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Inside British Intelligence: 100 Years of MI5 and MI6
This up-to-the-minute look behind the closed doors of MI5 and MI6 lifts the lid on a century of both triumphs and failures. Gordon Thomas reveals secret operations at the cutting edge of danger, and a gallery of characters no novelist would dare to invent.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
76 people are currently reading
761 people want to read
About the author
Gordon Thomas
119 books195 followersGordon Thomas (born 1933) is a Welsh author who has written more than fifty books.
Thomas was born in Wales, in a cemetery keeper's cottage where his grandmother lived. He had his first story published at nine years old in a Boy's Own Paper competition. With his father in the RAF, he traveled widely and was educated at the Cairo High School, the Maritz Brothers (in Port Elizabeth, South Africa) and, lastly, at Bedford Modern School. His first book, completed at the age of seventeen, is the story of a British spy in Russia during World War II, titled Descent Into Danger. He refused the offer of a job at a university in order to accompany a traveling fair for a year: he used those experiences for his novel, Bed of Nails. Since then his books have been published worldwide. He has been a foreign correspondent beginning with the Suez Crisis and ending with the first Gulf War. He was a BBC writer/producer for three flagship BBC programmes: Man Alive, Tomorrow's World and Horizon.
He is a regular contributor to Facta, the respected monthly Japanese news magazine, and he lectures widely on the secret world of intelligence. He also provides expert analysis on intelligence for US and European television and radio programs.His book Gideon's Spies: Mossad's Secret Warriors became a major documentary for Channel Four that he wrote and narrated: The Spy Machine. It followed three years of research during which he was given unprecedented access to Mossad’s main personnel. The documentary was co-produced by Open Media and Israfilm.
Gideon's Spies: Mossad's Secret Warriors has so far been published in 16 languages. A source for this book was Ari Ben-Menashe, a former Israeli intelligence agent, and legendary Israeli spy Rafi Eitan. According to Charles Foster in Contemporary Review: "Writers who know their place are few and far between: fortunately Mr Thomas is one of them. By keeping to his place as a tremendous storyteller without a preacher's pretensions, he has put his book amongst the important chronicles of the state of Israel."
Thomas was born in Wales, in a cemetery keeper's cottage where his grandmother lived. He had his first story published at nine years old in a Boy's Own Paper competition. With his father in the RAF, he traveled widely and was educated at the Cairo High School, the Maritz Brothers (in Port Elizabeth, South Africa) and, lastly, at Bedford Modern School. His first book, completed at the age of seventeen, is the story of a British spy in Russia during World War II, titled Descent Into Danger. He refused the offer of a job at a university in order to accompany a traveling fair for a year: he used those experiences for his novel, Bed of Nails. Since then his books have been published worldwide. He has been a foreign correspondent beginning with the Suez Crisis and ending with the first Gulf War. He was a BBC writer/producer for three flagship BBC programmes: Man Alive, Tomorrow's World and Horizon.
He is a regular contributor to Facta, the respected monthly Japanese news magazine, and he lectures widely on the secret world of intelligence. He also provides expert analysis on intelligence for US and European television and radio programs.His book Gideon's Spies: Mossad's Secret Warriors became a major documentary for Channel Four that he wrote and narrated: The Spy Machine. It followed three years of research during which he was given unprecedented access to Mossad’s main personnel. The documentary was co-produced by Open Media and Israfilm.
Gideon's Spies: Mossad's Secret Warriors has so far been published in 16 languages. A source for this book was Ari Ben-Menashe, a former Israeli intelligence agent, and legendary Israeli spy Rafi Eitan. According to Charles Foster in Contemporary Review: "Writers who know their place are few and far between: fortunately Mr Thomas is one of them. By keeping to his place as a tremendous storyteller without a preacher's pretensions, he has put his book amongst the important chronicles of the state of Israel."
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July 4, 2013
Repaso ligero de momentos del servicio secreto británico.-
Género. Ensayo.
