particular, whom he considered to be 'a moral degenerate'. Facing the danger of exposure, arrest and execution on a daily basis, Tricycle went on to build up a network known as the Yugoslav Ring, which not only delivered a stream of false information to Berlin but also supplied vital intelligence to the Allies on German rocketry, strategy and security. After the war Dusko Popov was granted British citizenship and awarded an OBE. The presentation was made, appropriately, in the cocktail bar at the Ritz.Trade ReviewFor anybody interested in the spider's web of war-time deception, in which Popov lighted like an iridescent butterfly, this Tricycle is worth a ride -- Christopher Hudson * Daily Mail *As intriguing and nerve-wracking as [the] subject's career -- Jeremy Lewis * Sunday Times *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen Allied troops fell into enemy hands, one secret and ingenious branch of military intelligence was tasked with their rescue. M.I.9 created and supported a network of escape and evasion lines across war-torn Europe to ensure the safe return of Allied fighters. These escape lines were essential in the Total War against Nazi Germany. Every individual was vital to the fight, and failure wasn't an option. Published for the first time since its creation in 1942, this 'most secret' facsimile reveals the many marvellous escape aids created by M.I.9 to help Allied personnel both evade capture and escape from prisoner of war camps. From silk maps designed for concealment in garments to tiny radio receivers hidden in cigar boxes, these gadgets and inventions were the brainchild of Christopher Clayton Hutton – the eccentric M.I.9 inventor who inspired many of Q's creations in James Bond. Most Secret offers a rare look at the most highly classified and clandestine tools of British intelligence. An accompanying introduction uncovers the history of this secret volume and traces the origin and use of escape aids from their emergence in the First World War to their development and wider use in the Second World War.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Cambridge Spies continue to fascinate - but one of them, John Cairncross, has always been more of an enigma than the others. He worked alone and was driven by his hostility to Fascism rather than to the promotion of Communism. During his war-time work at Bletchley Park, he passed documents to the Soviets which went on to influence the Battle of Kursk. Geoff Andrews gained exclusive access to the Cairncross papers and secrets, and has spoken to friends, relatives and former colleagues. In his portrait, a complex individual emerges a scholar as well as a spy whose motivations have often been misunderstood. After his resignation from the Civil Service, Cairncross moved to Italy and there he rebuilt his life as a foreign correspondent, editor and university professor. This gave him new circles and friendships which included the writer Graham Greene while he always lived with the fear that his earlier espionage would come to light. The full account of Cairncross's spying, his confTrade ReviewExtremely well-researched ... Both fascinating and exciting in equal measure. * The Wee Review *Compelling… Geoff Andrews’s research is extensive and exemplary. * Morning Star *[Cairncross] lived in a sort of self-imposed exile on the Continent, eking out an existence as a jobbing writer and translator. When he was finally unmasked as the Fifth Man, nobody really seemed to care. [Andrews] has set out to remedy this. * Mail on Sunday *Andrews rightly emphasizes the range of Cairncross's literary talents. He would have made a successful, though highly argumentative, full-time academic, and was a formidable linguist. * Times Literary Supplement *In Agent Molière, respected historian Geoff Andrews provides a well-researched and absorbing account of Cairncross’s life from his passing on of secret documents to the Russians during World War II to his later life as a university professor in Italy and his eventual unveiling as the ‘fifth man’. A must for all armchair spies. -- Jeff Popple * Canberra Weekly *Geoff Andrews, an Open University politics lecturer, throws new light on this mystery [of how John Cairncross found himself in the pay of Moscow's spy masters]. * The New European *Geoff Andrews brilliantly captures the essence of the unlikely “fifth man” in the notorious Cambridge spy ring, exploding the myths surrounding John Cairncross. His meticulous research paints a picture of an exceptional scholar from a humble background uncomfortable in the corridors of the Whitehall establishment. As Andrews astutely comments, Cairncross was “incapable of subscribing to any kind of orthodoxy”. Agent Molière is a refreshing and most welcome biography which blows away the cobwebs left by traditional spy writers. * Richard Norton-Taylor, author of The State of Secrecy *A thorough and thoughtful exploration of the complex life and personality of John Cairncross. This is the book we have been waiting for that rounds off the epic story of the Cambridge Spies. * Roland Philipps, Author of A Spy Named Orphan: The Enigma of Donald Maclean *Table of ContentsPrologue: 'The Chase' Chapter 1: A Scottish Education Chapter 2: From Glasgow to Germany Chapter 3: A Political Awakening Chapter 4: Cambridge Chapter 5: The Foreign Office Chapter 6: Agent Moliere Chapter 7: Appeasement Chapter 8: A Political Career Begins Chapter 9: Bletchley Park Chapter 10: Enter Graham Greene Chapter 11: Cold War and Resignation Chapter 12: An Italian Escape Chapter 13: Professor Cairncross Chapter 14: Confession and Exile (Again) Chapter 15: Hot Autumn Chapter 16: The ‘Fifth Man’ Chapter 17: The Human Factor Epilogue: 'Fact and Fiction in the Life of John Cairncross'

