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Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > International relations > Espionage & secret services
Spies in the Congo is the untold story of one of the most
tightly-guarded secrets of the Second World War: America's
desperate struggle to secure enough uranium to build its atomic
bomb.The Shinkolobwe mine in the Belgian Congo was the most
important deposit of uranium yet discovered anywhere on earth,
vital to the success of the Manhattan Project. Given that Germany
was also working on an atomic bomb, it was an urgent priority for
the US to prevent uranium from the Congo being diverted to the
enemy - a task entrusted to Washington's elite secret intelligence
agents. Sent undercover to colonial Africa to track the ore and to
hunt Nazi collaborators, their assignment was made even tougher by
the complex political reality and by tensions with Belgian and
British officials. A gripping spy-thriller, Spies in the Congo is
the true story of unsung heroism, of the handful of good men -- and
one woman -- in Africa who were determined to deny Hitler his bomb.
Nearly forty female agents were sent out by the French section of
Britain's Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the Second
World War. The youngest was 19 and the oldest 53. Most were trained
in paramilitary warfare, fieldcraft, the use of weapons and
explosives, sabotage, silent killing, parachuting, codes and
cyphers, wireless transmission and receiving, and general spycraft.
These women - as well as others from clandestine Allied
organisations - were flown out and parachuted or landed into France
on vital and highly dangerous missions: their task, to work with
resistance movements both before and after D-Day. Bernard O'Connor
uses recently declassified government documents, personnel files,
mission reports and memoirs to assess the successes and failures of
the 38 women including Odette Sansom, Denise Colin, and Cecile
Pichard. Of the twelve who were captured, only two survived; the
others were executed, some after being tortured by the sadistic
officers of the Gestapo. This is their story.
It was inevitable that the Allies would invade France in the summer
of 1944: the Nazis just had to figure out where and when. This job
fell to the Abwehr and several other German intelligence services.
Between them they put over 30,000 personnel to work studying
British and American signals traffic, and achieved considerable
success in intercepting and decrypting enemy messages. They also
sent agents to England - but they weren't to know that none of them
would be successful. Until now, the Nazi intelligence community has
been disparaged by historians as incompetent and corrupt, but newly
released declassified documents suggest this wasn't the case - and
that they had a highly sophisticated system that concentrated on
the threat of an Allied invasion. Written by acclaimed espionage
historian Nigel West, Codeword Overlord is a vital reassessment of
Axis behaviour in one of the most dramatic episodes of the
twentieth century.
A compelling new narrative about how two Great Powers of the early
twentieth century did battle, both openly and in the shadows
Decades before the Berlin Wall went up, a Cold War had already
begun raging. But for Bolshevik Russia, Great Britain - not America
- was the enemy. Now, for the first time, Victor Madeira tells a
story that has been hidden away for nearly a century. Drawing on
over sixty Russian, British and French archival collections,
Britannia and the Bear offers a compelling new narrative about how
two great powers of the time did battle, both openly and in
theshadows. By exploring British and Russian mind-sets of the time
this book traces the links between wartime social unrest, growing
trade unionism in the police and the military, and Moscow's
subsequent infiltration of Whitehall. As early as 1920, Cabinet
ministers were told that Bolshevik intelligence wanted to recruit
university students from prominent families destined for
government, professional and intellectual circles. Yet despite
these early warnings, men such as the Cambridge Five slipped the
security net fifteen years after the alarm was first raised.
Britannia and the Bear tells the story of Russian espionage in
Britain in these critical interwar years and reveals how British
Government identified crucial lessons but failed to learn many of
them. The book underscores the importance of the first Cold War in
understanding the second, as well as the need for historical
perspective ininterpreting the mind-sets of rival powers. Victor
Madeira has a decade's experience in international security
affairs, and his work has appeared in leading publications such as
Intelligence and National Securityand The Historical Journal. He
completed his doctorate in Modern International History at Gonville
and Caius College, Cambridge.