Lo que nos cuenta. Como muy bien indica su subtítulo, “Cien años de espionaje británico”, el libro trata de explicar el origen de los modernos servicios secretos británicos, el perfil de sus empleados, su metodología y, en especial, varias de sus acciones, con diferente grado de éxito.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Ensayo.
Lo que nos cuenta. Como muy bien indica su subtítulo, “Cien años de espionaje británico”, el libro trata de explicar el origen de los modernos servicios secretos británicos, el perfil de sus empleados, su metodología y, en especial, varias de sus acciones, con diferente grado de éxito.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
July 4, 2013
Repaso ligero de momentos del servicio secreto británico.-
Género. Ensayo.
Lo que nos cuenta. Como muy bien indica su subtítulo, “Cien años de espionaje británico”, el libro trata de explicar el origen de los modernos servicios secretos británicos, el perfil de sus empleados, su metodología y, en especial, varias de sus acciones, con diferente grado de éxito.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Ensayo.
Lo que nos cuenta. Como muy bien indica su subtítulo, “Cien años de espionaje británico”, el libro trata de explicar el origen de los modernos servicios secretos británicos, el perfil de sus empleados, su metodología y, en especial, varias de sus acciones, con diferente grado de éxito.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
December 12, 2016
I did not want this to end. Then, I've always harboured a not-so-secret desire to become a spy. Gordon Thomas' book is rather spellbinding. Given the MI5/MI6 focus, it may appeal more to Brits. Yet there is so much that relates to the American agencies (their creation and power struggles), Canadians, Russians, Mossad, Australia, they all play or played a part -- heck, if you like spy movies, why wouldn't you enjoy this?
It is gritty and realistic, revealing the complex worlds of intelligence and foreign powers -- bugging one another's agency quarters before they moved in, and far more besides. The tedious tasks of "The Watchers" sneaking in to install spy gear were followed by endless hours sat in flats monitoring embassies in London or chasing vehicles around in deft races. It was evident, they'd soon learn, the opponents had been tipped off about their existence. The life of a "watcher" did rather crack the "spy life" glamour for me. All that effort only to find the Russians already knew they had installed equipment in buildings all over town, no matter how ingenious. All those traitors!
The Brits knew there were moles; some famous (Kim Philby, Anthony Burgess, etc.) and easier to trap than others. Although I grew up with this climate, reading this book now, I frankly found it staggering how many Brits were seduced by the promise of communism. Also interesting, the barely contained disgust of the US for British blunders (yet respect for their skills.) And vice versa. (Heaven knows, the US had its own walks of shame.) It was a wonder they were allies.
The Brits were ace code breakers but "Secret Wars: One Hundred Years of British Intelligence Inside MI5 and MI6" peels back the layers. And it is shockingly prescient to learn how many thousands of times way back then the Russians breached encrypted communications, etc. So much for secrecy. The sheer number of foreign spies working inside Britain was incredibly challenging for the agencies.
I recall the day as a young kid when a "married couple of Russian sleeper agents" were yanked out of a house in Ruislip, a few miles from my home in London. I was fascinated by the massive show of force that swooped down on that little suburban house and the arrests being made. It was later thought the couple were somehow connected to the Rosenbergs, executed in the U.S. for conspiracy to commit espionage.
This is not a new book but that never deters me. I plan to check out Gordon Thomas's many other works.
It is gritty and realistic, revealing the complex worlds of intelligence and foreign powers -- bugging one another's agency quarters before they moved in, and far more besides. The tedious tasks of "The Watchers" sneaking in to install spy gear were followed by endless hours sat in flats monitoring embassies in London or chasing vehicles around in deft races. It was evident, they'd soon learn, the opponents had been tipped off about their existence. The life of a "watcher" did rather crack the "spy life" glamour for me. All that effort only to find the Russians already knew they had installed equipment in buildings all over town, no matter how ingenious. All those traitors!
The Brits knew there were moles; some famous (Kim Philby, Anthony Burgess, etc.) and easier to trap than others. Although I grew up with this climate, reading this book now, I frankly found it staggering how many Brits were seduced by the promise of communism. Also interesting, the barely contained disgust of the US for British blunders (yet respect for their skills.) And vice versa. (Heaven knows, the US had its own walks of shame.) It was a wonder they were allies.
