Spycraft Secrets: An Espionage A-Z

By Nigel West and General (Ret.) David Petraeus

Tradecraft: as intriguing as it is forbidden ... Tradecraft is the term applied to techniques used by intelligence personnel to assist them in conducting their operations and, like many other professions, the espionage business has developed its own rich lexicon. In the real, sub rosa world of intelligence-gathering, each bit of jargon acts as a veil of secrecy over particular types of activity, and in this book acclaimed author Nigel West explains and give examples of the lingo in action. He draws on the first-hand experience of defectors to and from the Soviet Union; surveillance operators who kept terrorist suspects under observation in Northern Ireland; case officers who have put their lives at risk by pitching a target in a denied territory; the NOCs who lived under alias to spy abroad; and much more. Turn these pages and be immersed in the real world of James Bond: assets, black operations, double agents, triple agents ... it's all here.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The History Press
• Release date: Oct 6, 2016
• ISBN: 9780750968980

Nigel West

NIGEL WEST has written numerous books on security and intelligence topics and was voted ‘The Experts’ Expert’ by The Observer. He is the recipient of the US Association of Former Intelligence Officers’ first Lifetime Literature Achievement Award and has spent many years at the Counterintelligence Centre in Washington DC. His previous books include Churchill’s Spy Files and Spycraft Secrets (2017).

Reviews for Spycraft Secrets

[1randal-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting read of spying and spy related issues. Broken down into an alphabetical listing, it covers lots of terms, as well as historical nuggets. The kind of book you can read a few pages at a time and at your leisure. I found it engaging and enjoyable.