The Enemy Within: A History of Espionage (General Military) [Hardcover]

Terry Crowdy (Author)

Book Description

Series: General Military | Publication Date: October 31, 2006

To gain the upper hand in conflict the ability to know what your enemy is planning is vital. Massive amounts of money have been spent and many lives have been lost in pursuit of this objective. From biblical times to the present day, leaders have employed espionage on and off the battlefield in the quest for victory. Tactics might differ, from dirty tricks and theft to interrogation and torture, but the aim is the same - to outmanoeuvre your enemy and emerge triumphant. Separating myth from reality, the Enemy Within, traces the history of espionage from its development in ancient times through to the end of the Cold War and beyond, shedding light on the clandestine activities that have so often tipped the balance in times of war. This detailed account delves into the murky depths of the realm of the spymasters and their spies, revealing many amazing, and often bizarre stories, along the way. From the Monkey hanged as a spy during the Napoleonic wars to the British Double Cross Committee in World War II and from Ivan the Terrible's forming of the first Russian secret police in the 16th century to the infiltration of the IRA in the 20th century, this journey through the history of espionage shows us that be they thrill seekers or madmen, fanatics or tricksters no two spies are alike and their fascinating stories are fraught with danger and intrigue.


CHAPTER HEADS In ancient times. Through dark ages. Spy, Britannia! Espionage in the Age of Reason. Vive la revolution! Napoleon's 'secret part'. Uncivil war. The godfather of secret service. Spy fever. Double-cross agents and radio games. Axis spies against America. Spies of the Soviet era. With no end in sight.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Crowdy, who has previously written for Osprey on the uniforms and organizations of French revolutionary armed forces, reflects his publisher's expanding horizons in this survey of espionage from ancient times to America's invasion of Iraq. Since Egypt fought the Hittites, he observes, secret agents have been dispatched to spy and perform other deeds that may be against the law but are perceived to be in the country's best interest. Though Crowdy is familiar with standard sources, this is a work of narrative and anecdote rather than analysis, and succeeds within that context. He discusses the role of intelligence collecting in creating and sustaining the Persian, Roman and Mongol empires, offering Judas as an early example of a double agent. The development of professional secret services in early modern Europe segues into the often-overlooked role of intelligence in the Revolutionary/Napoleonic era, making for tales of spy and counterspy that are the most interesting in the book. As Crowdy moves into more recent times, he stresses increasing technological competition, reflecting the increasing difficulty of mounting human intelligence operations in modern national security states. His conclusion is a paradox: secret services must be kept under control, yet be effective enough "to make a difference." (Oct. 31)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Crowdy's effective, readable summary of espionage in human history begins with the ancient Egyptians and doesn't end even with the Mossad. Throughout history, a broad range of not only governments but also people have used various means to learn about their enemies and, not infrequently, their friends. Although the senses of humans on the ground have always been highly valued, technology, including invisible inks and coding devices, also has a long history in spying. Women have figured prominently as spies (e.g., Delilah catching Samson in an early "honey trap" of sexual favors) and spymasters (e.g., Roman empress Theodora discouraging gossip about her colorful past). The growth of surveillance technology from miniature cameras to wiretaps and satellites has left the purely human instruments of intelligence gathering at a disadvantage in fights for appropriations and publicity, a situation that Crowdy deplores: "A spy is like a traveling salesman"--he has to "know the territory." Readers of this book will know it, too, much better than they did before. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (October 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841769339
• ISBN-13: 978-1841769332
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #703,418 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Informative, But Not Ground-Breaking, October 28, 2010

By 

zorba (Bala Cynwyd, Pa USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Enemy Within: A History of Spies, Spymasters, and Espionage (General Military) (Paperback)

This is essentially a book of anecdotes concerning how espionage has played a role in events down through the centuries. It takes us from ancient times to modern and spins tales of spies and how their masters used or abused them. I found the early parts of the book -- the pre-20th Century vignettes -- of much less interest that later tales. I believe the book does a masterful job of describing intelligence activities leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor and, later, the development of the atom bomb. So, all in all, I found it an interesting book. Nothing scholarly. Just a fairly good generalized history of espionage.

4.0 out of 5 stars Spying Across the Ages, November 7, 2011

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Sundee M. Miles "I am an eclectic book and mu... (Flat Rock, MI, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Enemy Within: A History of Spies, Spymasters, and Espionage (General Military) (Paperback)

I chose this book because I needed to do some research and was not familiar with the subject matter. There is always that fine line between too technical and too vague to be helpful. This book found the happy medium for an uninitiated person on the topic of espionage like myself.

I learned a great deal and found evidence of documentation and quotes from others. There is a handy list of sources by chapter and word index in the back. But it was easy to follow and well written. I became so caught up in the writing that I forgot to take notes for my research.

The book covers spying from ancient times to the present.

Recommend for interest or for research.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars missing a certain group, November 4, 2010

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rafe (Corona, ca United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Enemy Within: A History of Espionage (General Military) (Hardcover)

Terry seemes to cover enemies with in from troy to present but skips over KGB agents inside US agencies and also the Israeli influence inside the US govt. I wonder why.