The Brits were ace code breakers but "Secret Wars: One Hundred Years of British Intelligence Inside MI5 and MI6" peels back the layers. And it is shockingly prescient to learn how many thousands of times way back then the Russians breached encrypted communications, etc. So much for secrecy. The sheer number of foreign spies working inside Britain was incredibly challenging for the agencies.
I recall the day as a young kid when a "married couple of Russian sleeper agents" were yanked out of a house in Ruislip, a few miles from my home in London. I was fascinated by the massive show of force that swooped down on that little suburban house and the arrests being made. It was later thought the couple were somehow connected to the Rosenbergs, executed in the U.S. for conspiracy to commit espionage.
This is not a new book but that never deters me. I plan to check out Gordon Thomas's many other works.
March 27, 2014
-Repaso ligero de momentos del servicio secreto británico.-
Género. Ensayo.
Lo que nos cuenta. Como muy bien indica su subtítulo, “Cien años de espionaje británico”, el libro trata de explicar el origen de los modernos servicios secretos británicos, el perfil de sus empleados, su metodología y, en especial, varias de sus acciones, con diferente grado de éxito.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Ensayo.
Lo que nos cuenta. Como muy bien indica su subtítulo, “Cien años de espionaje británico”, el libro trata de explicar el origen de los modernos servicios secretos británicos, el perfil de sus empleados, su metodología y, en especial, varias de sus acciones, con diferente grado de éxito.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
April 19, 2010
This book is interesting, but I'm not interested in all of its polemics about Labour being in bed with communists and the hagiography of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan. I wanted a book about espionage.
June 10, 2016
Any merit one might attribute to this book is greatly diminished by its ancient ( and doubtful ) reference to Evan Morgan, Lord Tredegar as “ one of the country’s leading falconers”.
The original source of this is Nigel West in his book of 1981 on MI5’s history based on interviews with ex- Security Services staff – not files in Whitehall or in National Archives. Tredegar’s name was often flushed around ( mainly by himself ) as being a war veteran and a hero of many exploits of fame and courage. Nothing could be further from the truth. Tredegar’s was frequently on sick leave and lasted only five a bit months from November 1942 until May 1943 in a steady army post. He botched this service up and left the army a few weeks after a Court Martial.
West’s enjoyable – even controversial text of 1981 has been over taken over the three decades since it was written by the gradual release of many Secret Service files and papers. To repeat something that is drawn from a hat in 1981 and count it as a historical account in 2013 is hardly going to be the up to date and tested history.
The relevant files in National Archives make no mention of Lord Tredegar’s involvement in the set up known as the Falcon ( Interception) Unit . The best file for the latter is National Archives is KV4/10. This contains a good contemporary war time history and a number of excellent photographs of the activities involving the use of falcons and falconers on the south coast of England and in Pembrokeshire.
As Tredegar’s biographer, and having made a close study of the man and his life and times over the last 10 years I have found no indication he was involved in falconry. The family homestead at Tredegar House, Newport, South Wales has no relics of falconry or of keeping falcons. There were birds galore in Evan’s menagerie, these creatures ( and others) flourished for a few years in the mid 1930s, in Tredegar Park he kept flamingos on the nearby lake, and he did have a lively macaw. However such a hobby as falconry ( and the potential killing and / or hunting of live birds) was at odds with Tredegar’s natural inclination of caring for animals and especially birds.
Evan was involved – indirectly with birds- as one of the lowly backroom boys of MI14 Special Pigeon Service, and although many of these birds perished in the various MI14 sorties, Evan was sufficiently at arms length from any operational use of the birds to have any conscience or pain. Evan’s job was to liaise with the pigeon breeders, it was essential work , war work and secret work but hardly death and glory stuff. In fact the key name that should have appeared in the Thomas book instead of Evan Morgan is that of Flight Lieutenant Richard Walker – a man who for many years including after the war served as an authority on the use of falcons and pigeons in the war and post war military activities. Evan’s war service ended in disgrace, he was Court Martialled in April 1943 on three charges under the Official Secrets Act found guilty on two counts and was “ severely reprimanded.” . During the war MI5 had both Evan Tredegar and his Russian wife, Princess Olga Dolgoruky under surveillance – this was in view of some of their friends and suspected Pro- German sympathies-. The the couple divorced in 1943 and Evan returned to his family seat in Wales. He buried his head in the sand rather like another bird, the ostrich. He died in 1949.