A hard-hitting history of the Soviet security police in
totalitarian Latvia - with Latvians as both oppressors and
oppressed. Through the stories of people held as prisoners, never
told before in English, Up Against the Wall details the methods of
a brutal totalitarian regime and the bloody twists and turns of
Latvia's long and complicated relationship with the Soviet security
police. This is not for the squeamish. At the KGB headquarters in
Riga - the Corner House, or St?raM?ja - suspects were questioned
and executed during the 'Year of Terror' in 1940-41. When the
Soviets returned in 1944 vast numbers of Latvians fled and a war of
resistance fought from the forests by partisans lasted nearly a
decade. The years of Soviet rule ended only in 1991. The author
presents harrowing personal testimonies of those imprisoned,
tortured and deported to Siberian gulags by the KGB, drawing from
museum archives and interviews translated into English for this
book as well as from declassified CIA files, KGB records and his
own research in Latvia. He interviews human rights activists,
partisans, KGB experts and those who led Latvia to independence in
the 1990s and explores the role of Latvian KGB double agents in
defeating anti-Soviet partisan groups and the West's Cold War
spying missions. Ironically it was the feared Latvian Riflemen who
helped crush the Bolsheviks' political rivals after the 1917
Revolution and defeat the British-backed White generals in the
vicious Civil War of 1918-22, while Latvia itself became
independent. Their reward was top jobs in the Soviet regime,
including in the Cheka security police, the forerunner to the NKVD
and KGB. But Stalin turned on the Latvians in the 1930s and
mercilessly purged the old guard. When the Baltics were carved up
by Hitler and Stalin, the Red Army killed or deported anyone
opposing Soviet power in a period known as the 'Year of Terror'.
Fifty years of occupation followed WWII as through the Cold War and
into the late 1980s Latvian society was in the grip of the KGB. For
27 years after the collapse of the Soviet regime Latvian
politicians argued over whether to publish the secret files of KGB
agents. The book's final chapter deals with the decision in
December 2018 for the 'Cheka Bags' to be opened, making Latvia's
last KGB secrets public.
Aisin Gioro Xianyu (1907-1948) was the fourteenth daughter of a
Manchu prince and a legendary figure in China's bloody struggle
with Japan. After the fall of the Manchu dynasty in 1912, Xianyu's
father gave his daughter to a Japanese friend who was sympathetic
to his efforts to reclaim power. This man raised Xianyu, now known
as Kawashima Yoshiko, to restore the Manchus to their former glory.
Her fearsome dedication to this cause ultimately got her killed.
Yoshiko had a fiery personality and loved the limelight. She
shocked Japanese society by dressing in men's clothes and rose to
prominence as Commander Jin, touted in Japan's media as a new Joan
of Arc. Boasting a short, handsome haircut and a genuine military
uniform, Commander Jin was credited with many daring exploits,
among them riding horseback as leader of her own army during the
Japanese occupation of China. While trying to promote the Manchus,
Yoshiko supported the puppet Manchu state established by the
Japanese in 1932-one reason she was executed for treason after
Japan's 1945 defeat. The truth of Yoshiko's life is still a source
of contention between China and Japan: some believe she was
exploited by powerful men, others claim she relished her role as
political provocateur. China holds her responsible for unspeakable
crimes, while Japan has forgiven her transgressions. This biography
presents the richest and most accurate portrait to date of the
controversial princess spy, recognizing her truly novel role in
conflicts that transformed East Asia.
He's out of options. Kill. Or be killed. A searing thriller that
will leave you reelingDisgraced Navy SEAL Finn is on the run. A
wanted man, he's sought for questioning in connection to war crimes
committed in Yemen by a rogue element in his SEAL team. But he can
remember nothing. Finn learns that three members of his team have
been quietly redeployed to Iceland, which is a puzzle in itself;
the island is famous for being one of the most peaceful places on
the planet. His mission is simple: track down the three SEALs and
find out what really happened in Yemen. But two problems stand in
his way. On his first night in town a young woman mysteriously
drowns-and a local detective suspects his involvement. Worse, a
hardened SEAL-turned-contract-killer has been hired to stop him.
And he's followed Finn all the way to the icy north. The riveting
follow-up to Steel Fear, from the New York Times bestselling
writing team, combat decorated Navy SEAL Brandon Webb and
award-winning author John David Mann, comes a gripping thriller
perfect for fans of Lee Child and Brad Thor.
After Dunkirk the British Army was broken, the country isolated and
invasion imminent. German Military Intelligence was sat the task of
recruiting collaborators from among Welsh nationalists to sabotage
military and civilian installations ahead of the landing. Strategic
deception was one of the few weapons left. To fool the Germans into
believing Britain was ready and able to repel invaders when in fact
it had only the weapons salvaged from Dunkirk, MI5 invented an
imaginary cell of Welsh saboteurs led by a retired police
inspector.
An urgent new warning from two bestselling security experts - and a
gripping inside look at how governments, firms, and ordinary
citizens can confront and contain the tyrants, hackers, and
criminals bent on turning the digital realm into a war zone.
In this book, two national-security experts put the exploits of
America's special operation forces in historical and strategic
context. David Tucker and Christopher J. Lamb offer an incisive
overview of America's turbulent experience with special operations.
