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The New Spymasters: Inside Espionage from the Cold War to Global Terror
The New Spymasters by Stephen Grey - Inside Espionage from the Cold War to Al-Qaeda
In this era of email intercepts and drone strikes, many believe that the spy is dead. What use are double agents and dead letter boxes compared to the all-seeing digital eye?They couldn't be more wrong. The spying game is changing, but the need for walking, talking sources who gather secret information has never been more acute. And they are still out there.In this searing modern history of espionage, Stephen Grey takes us from the CIA's Cold War legends, to the agents who betrayed the IRA, through to the spooks inside Al-Qaeda and ISIS. Techniques and technologies have evolved, but the old motivations for betrayal - patriotism, greed, revenge, compromise - endure. This is a revealing story of how spycraft and the 'human factor' survive, against the odds.
Based on years of research and interviews with hundreds of secret sources, many of the stories in the book have never been fully told. The New Spymasters will appeal to fans of John le Carre, Jason Bourne and Ben Macintyre.
Stephen Grey is a British writer, broadcaster and investigative reporter with over two decades of experience of reporting on intelligence issues. He is best known for his world exclusive revelations about the CIA's program of 'extraordinary rendition', as well as reports from Iraq and Afghanistan. A former foreign correspondent and investigations editor with the Sunday Times, he has reported for the New York Times, Guardian, BBC and Channel 4, and is currently a special correspondent with Reuters. Grey is the author of Ghost Plane (2007), on the CIA, and Operation Snakebite (2009) about the war in Helmand, Afghanistan.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published June 4, 2015
61 people are currently reading
1438 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Grey
69 books20 followersStephen Grey is a British writer, broadcaster with over two decades of experience of reporting on intelligence and security issues. He is best know for his exclusive reporting on the CIA’s program of ‘extraordinary rendition’, as well as reports from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A former foreign correspondent and investigations editor with the Sunday Times of London, he has reported for the New York Times, Guardian, BBC, and Channel 4, and is currently a special correspondent with Reuters news agency.
Apart from books, he likes running, everything outdoors, photography, computer programming... and being a Dad.
Apart from books, he likes running, everything outdoors, photography, computer programming... and being a Dad.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
December 29, 2018
Spying is supposedly the second oldest profession, and the smoke and mirror world has inspired countless authors and films of this world where no one can trust anyone else. In this brave new digital world, gone are a lot of the old techniques and tradecraft, instead, the spooks are sifting our mind-boggling quantities of data looking for the ghosts in the machines. Except they aren’t always there. However, having a human perspective on the world around you is still an advantage. An expert operative who can determine the wheat from the digital chaff is still invaluable and in this book, Grey, takes us on some of the nail-biting missions and how having the right person in the right place at the most appropriate moment is still the way to win against enemies real and virtual.
Grey also considers where espionage is heading too. The ability of modern agencies to hoover up vast amounts of data from every phone call, web page and email means that they are drowning in data, so much so that they do miss things. Gone are the days when these was state verses state with fairly clear, if blurred lines and long term goals that could be met. Now it is state verses small cells of a disparate organisation that do things very differently and modern spies may have missions that only last a few months. But still the key is still using human judgement that draws from intelligence from people on the ground, proper analysed signals intelligence along with other elements and combining them to form the best picture of what is happening. Overall an interesting book about a sector that still likes to hide in the shadows.
Grey also considers where espionage is heading too. The ability of modern agencies to hoover up vast amounts of data from every phone call, web page and email means that they are drowning in data, so much so that they do miss things. Gone are the days when these was state verses state with fairly clear, if blurred lines and long term goals that could be met. Now it is state verses small cells of a disparate organisation that do things very differently and modern spies may have missions that only last a few months. But still the key is still using human judgement that draws from intelligence from people on the ground, proper analysed signals intelligence along with other elements and combining them to form the best picture of what is happening. Overall an interesting book about a sector that still likes to hide in the shadows.
August 16, 2015
I received my copy of The New Spymasters through the Goodreads giveaway program, in exchange for a fair an honest review.
I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting from this book, but The New Spymasters managed to both exceed and defy those expectations.
Let me start by saying what this book is NOT:
1. A comprehensive look at spying and espionage across the globe. Instead, this book covered four broad periods of history from a narrow scope -- The Cold War, through the eyes of English and Soviet spies; the Irish Rebellions through moles in the IRA; the so-called "War on Drugs" through criminal recruits of SIS; and, most extensively, the "War on Terror", through its various successes and missteps.