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs one of al-Qaeda’s most respected bomb-makers, Aimen Dean rubbed shoulders with the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and swore allegiance to Osama bin Laden. As a double agent at the heart of al-Qaeda’s chemical weapons programme, he foiled attacks on civilians and saved countless lives, brushing with death so often that his handlers began to call him their spy with nine lives. This is the story of how a young Muslim, determined to defend his faith, found himself fighting on the wrong side – and his fateful decision to work undercover for his sworn enemy. From the killing fields of Bosnia to the training camps of Afghanistan, from running money and equipment in Britain to dodging barrel bombs in Syria, we discover what life is like inside the global jihad, and what it will take to stop it once and for all.Trade Review‘Nerve-shredding.’ * Daily Mail *‘It is rare that Western secret services place an agent within an organisation such as al-Qaida… It is unprecedented that any such individual publishes a detailed memoir of more than a decade of his activity at very nearly the highest possible levels of Islamist militancy.’ * Observer *‘A major contribution to the literature of espionage, and a rare book to say something original about contemporary jihadism.’ * Wall Street Journal *‘An endlessly fascinating portrayal of al-Qaeda and the jihadist movement before and after 9/11…a thrill ride of an autobiography…Nine Lives is also an exquisite portrait of what it is like to be a secret agent caught in limbo between the West and the Middle East… A must-read for anyone who seriously wants to end the scourge of jihadi terrorism in the West and the East.’ * New York Journal of Books *‘A compelling and invaluable account of life inside al-Qaeda through the eyes of a first-rate spy. This unique narrative throws open the shutters of the secret world of terror.’ -- Lawrence Wright, author of The Looming Tower‘Aimen Dean has been on most of the major jihadist battlefields of the past three decades and met many of the most significant figures… Not only a gripping page-turner, but also an extraordinary contemporary history of the global terror threat.’ -- Raffaello Pantucci, author of “We Love Death As You Love Life”: Britain’s Suburban Terrorists‘This captivating real-life spy-thriller is a must-read to understand the enduring threat of global terror. It provides a fascinating account of one of the most lethal terrorist groups, from the unique perspective of a courageous double agent – an excellent read all round.’ -- Ali Soufan, former FBI Special Agent and author of Anatomy of Terror and The Black Banners‘One of the most extraordinary, captivating and insightful accounts of involvement in the violent global jihad. For many years, Aimen Dean risked his life time and time again, penetrated the leadership of al-Qaeda and saved many lives. Britain owes him a debt of gratitude. A seminal book.’ -- Richard Walton, Head of Counter Terrorism Command (SO15), New Scotland Yard, 2011–2016‘An incisive history of the war on terrorism and a riveting true-life thriller… An important book that sheds new light on al-Qaeda’s violent trajectory and its continued, stubborn resilience.’ -- Professor Bruce Hoffman, Georgetown University, and author of Inside Terrorism‘A must-read for anyone interested in the inside story of the last two decades of the so-called War on Terror. This book defies easy classification. Is it an insightful book on intelligence tradecraft? Certainly so. Is it an important primer on the evolution of radical jihadism? Without question. Is it a key resource for our understanding of counter-terrorism policy and practice in the twenty-first century? Absolutely.’ -- Dr Vince Houghton, Historian and Curator, International Spy Museum, Washington, DC‘Nine Lives provides a stunning inside account of the making of a senior al-Qaeda operative, who trained with the organization’s master bomb-maker and WMD-specialist, who turned into an MI6 spy, foiling terrorist plots and uncovering al-Qaeda networks. The story of Aimen Dean is as close as you’ll ever get to the real thing. The book provides unique intelligence insights into the inner workings of al-Qaeda before and after 9/11. It also reveals how MI6 used him as one of its most valuable intelligence weapons in the global war on terrorism.’ -- Dr Magnus Ranstorp, Research Director, Centre for Asymmetric Threat Studies, Swedish Defence University, and Quality Manager, EU Radicalisation Awareness Network, Centre of Excellence‘This is the most fascinating book about al-Qaeda I’ve read in a long time. It is a realistic and down-to earth account of al-Qaeda’s chemical weapons programme, told by one of its insiders. It’s a must-read for everyone who wants to understand al-Qaeda and the evolution of international terrorism.’ -- Anne Stenersen, author of Al-Qaida in Afghanistan and Al-Qaida’s Quest for Weapons of Mass Destruction

