Female spies, mythical spies, moles, hot secrets of the Cold War, cipher wars…
The so-called Mata Hari, “Eye of the Dawn;” the legendary agent Lawrence; Gertrude Bell, the woman who created the borders of Iraq; the Rosenbergs and the “Espionage of the Atom;” Gehlen, le General Gris; Philby the mole; the Israeli spy Eliahu Cohen, executed in Syria; and James Bond 007, with his sophisticated spy image…
Everybody is curious about espionage novels and films, especially the 007 ones. However, very few people know anything about spies and how espionage organizations work. In Spies: Extraordinary Soldiers of the Deep War Atilla Akar deals with those things that are covered with a veil of secrecy.
Espionage is an activity that neither began or ended with the Cold War. On the contrary, spying has preserved its identity since ancient times, and has been gradually gained more institutional acceptance. Modern espionage is a very technical business, although it is also governed by certain restrictions and requirements peculiar to the spying profession. What distinguishes spying from other jobs is this: a spy’s business is not written on his card.
This well-researched book looks at major figures in the history of espionage, and presents many interesting facts across a range of fascinating chapters: ‘The Resources of Intelligence Services,’ ‘The Education Program of an ideal Spy,’ ‘The Terminology of Intelligence,’ ‘The Psychology of Spying,’ and ‘The Weaknesses of Intelligence Services’.
Espionage, course, brings to mind the Middle East. The book represents the activities of T. E. Lawrence, Gertrude Bell, and Alman Wassmuss – pioneers of espionage in the Middle East – from a different point of view. One of the most engaging chapters of the book is ‘Espionage and Erotic Blackmailing.’ This chapter describes how espionage services exploit the erotic weaknesses of those they wish to trap.