Enemy in the Shadows: The World of Spies and Spying

by Norman Gelb

“Pacy, insightful and entertaining.” – Saul David ‘Enemy in The Shadows’ explores the cunning world of the great spies of the past, unravelling their schemes which altered the course of history. Famous and obscure conspiracies, plots and tricks are uncovered, which assisted states to further their spheres of influence. Gelb also profiles great spymasters of history, such as Sir Francis Walsingham, whose networked foiled a plot to assassinate Elizabeth I. And consequently condemn Mary Queen of Scots. The mutually beneficial relationship between the advancement of espionage and progressive war techniques is highlighted. Aircrafts first used in WWI to gather intelligence were eventually adapted into bombers. Gelb explains ‘The Double Cross System’ during WWII, whereby the British fed falsified information to Germany, by operating the entire German espionage system in Britain, without German suspicion. Whether they choose to be a snoop or are blackmailed into it by officials, spies can found in the most ambiguous of places. The tactics of Soviet ‘sleeper’ spies who infiltrated German government agencies in WWII are explained. These ‘termite’ agents posed as civil servants, businessmen, and professionals, who waited until the opportune moment arose – when Germany declared war on Russia. Post-WWII, Russian surveillance revealed important atomic bomb secrets, gaining the country significant influence. This would have taken substantially longer to bring to light without undercover agents. China’s guarded attitude is revealed through the state’s reluctance to trust foreigners enough to assign them intelligence positions, which leads Gelb to surmise that over half the Chinese diplomats and foreign correspondents were undercover agents in 1976. ‘Enemy in the Shadows’ is an enlightening and engaging journey through the history of espionage. Recommended for fans of Ben Macintyre, John le Carré, and Christopher Andrew. Praise for 'Scramble' "Deftly combining interviews, speeches, news reports, military communications and occasional unobtrusive narrative, Gelb presents a many-sided picture of war that reflects the feeling of the battle." — New York Times Book Review Praise for 'Dunkirk' “Norman Gelb finds fresh angles … Dunkirk stands as an exemplar of the perils of vacillation and the possibilities of action.” — The New York Times Book Review “Mr. Gelb has excavated beneath surface events, delved into political and psychological factors, and produced an intelligent, fast-moving narrative.” — Professor Arnold Ages, Baltimore Sun NORMAN GELB was born in New York. He was, for many years, a correspondent for the Mutual Broadcasting System, first in Berlin and then in London. He is currently the London correspondent for New Leader magazine. Gelb is the author of numerous acclaimed titles including, ‘ The Complete Story of the First Step in the Defeat of Hitler’ , and ‘ A Narrative History of the Battle of Britain’ .

183 pages, Paperback

Published October 10, 2018

Reviews

[MR J P SMITH · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dated but informative all-the-same

Norman Gelb wrote this in the 70s, and boy does it show?

One of the very last sentences in the book says, "with the increasing use of computers." Wow!

Get past this and Gelb informs you of spying and espionage history, the international major players (as of 1970), important spies and paymasters, and various other facets.

If you have an interest in such things this will happily sit on your 'bookshelf' as a decent subject reference; just be mindful of when it was written.