About the Author

Jeffrey T. Richelson is a Senior Fellow of the National Security Archive and the author of many books on espionage and intelligence, including America's Secret Eyes in Space, The U.S. Intelligence Community, and Sword and Shield: The Soviet Intelligence and Security Apparatus.

Reviews

fascinating history of secret warfare Focus recommended to those seeking to understand contemporary intelligence and the controversies surrounding it. New Scientist

fascinating history of secret warfare Focus recommended to those seeking to understand contemporary intelligence and the controversies surrounding it. New Scientist

In this ambitious book, Richelson (America's Secret Eyes in Space, HarperBusiness, 1990) surveys the growth, development, and transformation of intelligence (a.k.a., "spying") in the 20th century. The work combines elements of popular spy books-great stories, colorful characters, and sad incidents-with more straightforward analysis. For the ardent spy buff, the volume is an interesting array of tales with a broader developmental focus; indeed, the cross-national perspective is a strength here. The book falls short, however, in providing the in-depth analysis one would hope for. For example, a final chapter on "a new world of disorder" falls short of providing a good vision of the current situation, despite a proper emphasis on economic intelligence, proliferation, and technical intelligence means. Ultimately, too many questions are left unanswered here. While Richelson believes that spying has had its beneficial aspects (e.g., breaking Hitler), its impact on domestic life, no matter what country, slips by him. An optional purchase.-H. Steck, SUNY at Cortland