Spy Shots: Volume I: 101 True Tales From the World of Espionage

by Justin Black

The world of spycraft is equal parts fascinating and mysterious. Famously referred to as the “wilderness of mirrors” by CIA counterintelligence chief James Jesus Angleton, it can be difficult to pierce the veil of espionage history and separate fact from fiction. Spies and spycraft have been a part of our international relations and indeed our very nature since the dawn of humanity. From the story of Israelite spies Joshua and Caleb in the Old Testament, to underground sensors invented during the Zhou Dynasty in ancient China, all the way up through the Cold War and beyond. The organizations involved, and the technology used may change, but the human factor is eternal. Weaknesses are exploited, loyalties are tested, and acts of incredible daring are accomplished in complete secret, not to see the light of day for decades to come. Here I have collected 101 anecdotes to introduce you to the tools, weapons, characters, and history of spycraft. If this brief introduction leaves you with a thirst for more, you are not alone.

Kindle Edition

Published February 6, 2021

Reviews

[Ogden · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories were all pretty fascinating, but the book was more like a collection of blog posts. It was distracting when disparate stories would mention each other but act like it was the first time you’ve read about it. So overall I rate it a 3.5.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. Short, sharp, and just enough to leave you wanting to know more about each tale. Think of this book as an entry point to the world of espionage. Spy tech? Covered. Cases of human espionage? Got that too. Intelligence Snafu’s? Yep.

My personal case favourites were:

6 - KGB is For Me; CIA All the Way
7 - Escape and Evade
28 - The Nazi Plot in Florida
29 - Double Agent Down Under
35 - Kate, the Pistol-Packing Plainclothes Paratrooper
43 - Mother, Judge, Cyber Vigilante
58 - Code Name: Hero
60 - Mossad Hits Their Mark
63 - The Coin That Defined The Cold War
70 - Spy, Hero Saboteur, Escape Artist
71 - Saboteurs in Berlin
75 - Tony Poe, the Real COL Kurtz
83 - Morten Storm: Viking, Terrorist, Spy
84 - Legendary Spy with the Wooden Leg
87 - Bombing the Bomber
98 - The Man Without a Face

I’m very much looking forward to volumes II and III, the only thing I would say that would compliment this book would be a recommendation for a book or film to further add to each tale. Given the authors pedigree in the field, I’d imagine that they would be able to recommend a book or film that would allow the reader to explore the topic further.

[Ben Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of bite sized stories

This was a well written and very interesting collection of tales ranging from the very human to the almost fantastic. I of course have never heard of many of the events described therein, but it's really whet my appetite for more espionage reading