This book had practically nothing on Edward Snowden and the implications of his findings, or on the extensive corporate and govt. espionage by China. It's hard to fault Mr. Grey for this, though, given his background and interests.
2. A sensationalized unit pusher. I appreciated Grey's willingness to documents his sources wherever possible, and to avoid sacrificing fact for narrative.
3. A textbook. There are facts, dates, and the gradual progress through the past century, but The New Spymasters chooses to tell this history through individual case studies. The author's own analysis and opinions on the source material are laced throughout, and summed up at the end of each chapter.
What this book IS, is a extraordinarily long essay on the strengths and weaknesses of human intelligence (HUMINT), leading up to some conjectures and suggestions for how it should be used going forward. The first three parts of the book (covering various agents and operations) were, for the most part, solidly written. Several were quite gripping. The stories of Steak Knife (Chapter 3, Friendship), Curveball (Chapter 6, Caveat Emptor), and Humam al-Balawi (Chapter 8, Allah Has Plans) were probably my favorites. The last part of the book was all summation and analysis, and Mr. Grey drew some interesting conclusions.
All in all, this was an enjoyable, if somewhat dense, book. If you are looking for a fairly thorough look into the role of spying during the recent conflicts in the Middle East, then this is a good place to start; of the twelve chapters in this book, fully seven of them are dedicated to the "War on Terror". If you are looking for information on China, domestic spying, or other modern conflicts, you may want to look for a different source.
3.5/5.0 -- a solid book.
I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting from this book, but The New Spymasters managed to both exceed and defy those expectations.
Let me start by saying what this book is NOT:
1. A comprehensive look at spying and espionage across the globe. Instead, this book covered four broad periods of history from a narrow scope -- The Cold War, through the eyes of English and Soviet spies; the Irish Rebellions through moles in the IRA; the so-called "War on Drugs" through criminal recruits of SIS; and, most extensively, the "War on Terror", through its various successes and missteps.
This book had practically nothing on Edward Snowden and the implications of his findings, or on the extensive corporate and govt. espionage by China. It's hard to fault Mr. Grey for this, though, given his background and interests.
2. A sensationalized unit pusher. I appreciated Grey's willingness to documents his sources wherever possible, and to avoid sacrificing fact for narrative.
3. A textbook. There are facts, dates, and the gradual progress through the past century, but The New Spymasters chooses to tell this history through individual case studies. The author's own analysis and opinions on the source material are laced throughout, and summed up at the end of each chapter.
What this book IS, is a extraordinarily long essay on the strengths and weaknesses of human intelligence (HUMINT), leading up to some conjectures and suggestions for how it should be used going forward. The first three parts of the book (covering various agents and operations) were, for the most part, solidly written. Several were quite gripping. The stories of Steak Knife (Chapter 3, Friendship), Curveball (Chapter 6, Caveat Emptor), and Humam al-Balawi (Chapter 8, Allah Has Plans) were probably my favorites. The last part of the book was all summation and analysis, and Mr. Grey drew some interesting conclusions.
All in all, this was an enjoyable, if somewhat dense, book. If you are looking for a fairly thorough look into the role of spying during the recent conflicts in the Middle East, then this is a good place to start; of the twelve chapters in this book, fully seven of them are dedicated to the "War on Terror". If you are looking for information on China, domestic spying, or other modern conflicts, you may want to look for a different source.
3.5/5.0 -- a solid book.
September 26, 2017
Ļoti labi savākts materiāls, bet brīžiem diezgan akadēmiska. Grāmata vairāk tiem, kas interesējas par šo tēmu.
December 1, 2021
Bought this in 2015 and finally got around to reading it. Whilst picking it up so long after purchase did mean that the book's focus is slightly out of date, it was nevertheless an enjoyable read.
Grey explains how states have tried (and perhaps failed) to mould espionage to fit 21st century threats, discussing various theories and principles underpinning the art of espionage from the Cold War era, to the 9/11 era and then onto the time of OBL's assassination.
The book charts developments in espionage over the years by discussing the lives and missions of individual spies. I didn't care much for the discussion about 20th century espionage and thought that, for what was the heyday of spying, Grey's discussion was dull and dense. However, the subsequent analysis of how one might get a 'man on a hill' in a terrorist organisation was far more engaging.
Good end chapter. It is at this point that Grey threads together a narrative based on the stories of individual spies he tells throughout the book. It was refreshing to see the author not shying away from making big conclusions.
