The Enemy Within: A History of Espionage (General Military) |
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The Enemy Within: A History of Espionage (General Military)
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by Terry Crowdy
Sales Rank: 329797
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List Price: $24.95
$19.46
At Amazon
on 6-21-2008.
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Features
Cover Type: Hard Cover with 368 pages
Published by: Osprey Publishing October 31, 2006
Written in: English
ISBN 10 Number: 1841769339
ISBN 13 Number: 978-1841769332
Book Dimensions:
9.5 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
Weighs: 1.6 pounds
From Publishers Weekly
Crowdy, who has previously written for Osprey on the uniforms and organizations of French revolutionary armed forces, reflects his publisher's expanding horizons in this survey of espionage from ancient times to America's invasion of Iraq. Since Egypt fought the Hittites, he observes, secret agents have been dispatched to spy and perform other deeds that may be against the law but are perceived to be in the country's best interest. Though Crowdy is familiar with standard sources, this is a work of narrative and anecdote rather than analysis, and succeeds within that context. He discusses the role of intelligence collecting in creating and sustaining the Persian, Roman and Mongol empires, offering Judas as an early example of a double agent. The development of professional secret services in early modern Europe segues into the often-overlooked role of intelligence in the Revolutionary/Napoleonic era, making for tales of spy and counterspy that are the most interesting in the book. As Crowdy moves into more recent times, he stresses increasing technological competition, reflecting the increasing difficulty of mounting human intelligence operations in modern national security states. His conclusion is a paradox: secret services must be kept under control, yet be effective enough "to make a difference." (Oct. 31)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Crowdy's effective, readable summary of espionage in human history begins with the ancient Egyptians and doesn't end even with the Mossad. Throughout history, a broad range of not only governments but also people have used various means to learn about their enemies and, not infrequently, their friends. Although the senses of humans on the ground have always been highly valued, technology, including invisible inks and coding devices, also has a long history in spying. Women have figured prominently as spies (e.g., Delilah catching Samson in an early "honey trap" of sexual favors) and spymasters (e.g., Roman empress Theodora discouraging gossip about her colorful past). The growth of surveillance technology from miniature cameras to wiretaps and satellites has left the purely human instruments of intelligence gathering at a disadvantage in fights for appropriations and publicity, a situation that Crowdy deplores: "A spy is like a traveling salesman"--he has to "know the territory." Readers of this book will know it, too, much better than they did before. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Reader Reviews
This history of espionage is primarily a generalized discussion of spies rather than the more technical side of the business that became the major emphasis of American intelligence during the Cold War with the U.S.S.R. When the problem was to count the number of ICBMs they had, the technical aspects of first the U2 and SR-71 missions and then the satellites were the ideal tools. Unfortunately these National Technical Means (NTM), the term used for such intelligence by the politicoes in the various treaties, proved to be pretty useless in view of what happened on 9/11. The United States had deliberately cut back on it's actual spies in the field. As this book points out, spies and spying tend to not be nice people doing plesant things. The CIA has a reputation for recruiting at Ivy Leage universities. This is not where you will find dark skinned, un-shaven muslims that would be willing to infiltrate Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and the other places where we need to have coverage. I imagine, I hope, that the people running the CIA already know the things found in this book. I also hope that they are working hard to establish a better spying network in the Middle East.
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The Enemy Within: A History of Espionage (General Military)
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Price: $19.46
Updated on 6-21-2008.
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