Starting with in-depth interviews with special operators, the
authors illustrate the diversity of modern special operations
forces and the strategic value of their unique attributes. Despite
longstanding and growing public fascination with special operators,
these forces and their contribution to national security are poorly
understood. With this book, Tucker and Lamb dispel common
misconceptions and offer a penetrating analysis of how these unique
and valuable forces can be employed to even better effect in the
future. The book builds toward a comprehensive assessment of the
strategic utility of special operations forces, which it then
considers in light of the demands of future warfare. This second
edition of United States Special Operations Forces, revised
throughout to account for lessons learned in the twelve years since
its first publication, includes two new case studies, one on High
Value Target Teams and another on Village Stability Operations, and
two new appendixes charting the evolution of special operation
missions and the best literature on all aspects of U.S. special
operation forces.
Acts of terrorist violence and foreign espionage may pose a serious
threat to the security of the United States; yet recent disclosures
demonstrate the great risk in giving an agency such as the FBI
unlimited authority for gathering intelligence about terrorists and
spies. Taking into account the findings and recommendations of the
post-Watergate inquiries into FBI operations, John Elliff analyzes
the legal and policy questions posed by a "security police" in a
nation committed to constitutional government and the rule of law.
The author draws on his experience both as principal consultant for
the Police Foundation's research on FBI intelligence operations and
as head of the Church committee's congressional staff task force on
domestic intelligence. He examines the changes made in the
structure and policy framework for FBI intelligence operations,
including issues not fully resolved by reorganization and new
guidelines. He also covers the standards and procedures for dealing
with misconduct by FBI personnel. Dr. Elliff concludes that the
present restrictions on FBI activities are necessary and that close
supervision and control by the Attorney General will allow the
Bureau to operate effectively without depriving law-abiding persons
of their privacy or their freedom. Originally published in 1979.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand
technology to again make available previously out-of-print books
from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press.
These editions preserve the original texts of these important books
while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions.
The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase
access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of
books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in
1905.
In essays that illuminate not only the recent past but shortcomings
in today's intelligence assessments, sixteen experts show how
prospective antagonists appraised each other prior to the World
Wars. This cautionary tale, warns that intelligence agencies can do
certain things very well--but other things poorly, if at all.
Originally published in 1985. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the
latest print-on-demand technology to again make available
previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of
Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original
texts of these important books while presenting them in durable
paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy
Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage
found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University
Press since its founding in 1905.
The first complete account of the fiercely guarded secrets of
London's clandestine interrogation center, operated by the British
Secret Service from 1940 to 1948 Behind the locked doors of three
mansions in London's exclusive Kensington Palace Gardens
neighborhood, the British Secret Service established a highly
secret prison in 1940: the London Cage. Here recalcitrant German
prisoners of war were subjected to "special intelligence
treatment." The stakes were high: the war's outcome could hinge on
obtaining information German prisoners were determined to withhold.
After the war, high-ranking Nazi war criminals were housed in the
Cage, revamped as an important center for investigating German war
crimes. This riveting book reveals the full details of operations
at the London Cage and subsequent efforts to hide them. Helen Fry's
extraordinary original research uncovers the grim picture of
prisoners' daily lives and of systemic Soviet-style mistreatment.
The author also provides sensational evidence to counter official
denials concerning the use of "truth drugs" and "enhanced
interrogation" techniques. Bringing dark secrets to light, this
groundbreaking book at last provides an objective and complete
history of the London Cage.
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Two sisters, one war and an
extraordinary family secret 1939. In the nation's hour of need,
brave sisters Patricia and Jean Owtram answered the call of duty.
With their fierce intelligence and steely determination, these
remarkable young women would stop at nothing to help crack the
Enigma code, support Allied troops, and defeat the Nazis. Their
top-secret mission would finally see the tide of war turn in
Britain's favour... This is their incredible true story.
In the annals of espionage, one name towers above all others: that
of H. A. R. "Kim" Philby, the ringleader of the legendary Cambridge
spies. A member of the British establishment, Philby joined the
Secret Intelligence Service in 1940, rose to the head of Soviet
counterintelligence, and, as M16's liaison with the CIA and the
FBI, betrayed every secret of Allied operations to the Russians,
fatally compromising covert actions to roll back the Iron Curtain
in the early years of the Cold War. Written from Moscow in 1967, My
Silent War shook the world and introduced a new archetype in
fiction: the unrepentant spy. It inspired John Le Carre's Smiley
novels and the later espionage novels of Graham Greene. Kim Philby
was history's most successful spy. He was also an exceptional
writer who gave us the great iconic story of the Cold War and
revolutionized, in the process, the art of espionage writing.
If the experts could point to any single book as a starting point
for understanding the subject of intelligence from the late
twentieth century to today, that single book would be Allen W.
Dulles's The Craft of Intelligence. This classic of spycraft is
based on Allen Dulles's incomparable experience as a diplomat,
international lawyer, and America's premier intelligence officer.
Dulles was a high-ranking officer of the CIA's predecessor--the
Office of Strategic Services--and was present at the inception of
the CIA, where he served eight of his ten years there as director.