Grey explains how states have tried (and perhaps failed) to mould espionage to fit 21st century threats, discussing various theories and principles underpinning the art of espionage from the Cold War era, to the 9/11 era and then onto the time of OBL's assassination.
The book charts developments in espionage over the years by discussing the lives and missions of individual spies. I didn't care much for the discussion about 20th century espionage and thought that, for what was the heyday of spying, Grey's discussion was dull and dense. However, the subsequent analysis of how one might get a 'man on a hill' in a terrorist organisation was far more engaging.
Good end chapter. It is at this point that Grey threads together a narrative based on the stories of individual spies he tells throughout the book. It was refreshing to see the author not shying away from making big conclusions.
June 23, 2017
This is an interesting look at espionage of old and of new. Essentially Cold War, The 1990's, then post-9/11. The book contains a fair amount of interviews and the author has been to the places discussed.
The author makes a pitch that during the Cold War espionage didn't change the outcome of history all that much. During that time, it was all human spying. Then as is now, the spy masters don't spy directly. They hire / recruit others to do the spying for them. As such, it is a long game for turning people into traitors of their own countries.
In the new era, post 9/11, the espionage agencies rely mostly on electronic means of spying. While great for tracking, it doesn't lend itself well to understanding the environment. Several examples are given where mistakes were made and innocent people killed because it is easier to watch a screen then go out on the street and talk. We don't understand the conflicts or the people, which has turned the agencies from intelligence gatherers to target trackers. The agencies don't want to know, as the political will doesn't want to know. It is easier to make the "enemy" a faceless horde than into people with issues and desires, just like us.
The book does start out a bit slow. It took me awhile to get through the first section. Almost like how old british who-done-it books, dry in the beginning, then building up to a can't-put-it-down section about the blunders post 9/11. It will make you question what we really know, learn how spies are really run (no James Bond here), and that the Western agencies need to work the long game again.
The author makes a pitch that during the Cold War espionage didn't change the outcome of history all that much. During that time, it was all human spying. Then as is now, the spy masters don't spy directly. They hire / recruit others to do the spying for them. As such, it is a long game for turning people into traitors of their own countries.
In the new era, post 9/11, the espionage agencies rely mostly on electronic means of spying. While great for tracking, it doesn't lend itself well to understanding the environment. Several examples are given where mistakes were made and innocent people killed because it is easier to watch a screen then go out on the street and talk. We don't understand the conflicts or the people, which has turned the agencies from intelligence gatherers to target trackers. The agencies don't want to know, as the political will doesn't want to know. It is easier to make the "enemy" a faceless horde than into people with issues and desires, just like us.
The book does start out a bit slow. It took me awhile to get through the first section. Almost like how old british who-done-it books, dry in the beginning, then building up to a can't-put-it-down section about the blunders post 9/11. It will make you question what we really know, learn how spies are really run (no James Bond here), and that the Western agencies need to work the long game again.
October 26, 2018
"The New Spymasters", a non-fiction book by Stephen Grey published in 2015, was challenging to read, but highly informative, and very wide-ranging. Case studies were presented in readable, but rich detail. The author tried to draw together some overarching themes, including the conflict between technological intelligence and human intelligence gathering, and the difficulties inherent in each as well as ethical conflicts. The differences and conflicts between obtaining information and covert action are clearly described and illustrated. For an aspiring author searching for plot lines and conflicts to make a story richer, this book provides a wealth of possibilities. Spying is not easy, and it is not glamorous, and "The New Spymasters" pulls no punches. These stories are all very real and very well documented.
The book starts with a glossary in the front. I imagine that was a signal from the author that this was going to be a difficult read. I found the glossary useful, especially the names and abbreviations of the intelligence services of many foreign countries. The author is not afraid of complexity, and the glossary is helpful. "The New Spymasters tells the story of spying from the British Empire up to Afghanistan and al-Queda. It takes a case approach, focusing on a famous spying episode in each chapter, including Sidney Reilly, Kim Philby, the IRA, Andrew Antoniades, as well as several post 9-11 spying successes and failures, probing deeply into what is known about each episode. The book highlights the evolution of the spying business, and is quite clear about the difficulties involved in spying on an organization such as al-Queda.
The book starts with a glossary in the front. I imagine that was a signal from the author that this was going to be a difficult read. I found the glossary useful, especially the names and abbreviations of the intelligence services of many foreign countries. The author is not afraid of complexity, and the glossary is helpful. "The New Spymasters tells the story of spying from the British Empire up to Afghanistan and al-Queda. It takes a case approach, focusing on a famous spying episode in each chapter, including Sidney Reilly, Kim Philby, the IRA, Andrew Antoniades, as well as several post 9-11 spying successes and failures, probing deeply into what is known about each episode. The book highlights the evolution of the spying business, and is quite clear about the difficulties involved in spying on an organization such as al-Queda.
