From Publishers Weekly
Andrew, considered by many to be the "leading unofficial historian of British Intelligence," focuses on strategic rather than tactical matters, and his account mentions both heroic and notorious figures, including Winston Churchill and Kim Philby. "A masterful work," PW commented.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
This lengthy but wonderfully detailed and researched book describing the emergence of the British intelligence community (MI5, SIS, and all that) could not come at a more opportune time. Never mind that it is replete with pilot plots for a rich Masterpiece Theatre series, it has a lot to say about intelligence services, ideological politics, spy mania (real, fictional, and imagined), national character, and bureaucracy. For American readers, Andrew's tale, and his wise remarks on accountability, are sobering. Who, after all, watches the watchman of the secrets? Who in fact are these watchmen and what is their character and allegiance? Andrew's interesting work guarantees that the "great game" will never seem the same again. Henry Steck, Political Science Dept., SUNY Coll. at Cortland
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
