Historical dictionary of British intelligence / Nigel West.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

British Intelligence is the oldest, most experienced organization of its kind in the world, the unseen hand behind so many world events, and glamorized by James Bond. Despite the change in role, from a global power controlling an Empire that covered much of the world, to a mere partner in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union, the country's famed security and intelligence apparatus continues largely intact, and recognized as "punching above its weight." Feared by the Soviets, admired and trusted by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), British Intelligence has provided the hidden dimension to the conduct of domestic and foreign policy, with the added mystique of Whitehall secrecy, a shroud that for years protected the identities of the shadowy figures who recruited the sources, broke the codes, and caught the spies.



This second edition of Historical Dictionary of the British Intelligence covers the history through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 1,000 cross-referenced entries on specific operations, spies and their handlers, the moles and defectors, top leaders, and main organizations. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the British Intelligence.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Great Britain has a long history of intelligence-gathering activities, dating back at least 400 years to the government of Queen Elizabeth I. In this extensive work, military historian West gives a fascinating glimpse of this intriguing world, starting with a chronology and lengthy overview. Both the index and dictionary itself must be used to find details of some entries in the chronology. The dictionary entries cover people, institutions, legislation, and places back to the 16th century, but deal mostly with the 20th century. Boldface text indicates items that have more detailed entries elsewhere. The extensive bibliography features its own introductory essay, helpful for further research. The entries are necessarily selective but include fictional spies, numerous writers, and other well-known British personalities who were involved in espionage, particularly in wartime. This work is likely to be consulted as much for its entertainment value as for its reference value. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through researchers/faculty; general readers. C. E. King Purdue University

Booklist Review

As noted in the foreword, it is fitting that the first in the Historical Dictionaries of Intelligence and Counterintelligence series highlights the British contribution to the field, since the British have been experts at intelligence and counterintelligence since at least the time of Queen Elizabeth I. More academic programs are focusing on the study of security and intelligence, so reference tools such as this one are needed. The author is an authority, well qualified to compile this well-documented introductory dictionary of terms, people, and times in the world of intelligence. More than 1,800 alphabetically arranged entries vary in length from a short paragraph to four pages. See also references are indicated in bold type. Well-known spies range from Sir Francis Walsingham of the Elizabethan court to Katherine Gun, the Government Communications Headquarters employee charged with leaking classified information in 2003. Authors Ian Fleming and John le Carre are profiled as well. Other entries cover political leaders, operations, techniques, jargon, offices, and organizations. The various services such as SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) and Special Branch are described. Countries such as the U.S and agencies such as the CIA are described in terms of their relationship with British intelligence. A chronology covers the years 1883-2004. Arranged by topic, the bibliography is a splendid jumping-off point for further research on any of the topics found in this work, which is recommended for academic institutions with studies in this field and large public and special libraries where there is interest. --Terri Tomchyshyn Copyright 2005 Booklist