October 13, 2023
I got this book many years ago but finally got around to reading it. As such, some of the later chapters are slightly outdated but overall I found this book to be thoroughly informative and intriguing throughout.
It starts with a look at the results of recent human intelligence activities before describing the original spy adventurers who did covert work in the early twentieth century and going through the evolution of the spy Industry throughout the various eras such as the World Wars, the Cold War, the Troubles, and the modern War on Terror.
As someone who is very interested in this sort of stuff I found it truly fascinating as I learned about many of incidents for the first time. I was particularly interested in the section dedicated to The Troubles and it’s juxtaposition to spy activities during the Cold War.
The final chapter which summarizes everything that was discussed and clarifies the benefits and drawbacks of HUMINT operations and the recent focus on tactical application was a great way to conclude the book.
I can’t remember where I first heard about this book (perhaps the Hardcore History podcast?) but I’m glad I read it, albeit many years later than expected!
It starts with a look at the results of recent human intelligence activities before describing the original spy adventurers who did covert work in the early twentieth century and going through the evolution of the spy Industry throughout the various eras such as the World Wars, the Cold War, the Troubles, and the modern War on Terror.
As someone who is very interested in this sort of stuff I found it truly fascinating as I learned about many of incidents for the first time. I was particularly interested in the section dedicated to The Troubles and it’s juxtaposition to spy activities during the Cold War.
The final chapter which summarizes everything that was discussed and clarifies the benefits and drawbacks of HUMINT operations and the recent focus on tactical application was a great way to conclude the book.
I can’t remember where I first heard about this book (perhaps the Hardcore History podcast?) but I’m glad I read it, albeit many years later than expected!
May 5, 2022
An excellent insight into the development of espionage methods and techniques. The dark and often dangerous world of intelligence gathering holds a fascination for many, often through their exposure to the wide range of spy fiction available, which covers everything from dark realism to wildly escapist fantasy.
Stephen Grey's book proves that the reality of the subject is as engrossing as anything that can be dreamed up by novelists or film makers. His in-depth research, and range of contacts, built up over a long career in investigative journalism, make The New Spymasters essential reading for anyone who has more than a passing interest in the subject.
This book will now reside on my bookshelf as an essential reference work, alongside Christopher Andrew's 'The Defence of the Realm'.
Stephen Grey's book proves that the reality of the subject is as engrossing as anything that can be dreamed up by novelists or film makers. His in-depth research, and range of contacts, built up over a long career in investigative journalism, make The New Spymasters essential reading for anyone who has more than a passing interest in the subject.
This book will now reside on my bookshelf as an essential reference work, alongside Christopher Andrew's 'The Defence of the Realm'.
July 9, 2023
Extensively well researched and eloquently written. This is a treatise on how "modern" espionage has been executed and allows a commentary for how and if it should change to adapt with the contemporary world stage. There is information within the pages of this book with lessons that would have helped when considering Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It is interesting to see through the anecdotal evidence within the book, how espionage has changed from being almost 100% reliant on the human element, to now a greater understanding of what multisource intellgence can do. Fascinating.
November 16, 2015
Picked up off the new non-fiction shelf at the local library ... pretty dry and somewhat of a slog, could have just read just the last chapter, but I think it's worth reading just to be informed on what's being done in our names.
July 8, 2017
Any spy book is entertaining to read. This one is expected to deal particularly with spymasters, and how they manage their agents, but also the place of HUMINT (intelligence gathered by humans) in today's word (this last question not being a new subject - i remember reading a far more lively book by Robert Baer on the subject).
Reading the book was fun. The author picked a few operations, dealt with by chapters, in a chronological (and in the same time thematic order). Each chapter tells the details of one operation. now most of these operations are known and written about, but the author makes use of the declassified information to shed new lights. And in many cases, he defends that certain criticism against secret services were unjustified or exxagerated. On a personal level, i was interested in the chapters about the IRA and the EOKA, topics i never have read about from the spying perspective.
On the other hand, though, i found the writing unfocused - many ideas are repeated over and over. The last chapter was actually very dull to read, since most of it was already said, and the author took a moralising stance. And then, he stresses the need to use spying to understand other cultures. But isnt that already done? How much more can you understand groups like Al Quaeda or ISIS? The last chapter, with such utopic claims, and dull repetitions, kind of ruined the book for me at the end.