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe incredible true story of the only woman to have worked during the Second World War as a codebreaker at both Bletchley Park and the Pentagon Betty Webb is the only surviving codebreaker to have worked on both Nazi and Japanese codes at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. This is the tale of her extraordinary life. Betty has had a ringside seat to history. Born one hundred years ago, she spent her childhood in the Shropshire countryside during the 1920s – without heating, electricity or running water. As a schoolgirl, thanks to her mother’s desire for her to learn to speak German proficiently, she took part in an exchange programme and spent time in Nazi Germany. It was 1937 and Germany was on the cusp of war. As a small act of rebellion, she refused to give the Nazi salute alongside her classmates. Back in England, after graduating from school, Betty faced the usual limited opportunities for employment on offer to women at the time. However, with the war in full swing, fate intervened and in 1941, wanting to play her part in the war effort, Betty joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (Women’s Army). After being interviewed by an intelligence officer, she found herself at Euston station with her kit-bag, a travel warrant in her pocket and instructions to get off the train at Bletchley Park. There, having signed the Official Secrets Act with a gun laid next to her on the table highlighting the enormous importance of the work she was about to do, she joined the ranks of the other men and women ‘codebreakers’. Between 1941 and 1945 Betty Webb played a vital role in the top-secret efforts being made to decipher the secret communications of the Germans and later the Japanese. In 1945, as other members of the forces returned home from the war in Europe, she was sent to the Pentagon and was in Washington DC when the atomic bombs fell and when Eisenhower announced the end of the war. Betty was unable to reveal the true nature of her work, even to her parents, until years later. In this fascinating book, she revisits the key moments of her life and recounts the incredible stories from her time at Bletchley Park.Trade Review'Engaging autobiography.' * Daily Telegraph *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first book about Iran's shadowy Ministry of IntelligenceSteven R. Ward provides an accessible overview of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) and its focus on tracking and countering domestic dissent and perceived foreign-inspired sedition. The ministry's checkered record of effective intelligence operations includes a history of assassinations and human rights abuses. Developing a clearer picture of the MOIS is important for understanding how the Islamic Republic of Iran operates, seeks security, and competes with its adversaries. Iran's Ministry of Intelligence updates and improves on the paucity of available information about Iranian intelligence activities. The chapters in the book cover the MOIS's origins, leaders, structure and organizational culture, operations and tradecraft, foreign partners, cultural representations, and future outlook. The book also provides a significant examination of this contemporary intelligence agency that does not follow the model of Western organizations. Iran's Ministry of Intelligence will be of interest to scholars, students, and general readers of intelligence and Iran's history and politics. It will also be an important resource for national security and foreign policy practitioners.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first biography of John Cairncross, the fifth member of the Cambridge spy ring and colleague of Alan TuringTrade ReviewThe Last Cambridge Spy is not just a fascinating, well-placed book about an interesting individual, but is also invites us to re-appraise the very idea of the 'Cambridge spy ring' -- Sir Dermot TuringChris Smith offer us a remarkable account of John Cairncross...he has captured him at last - a riveting read -- Professor Richard Aldrich

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe seventh book in the bestselling Danny Black seriesTrade ReviewPraise for Chris Ryan * : *The action comes bullet-fast and Ryan's experience of covert operations flash through the high-speed story like tracer rounds. * The Sun *Nobody takes you to the action better than Ryan, because he's the real deal, and this muscle-and-bone thriller will have fans' blood pumping. * Evening Standard *Ryan chooses fiercely up-to-the-minute plots, and laces them with an exceptional eye for detail and insider knowledge ... Fearsome and fast-moving. * Daily Mail *

Read more less