The Anatomy of a Spy: A History of Espionage and Betrayal

Details about The Anatomy of a Spy: A History of Espionage and Betrayal:

An espionage expert presents a wealth of real-life spy stories, from ancient history to today, to examine why these agents do what they do. Why do people put their lives at risk to collect intelligence? How do intelligence services ensure that the agents they recruit do their bidding and don’t betray them? What makes the perfect spy? Drawing on interviews with active and former British, American, Russian, European, and Asian intelligence officers and agents, Michael Smith creates a layered portrait of why spies spy, what motivates them, and what makes them effective. Love, sex, money, patriotism, risk, adventure, revenge, compulsion, doing the right thing— focusing on the motivations, The Anatomy of a Spy presents a wealth of spy stories, some previously unknown and some famous, from the very human angle of the agents themselves. The accounts of actual spying extend from ancient history to the present, and from running agents inside the Islamic State and al-Qaeda to the recent Russian active measures campaigns and operations to influence votes in the UK, European Union, and United States, penetrating as far as Trump Tower if not the White House. Perfect for readers of Ben Macintyre & John le Carré. Praise for The Anatomy of a Spy “A fascinating study of betrayal, the foibles and compulsions that motivated so many traitors to betray their countries and compromise classified information. Definitely an essential handbook for the layman as well as the mole hunter and counterintelligence professional.” —Nigel West “There are very few ex-intelligence officers who know their stuff better than Michael Smith. If you want to know why spies put their lives in danger, this is the book for you.” —Andy McNab, author of the bestseller Bravo Two Zero and the Nick Stone thrillers “A forensic, enthralling, and extremely accurate analysis of what motivates spies. Bags of history. Bags of intrigue. The Anatomy of a Spy is an unprecedented and instant classic.” —Matthew Dunn, former MI6 officer and author of the Spycatcher series and Ben Sign series