Reading the book was fun. The author picked a few operations, dealt with by chapters, in a chronological (and in the same time thematic order). Each chapter tells the details of one operation. now most of these operations are known and written about, but the author makes use of the declassified information to shed new lights. And in many cases, he defends that certain criticism against secret services were unjustified or exxagerated. On a personal level, i was interested in the chapters about the IRA and the EOKA, topics i never have read about from the spying perspective.
On the other hand, though, i found the writing unfocused - many ideas are repeated over and over. The last chapter was actually very dull to read, since most of it was already said, and the author took a moralising stance. And then, he stresses the need to use spying to understand other cultures. But isnt that already done? How much more can you understand groups like Al Quaeda or ISIS? The last chapter, with such utopic claims, and dull repetitions, kind of ruined the book for me at the end.
June 1, 2024
ـ يشعر ضباط الاستخبارات بأن الناس يسيئون فهم عملهم، فيتوهمون أنهم جواسيس، وهو أمر يراه هؤلاء الضباط غير صحيح البته فهم مشغلو جواسيس لا جواسيس، ويبدو أن ضباط الاستخبارات كغيرهم يرون أن فعل التجسس ينطوي على شيء من الخيانة يتنزهون عنه.
ـ يزعم مؤلف الكتاب أن الاستخبارات الغربية تمنع عملاءها من التورط في جرائم القتل، وتتخذ لذلك احتياطات عدة، ولو سلمنا ذلك لهم جدلاً، فإن بقية الاستخبارات الشرقية ليس عندها هذا الرادع الأخلاقي، كما أن الدول الغربية لا تتورع عن قتل الأبرياء في غارتها، والانتقام من أسر الإرهابيين الذين هاجموها؛ وعليه فإن هذا الرادع الآخلاقي لا أظنه موجوداً إلا في تعامل تلك الاستخبارات مع مواطنيها فقط.
ـ يزعم مؤلف الكتاب أن الاستخبارات الغربية تمنع عملاءها من التورط في جرائم القتل، وتتخذ لذلك احتياطات عدة، ولو سلمنا ذلك لهم جدلاً، فإن بقية الاستخبارات الشرقية ليس عندها هذا الرادع الأخلاقي، كما أن الدول الغربية لا تتورع عن قتل الأبرياء في غارتها، والانتقام من أسر الإرهابيين الذين هاجموها؛ وعليه فإن هذا الرادع الآخلاقي لا أظنه موجوداً إلا في تعامل تلك الاستخبارات مع مواطنيها فقط.
October 8, 2017
Readable workaday run-through of the British spy business since the formative days of what we generally call MI6 nowadays. A lot of it should sound familiar if you follow the news, but it's helpful to have a timeline fitted to it and an interpretation of the 'trends'.
The discussion over how useful information-gathering is, was informative. Also interesting to note the hypocrisy by which the spymasters use 'higher values' to appeal to foreign agents, but then treat our own traitors as, well ... traitors.
The discussion over how useful information-gathering is, was informative. Also interesting to note the hypocrisy by which the spymasters use 'higher values' to appeal to foreign agents, but then treat our own traitors as, well ... traitors.
June 26, 2021
I'm a big fan of Le Carre and hoped this book would give me some real world background to the kind of story lines he writes. I was disappointed and that probably affected my opinion of the book. I'm not sure if it is the way the book is organised into sections, the slow stolid prose, or the plethora of names and events but I was bored; it was a hard slog. I guess if you're deeply interested in the topic this might have more value for you than me: the book's copious references and index might make it a good reference source. 3*
May 6, 2017
An overview of espionage through history, focussing especially on the 20th and 21st centuries, it was engagingly written and full of information. Understandably the later parts were heavily about the war on terror and jihadist groups, which was interesting, but I had hoped for more about espionage against Putin's Russia (mainly after reading Red Sparrow and listening to the Power Vertical). Good though!
March 20, 2022
Fascinating account of the changing hidden world of spies and spymasters as it was in the cold war and has adapted since: the end of the cold war; the battle against organised crime; sectarian division in Northern Ireland and elsewhere; and in the so-called war on terror. Significantly, on-line and cyber-intelligence can be brilliant, but can also be monumentally stupid in its lack of common sense.
Want to read
April 10, 2018ISBN9789897242731
November 7, 2018
Agoriad llygad ac ychydig bach yn ddychrynllyd!