Here he sums up what he learned about intelligence from nearly a
half-century of experience in foreign affairs. In World War II his
OSS agents penetrated the German Foreign Office, worked with the
anti-Nazi underground resistance, and established contacts that
brought about the Nazi military surrender in North Italy. Under his
direction the CIA developed both a dedicated corps of specialists
and a whole range of new intelligence devices, from the U-2
high-altitude photographic plane to minute electronic listening and
transmitting equipment. Dulles reveals much about how intelligence
is collected and processed, and how the resulting estimates
contribute to the formation of national policy. He discusses
methods of surveillance, and the usefulness of defectors from
hostile nations. His knowledge of Soviet espionage techniques is
unrivaled, and he explains how the Soviet State Security Service
recruited operatives and planted "illegals" in foreign countries.
He spells out not only the techniques of modern espionage but also
the philosophy and role of intelligence in a free society
threatened by global conspiracies. Dulles also addresses the Bay of
Pigs incident, denying that the 1961 invasion was based on a CIA
estimate that a popular Cuban uprising would ensue. This account is
enlivened with a wealth of personal anecdotes. It is a book for
readers who seek wider understanding of the contribution of
intelligence to our national security.
Over the last seven decades, some states successfully leveraged the
threat of acquiring atomic weapons to compel concessions from
superpowers. For many others, however, this coercive gambit failed
to work. When does nuclear latency-the technical capacity to build
the bomb-enable states to pursue effective coercion? In Leveraging
Latency, Tristan A. Volpe argues that having greater capacity to
build weaponry doesn't translate to greater coercive advantage.
Volpe finds that there is a trade-off between threatening
proliferation and promising nuclear restraint. States need just
enough bomb-making capacity to threaten proliferation, but not so
much that it becomes too difficult for them to offer
nonproliferation assurances. The boundaries of this sweet spot
align with the capacity to produce the fissile material at the
heart of an atomic weapon. To test this argument, Volpe includes
comparative case studies of four countries that leveraged latency
against superpowers: Japan, West Germany, North Korea, and Iran. In
doing so, Volpe identifies a generalizable mechanism-the
threat-assurance trade-off-that explains why more power often makes
compellence less likely to work. This framework illuminates how
technology shapes broader bargaining dynamics and helps to refine
policy options for inhibiting the spread of nuclear weapons. As
nuclear technology continues to cast a shadow over the global
landscape, Leveraging Latency provides a systematic assessment of
its coercive utility.
The product of painstaking research and countless interviews, A
High Price offers a nuanced, definitive historical account of
Israel's bold but often failed efforts to fight terrorist groups.
Beginning with the violent border disputes that emerged after
Israel's founding in 1948, Daniel Byman charts the rise of Yasir
Arafat's Fatah and leftist groups such as the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine-organizations that ushered in the era of
international terrorism epitomized by the 1972 hostage-taking at
the Munich Olympics. Byman reveals how Israel fought these groups
and others, such as Hamas, in the decades that follow, with
particular attention to the grinding and painful struggle during
the second intifada. Israel's debacles in Lebanon against groups
like the Lebanese Hizballah are examined in-depth, as is the
country's problematic response to Jewish terrorist groups that have
struck at Arabs and Israelis seeking peace. In surveying Israel's
response to terror, the author points to the coups of shadowy
Israeli intelligence services, the much-emulated use of defensive
measures such as sky marshals on airplanes, and the role of
controversial techniques such as targeted killings and the security
barrier that separates Israel from Palestinian areas. Equally
instructive are the shortcomings that have undermined Israel's
counterterrorism goals, including a disregard for long-term
planning and a failure to recognize the long-term political
repercussions of counterterrorism tactics.
A unique theory of what happens when leaders fear a revolution
abroad will spread to their own country and how that affects
international relations. When do leaders fear that a revolution
elsewhere will spread to their own polities, and what are the
international effects of this fear? In Revolutionary Contagion,
Chad E. Nelson develops and tests a theory that explains how states
react to ideological-driven revolutions that have occurred in other
nations. To do this, he analyzes four key revolutionary movements
over two centuries-liberalism, communism, fascism, and Islamism. He
further explains that the key to understanding the response to
revolutions lies in focusing on the extent to which leaders fear
upheaval in their own countries. According to the theory, Nelson
argues, fear of contagion is driven more by the characteristics of
the host rather than the activities of the infecting agents. In
other words, leaders will fear revolutionary contagion when they
have significant revolutionary opposition movements that have an
ideological affinity with the revolutionary state. A powerful
theory of the profound effects revolutions have on international
relations, this book shows why one simply cannot make sense of
international politics-including patterns of alliances and wars-in
certain situations without considering the fear of contagion.
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