The original source of this is Nigel West in his book of 1981 on MI5’s history based on interviews with ex- Security Services staff – not files in Whitehall or in National Archives. Tredegar’s name was often flushed around ( mainly by himself ) as being a war veteran and a hero of many exploits of fame and courage. Nothing could be further from the truth. Tredegar’s was frequently on sick leave and lasted only five a bit months from November 1942 until May 1943 in a steady army post. He botched this service up and left the army a few weeks after a Court Martial.
West’s enjoyable – even controversial text of 1981 has been over taken over the three decades since it was written by the gradual release of many Secret Service files and papers. To repeat something that is drawn from a hat in 1981 and count it as a historical account in 2013 is hardly going to be the up to date and tested history.
The relevant files in National Archives make no mention of Lord Tredegar’s involvement in the set up known as the Falcon ( Interception) Unit . The best file for the latter is National Archives is KV4/10. This contains a good contemporary war time history and a number of excellent photographs of the activities involving the use of falcons and falconers on the south coast of England and in Pembrokeshire.
As Tredegar’s biographer, and having made a close study of the man and his life and times over the last 10 years I have found no indication he was involved in falconry. The family homestead at Tredegar House, Newport, South Wales has no relics of falconry or of keeping falcons. There were birds galore in Evan’s menagerie, these creatures ( and others) flourished for a few years in the mid 1930s, in Tredegar Park he kept flamingos on the nearby lake, and he did have a lively macaw. However such a hobby as falconry ( and the potential killing and / or hunting of live birds) was at odds with Tredegar’s natural inclination of caring for animals and especially birds.
Evan was involved – indirectly with birds- as one of the lowly backroom boys of MI14 Special Pigeon Service, and although many of these birds perished in the various MI14 sorties, Evan was sufficiently at arms length from any operational use of the birds to have any conscience or pain. Evan’s job was to liaise with the pigeon breeders, it was essential work , war work and secret work but hardly death and glory stuff. In fact the key name that should have appeared in the Thomas book instead of Evan Morgan is that of Flight Lieutenant Richard Walker – a man who for many years including after the war served as an authority on the use of falcons and pigeons in the war and post war military activities. Evan’s war service ended in disgrace, he was Court Martialled in April 1943 on three charges under the Official Secrets Act found guilty on two counts and was “ severely reprimanded.” . During the war MI5 had both Evan Tredegar and his Russian wife, Princess Olga Dolgoruky under surveillance – this was in view of some of their friends and suspected Pro- German sympathies-. The the couple divorced in 1943 and Evan returned to his family seat in Wales. He buried his head in the sand rather like another bird, the ostrich. He died in 1949.
May 22, 2009
More than MI 5/6 this book is about world events/history for the past 100 years-behind the scenes-connect the dots. Lots of fascinating stuff here. Should have used some photos of the players-none provided. Some stuff that leaped out at me: his admiration of Richard Clarke, Clinton Bush National Counterterrorism Coordinator,who had a falling out with the Whitehouse; the many suspicious deaths of the world's leading microbiologists to include UK's Dr David Kelly; defection of Iran's leading spy to UK and USA; and Chinese and Russian cyber war capabilities far superior to those of the West.
October 26, 2014
An intriguing book with a number of interesting insights. Unfortunately, it is marred by a rambling narrative which often strays too far from the main theme. A good, astringent editor would have made all the difference, as would a clearer approach to the differences between SIS (MI6) and its domestic counterpart, MI5. All in all, lots of oyster, not much pearl.
February 7, 2019
An excellent book providing a history not only of MI5 and MI6 but also other agencies in the context of world events.
Learned some interesting facts around biological weapons and the reasons for the Iraq invasion.
The only minor criticism is it jump around a fair bit which made it hard to follow.
Learned some interesting facts around biological weapons and the reasons for the Iraq invasion.
The only minor criticism is it jump around a fair bit which made it hard to follow.
May 23, 2012
This book is a crock of shit, don't bother with it. The author is an obvious Walter Mitty type, who hasn't done even the most basic research. You'll get more insight into the intelligence services by sitting on Vauxhall Bridge for 10 minutes than you ever will from this book!
March 7, 2010
Scattered, misleading, confusing, and boring. Focused almost entirely on the post-WW2 years and included an inordinate amount of CIA stories.
December 5, 2015
Many spelling mistakes in my version, strange chapters ordering, but very nice stories for those who are interested in this topic.
September 28, 2022
An excellent book providing a history not only of MI5 and MI6 but also other agencies in the context of world events.
Learned some interesting facts around biological weapons and the reasons for the Iraq invasion.
The only minor criticism is it jump around a fair bit which made it hard to follow.
Learned some interesting facts around biological weapons and the reasons for the Iraq invasion.
The only minor criticism is it jump around a fair bit which made it hard to follow.
July 18, 2022
As a big fan of Le Carre's books, it was interesting to see the nonfiction side. Many of the early Soviet betrayals could be right out of his novels. I also enjoyed the bios on some of the mysterious chiefs "M' and "C".
February 24, 2025
Inside British Intelligence 100 years of MI5 and MI6
Another interesting novel about spy agencies and this one focused on British Intelligence which was enlightening about their agencies which have been around for a long time.
Another interesting novel about spy agencies and this one focused on British Intelligence which was enlightening about their agencies which have been around for a long time.
June 10, 2021
Een inzicht in de wereld van MI5 en 6, vooral vanuit de schrijver voor mijn gevoel. Soms wel erg typisch Britse stereotypering en ook niet echt vloeiend geschreven
April 3, 2023
It is an interesting book that covers known and unknown stories.
April 22, 2025
Heerlijk boek als je van de geschiedenis van de westerse geheime dienst houdt. Spannend geschreven en Thomas beschikt over goede bronnen.
June 2, 2016
Excellent book. While the focus is on MI5 (Britian's domestic equivalent of the FBI) and MI6 (Britain's international equivalent of the CIA), Thomas shows, along the way, how all the global intelligence agencies are intertwined and opens a vivid window of insight into how they work together, apart, and often against each other.
Thomas brings the global intelligence community - and their bumbling and astounding ignorance, at times - under the microscope and into the hot, glaring white light of scrutiny in this sweeping history of spying.
He also provides compelling evidence that all these spook agencies chose to ignore, despite strong and persistent warnings, especially from one MI6 agent who realized (because he decided on his own to make himself an expert on the movement after Khomeni's takeover of Iran in the late 1970's), years before the idea of Muslim fundamentalism was on anybody's radar, that the radical calls for a wholesale jihad that a young Saudi (Osama Bin Laden) fighting in the war between Afghanistan and Russia in the 1980's was preaching had the potential to have dramatic global implications and consequences.
Thomas' book also provides a detailed look into the lead-up to the U.S. terrorist attacks on 9/11/01 (warnings within the US and global governments were everywhere beginning in August of 2001 and everyone knew it was coming, but no one did anything), the attack itself, and the aftermath, including the debacle of the 2003 war with Iraq (which was about personal vengeance by George W. Bush to finish what his dad didn't do -kill Saddam Hussein - and not about WMDs, which didn't exist at all at that time in Iraq), which only served to further destabilize the Middle East.
Embedded in this history of intelligence and the Middle East are things that will surprise you and possibly make the hair on your neck stand up if you're paying attention to who's involved and what they're doing.
This is a sweeping and big-picture history from which I am quite certain, because we breathe for a living, which seems to make us not only ignorant, at times, but also forgetful and dismissive of the past, these agencies and the governments they operate for will not gain wisdom and understanding from, nor will ensure are not repeated.
Thomas brings the global intelligence community - and their bumbling and astounding ignorance, at times - under the microscope and into the hot, glaring white light of scrutiny in this sweeping history of spying.
He also provides compelling evidence that all these spook agencies chose to ignore, despite strong and persistent warnings, especially from one MI6 agent who realized (because he decided on his own to make himself an expert on the movement after Khomeni's takeover of Iran in the late 1970's), years before the idea of Muslim fundamentalism was on anybody's radar, that the radical calls for a wholesale jihad that a young Saudi (Osama Bin Laden) fighting in the war between Afghanistan and Russia in the 1980's was preaching had the potential to have dramatic global implications and consequences.
Thomas' book also provides a detailed look into the lead-up to the U.S. terrorist attacks on 9/11/01 (warnings within the US and global governments were everywhere beginning in August of 2001 and everyone knew it was coming, but no one did anything), the attack itself, and the aftermath, including the debacle of the 2003 war with Iraq (which was about personal vengeance by George W. Bush to finish what his dad didn't do -kill Saddam Hussein - and not about WMDs, which didn't exist at all at that time in Iraq), which only served to further destabilize the Middle East.
Embedded in this history of intelligence and the Middle East are things that will surprise you and possibly make the hair on your neck stand up if you're paying attention to who's involved and what they're doing.
This is a sweeping and big-picture history from which I am quite certain, because we breathe for a living, which seems to make us not only ignorant, at times, but also forgetful and dismissive of the past, these agencies and the governments they operate for will not gain wisdom and understanding from, nor will ensure are not repeated.
November 1, 2009
Some have declared this to be a "history" of Britain's spy agencies, which is a bit much for such a poorly organized book. Not only does Thomas fail to follow a chronological narrative (some history!), he doesn't even stick with MI5 & MI6! There are long sequences about the CIA, as well as chapters on Mossad and South Africa's germ warfare program. And, despite his claims to access to newly discovered information, most of this book covers ground from the Cold War and War on Terror that you could have learned elsewhere. There's very little in here about the agencies' founding or their performance in WW1 and WW2. Thomas doesn't even make much of an effort to differentiate between MI5 & MI6, although the British often don't either (the Brits don't maintain the tortured division between their domestic and foreign intelligence agencies, as is the case with the CIA and FBI). Organizationally, the book is a mess
Still, Thomas does give the reader plenty of fun information, despite his chaotic presentation. Intelligence agencies often take on the characteristics of their nations and Britain's are no different. MI5 & MI6 are discrete and clubby organizations, smaller than you would expect, but still able to exercise an outsize influence. (By contrast, the CIA is a big loudmouthed ego that can't keep secrets and survives on a combination of money, technology, and its status as a superpower. Lose any one of those, and we're in trouble). And, they aren't afraid to perform the odd assassination or seduction in order to accomplish their mission: protection of The Realm.
Still, Thomas does give the reader plenty of fun information, despite his chaotic presentation. Intelligence agencies often take on the characteristics of their nations and Britain's are no different. MI5 & MI6 are discrete and clubby organizations, smaller than you would expect, but still able to exercise an outsize influence. (By contrast, the CIA is a big loudmouthed ego that can't keep secrets and survives on a combination of money, technology, and its status as a superpower. Lose any one of those, and we're in trouble). And, they aren't afraid to perform the odd assassination or seduction in order to accomplish their mission: protection of The Realm.
October 1, 2013
Meh. I could give it 2.5 stars, because there were some interesting stories and facts I didn't know, but overall I was not impressed. It's a collection of anecdotes, told in a rather incoherently disorganized way (the first chapters jumped back and forth in a way that made no sense), and with no critical analysis or unifying thesis. A bunch of stories about a bunch of people in the spy business; some of the stories were interesting, scary, and with a bit more critical thought could tell you something coherent about the state of intelligence in the world today. But not this book.
To see how it could have been done, and for a far more insightful, rigorous, and damning study of the American intelligence world, check out Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIAby Tim Weiner. Not an easy read, but you will finish it far more informed and understanding.
To see how it could have been done, and for a far more insightful, rigorous, and damning study of the American intelligence world, check out Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIAby Tim Weiner. Not an easy read, but you will finish it far more informed and understanding.
November 16, 2015
Після "Спектру" захотілося читнути щось про британську розвідку. Так от, конкретно на цю книжку можна не гаяти часу.
По-перше, "Сто років Мі5 і Мі6" начебто імпліцитно передбачає якийсь послідовний наратив чи бодай історичний огляд, так? Насправді його немає, є розрізнена колекція анекдоток, які скачуть, як блохи, туди-сюди між десятиліттями, не витворюючи ані хронологічно цілісної оповіді, ані якогось ідейного аргументу.
По-друге, ми, звісно, всі розуміємо, який типаж може зацікавитися шпигунами настільки, щоб писати про це книжки пачками, але навіть зі знижкою на передбачуваність типажу, конкретно тут дуже багато grandstanding і сенсаційності рівня "Аргументів і фактів" абощо (капєц, я вже навіть не знаю, які в Україні нині часописи такого штибу - геть відірвана від маскульту). Подекуди за автора невдобно прямо до фейспалму.
По-перше, "Сто років Мі5 і Мі6" начебто імпліцитно передбачає якийсь послідовний наратив чи бодай історичний огляд, так? Насправді його немає, є розрізнена колекція анекдоток, які скачуть, як блохи, туди-сюди між десятиліттями, не витворюючи ані хронологічно цілісної оповіді, ані якогось ідейного аргументу.
По-друге, ми, звісно, всі розуміємо, який типаж може зацікавитися шпигунами настільки, щоб писати про це книжки пачками, але навіть зі знижкою на передбачуваність типажу, конкретно тут дуже багато grandstanding і сенсаційності рівня "Аргументів і фактів" абощо (капєц, я вже навіть не знаю, які в Україні нині часописи такого штибу - геть відірвана від маскульту). Подекуди за автора невдобно прямо до фейспалму.
July 1, 2009
Wow'zers. Read, read, and read again. A page flipper in non-fiction --> the facts behind MI5, MI6, the CIA, Mossad, etc operations (world intelligence agencies). Gordon describes the very disturbing details of past and Present coverups & assassinations. There is so much detail in this book it took me three months to read. I was immersed and I highly recommend it.
Regarding the current world state of intelligence affairs (i.e. how good is the CIA now compared to China's intelligence agency or the Iran situation), this book was released at the end of 2008, so it is very much up-to-date.
An intelligent and worthwhile read to expand ones knowledge on the past and present intelligence communities.
Regarding the current world state of intelligence affairs (i.e. how good is the CIA now compared to China's intelligence agency or the Iran situation), this book was released at the end of 2008, so it is very much up-to-date.
An intelligent and worthwhile read to expand ones knowledge on the past and present intelligence communities.
January 25, 2010
A tough read in that it does not spare one knowledge about past and present security threats in the world. That said, it's fascinating to learn about British Intelligence Services, along with other countries security services, including the United States. (If you're a citizen of this country, you can not claim that you've never been listened to, after reading this book. Find out why)!
May 16, 2009
This book was an excellent overview of the Secret Services in Britain, the U.S. and to a lesser extent Israel. Clear and concise, the author was unbiased as a human being can be, the report factual instead of emotionally or politically charged. Definitely worth the read.
April 22, 2011
Gran libro, aquí encontrarán los secretos y las verdaderas técnicas de espionaje del MI5 y MI6; ¡Los verdaderos M y Q!, así como las mujeres que inspiraron el personaje de Judi Dench. Excelente para los seguidores de Bond.
June 21, 2009
Very depressing
May 7, 2011
The real world can be stranger than fiction.
November 23, 2013
Un repaso general y aéreo sobre la inteligencia británica, mas algunos chismecillos.
July 6, 2018
The thing is, you can't trust spies. At best, the book came off as credulous.
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