March 13, 2021
من أفضل الكتب التّي قرأتها عن الجاسوسيّة. اسلوب الكاتب رائع والمعلومات سلسة تبقى معنا للأبد.
January 2, 2023
A book showing the reader of the evolution of Spy craft from the cold war till today. Book provides insight into the good and bad evolution of the field.
October 13, 2024
التجسس ذلك العالم الملىء بالاسرار و الغرابة
الكتاب رائع من ناحية تطرقه لقضايا معاصرة
الكتاب رائع من ناحية تطرقه لقضايا معاصرة
March 12, 2017
Good history, interesting analysis and lots of practical insights.
Read
March 7, 2017Verrry interesting.
I especially like the way the author details the changes in spying from the cold war-Kim Philby days, to the current, less moored time. His perspective helps me clarify for myself what is going on with terror groups and their trackers
I especially like the way the author details the changes in spying from the cold war-Kim Philby days, to the current, less moored time. His perspective helps me clarify for myself what is going on with terror groups and their trackers
March 24, 2016
Through 10 or so very readable vignettes, Grey explores the modern world of human intelligence and the challenges and opportunities spy-handlers and agencies face today. Grey identifies several tensions in the use of HUMINT against terrorists. The balance between acting too early(and breaking an agent's cover) or acting too late to stop an attack, between protecting a spy from committing crime themselves and encouraging them to go deeper into the organization, the tradeoffs services must make when they recruit criminals as agents, or the dangers of trusting a source too much (Curveball) or too little (Kim Philby). He weighs espionage against "discrete diplomacy" and the US reliance on tech and it's "all-seeing eye" against basic "common sense", or on-the-ground awareness. He illustrates the many legal and moral pitfalls that handlers and agencies have fallen into during the Cold War, the Troubles, and for the swing half of of the book, GWOT. All of these conflicts and tradeoffs illustrate the difficulty of operating in the vital but moral greyzone of running human spies. This book is accessible for readers unfamiliar with the subject.
August 2, 2016
this book is well worth reading for anyone who has an interest in current / international events, particularly why some of the things that have happened in recent years have come about the way they did, particularly since 9/11. The author starts with a brief overview of the history of (mainly British) intelligence in the 20th Century, before concentrating on events between the end of the Col War & now, highlighting the differences in collecting intelligence against an equal but opposite opponent in the Soviet Union, compared to the fractured & decentralised networks that make up most of the main threats to security. The author doesn't shy away from hard conclusions, stating that recent intelligence failures have been linked to an over dependence on technology as opposed to more traditional methods of spying, & a more short term, results based system means that longer term objectives & obtaining a wider view of the situation on the ground have been sacrificed for a quick kill, which is more (dare I say) vote worthy for the intelligence commuity's political masters.
Read
October 24, 2016It starts with a chapter on the modern roots of espionage, then poses the question do we still need spies? If so how should they support the signals intelligence which is so prominent today? Chapters which detail how intelligence agencies have been let down by using only signals intel (that is captured phone records, emails and the use of satellite cameras) such as the WMD cockup in Iraq and the assassination of a misidentified target in Afghanistan are very good. Grey repeats many times that this kind of intelligence is only effective when corroborated by human intelligence on the ground, that is by spies. But he is less successful when giving examples of great spywork. A chapter on British intermediary Alistair Crooke is weak. He is also too cavalier about the mass of information collected by groups like the NSA assuring us that this seldom infringes on the public's privacy. I can't be as sure as he appears to be. A mixed bag.
January 27, 2016
The title is slightly misleading as the book is actually not about spymasters but about the agents they run ('spies') and the value, or unreliability, of what is technically known as 'humint' (human intelligence). It is certainly not a 'searing history' of modern espionage, though, blurb writers, but more of a series of somewhat disconnected journalistic essays on various well-known historical cases of undercover agents (such as Steak Knife, within the IRA) and then some more up to date stuff on the GWOT and the difficulty of penetrating the current terrorist groups and thereby countering their threats. The book is well written and readable but seems to lack a major theme or argument.
August 15, 2015
This book was an entirely different type of book that I would normally read. When I read, "The First Rule Of Intelligence? Forget Everything You Know", I knew that I would enjoy reading the book. Stephen Grey gives you an up close look into the world of espionage today, and what direction it is moving. I highly recommend the book to those who are interested in these types of books.
August 2, 2015
I received this book through Goodreads Firstreads, and let me start off by just saying how perfect the cover is. The book is super interesting too for those that are into the world of espionage. Would recommend!
October 28, 2015
Both exceeded and defied my expectations - iJalill
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews