A Century of Spies or Passionaries

A Century of Spies: Intelligence in the Twentieth Century

Author: Jeffery T Richelson

Here is the ultimate inside history of twentieth-century intelligence gathering and covert activity. Unrivalled in its scope and as readable as any spy novel, A Century of Spies travels from tsarist Russia and the earliest days of the British Secret Service to the crises and uncertainties of today's post-Cold War world, offering an unsurpassed overview of the role of modern intelligence in every part of the globe. From spies and secret agents to the latest high-tech wizardry in signals and imagery surveillance, it provides fascinating, in-depth coverage of important operations of United States, British, Russian, Israeli, Chinese, German, and French intelligence services, and much more.
All the key elements of modern intelligence activity are here. An expert whose books have received high marks from the intelligence and military communities, Jeffrey Richelson covers the crucial role of spy technology from the days of Marconi and the Wright Brothers to today's dazzling array of Space Age satellites, aircraft, and ground stations. He provides vivid portraits of spymasters, spies, and defectors--including Sidney Reilly, Herbert Yardley, Kim Philby, James Angleton, Markus Wolf, Reinhard Gehlen, Vitaly Yurchenko, Jonathan Pollard, and many others. Richelson paints a colorful portrait of World War I's spies and sabateurs, and illuminates the secret maneuvering that helped determine the outcome of the war on land, at sea, and on the diplomatic front; he investigates the enormous importance of intelligence operations in both the European and Pacific theaters in World War II, from the work of Allied and Nazi agents to the "black magic" of U.S. and British code breakers; and he gives us acomplete overview of intelligence during the length of the Cold War, from superpower espionage and spy scandals to covert action and secret wars. A final chapter probes the still-evolving role of intelligence work in the new world of disorder and ethnic conflict, from the high-tech wonders of the Gulf War to the surprising involvement of the French government in industrial espionage.
Comprehensive, authoritative, and addictively readable, A Century of Spies is filled with new information on a variety of subjects--from the activities of the American Black Chamber in the 1920s to intelligence collection during the Cuban missile crisis to Soviet intelligence and covert action operations. It is an essential volume for anyone interested in military history, espionage and adventure, and world affairs.

Publishers Weekly

Intelligence, according to Richelson, played a crucial role in defeating Hitler, preventing the Cold War from turning into a nuclear war and keeping the superpower arms race from getting completely out of hand. His comprehensive survey explores the impact of spies and their special technology on world events in this century, showing how intelligence gathering and espionage have become a multibillion-dollar enterprise. The book covers events and developments from WWI to the age of spy satellites. With the end of the Cold War, as he shows, intelligence organizations have begun to focus more on international economic rivalries-an emphasis that includes economic espionage. Richelson predicts that intelligence technologies in the next century will become even more sophisticated but humans will still be needed for obtaining documents, technical samples and on-site reporting. This decade-by-decade review of key events and breakthroughs in intelligence and espionage is masterly. Richelson is a Senior Fellow at the National Security Archive. (Aug.)

Library Journal

In this ambitious book, Richelson (America's Secret Eyes in Space, HarperBusiness, 1990) surveys the growth, development, and transformation of intelligence (a.k.a., "spying") in the 20th century. The work combines elements of popular spy books-great stories, colorful characters, and sad incidents-with more straightforward analysis. For the ardent spy buff, the volume is an interesting array of tales with a broader developmental focus; indeed, the cross-national perspective is a strength here. The book falls short, however, in providing the in-depth analysis one would hope for. For example, a final chapter on "a new world of disorder" falls short of providing a good vision of the current situation, despite a proper emphasis on economic intelligence, proliferation, and technical intelligence means. Ultimately, too many questions are left unanswered here. While Richelson believes that spying has had its beneficial aspects (e.g., breaking Hitler), its impact on domestic life, no matter what country, slips by him. An optional purchase.-H. Steck, SUNY at Cortland

Table of Contents:

Contents
Part I * 1900-1939
1. A Shady Profession	3
2. The Great War: Spies and Saboteurs	18
3. Spies in the Great War: Eyes and Ears	31
4. Lenin's Spies	47
5. Spies Between the Wars: 1919-1929	64
6. Spies Between the Wars: 1930-1939	79
Part II * The Second World War
7. Intelligence and the Onset of War	103
8. Spies and Counterspies	124
9. The Wrecking Crews	145
10. Aerial Spies	157
11. Black Magic	173
12. Knowing the Enemy	197
Part III * The Cold War Era and Beyond
13. New Adversaries	215
14. New Players	232
15. Secret Wars	244
16. Superpower Espionage	256
17. Spies and Moles	272
18. TechnologicalEspionage	293
19. Crisis Intelligence	310
20. The Technical Revolution Continues	328
21. Penetrations, Sunken Subs, and Sudden Death	342
22. Elusive Truths	360
23. A New Decade	373
24. The Year of the Spy	388
25. End of an Era	404
26. A New World of Disorder	416
Abbreviations Used in the Notes	433
Notes	435
Index	511

Go to: L'Entreprise Résistante :le Surpassement de la Vulnérabilité pour l'Avantage Compétitif

Passionaries: Turning Compassion into Action

Author: Barbara Metzler

PASSIONARIES: individuals who transform their compassionate visions into positive actions that significantly change the lives of others.

Have you ever asked yourself, "How can one person really make a difference?" Passionaries answers that question with vivid, true stories of extraordinary social entrepreneurs turning their passions into action-and surprisingly shows how one person can change our world. This book captures an unsung movement unique to American culture-to create a legacy, make a mark, leave the world better. These modern-day heroes show each of us how we can do it too.
True stories of more than 35 individuals, ages 6 to 89, serve as inspiration and guides. Each profile describes the leader of an organization that has significantly impacted millions of lives. Every nonprofit in financially efficient, has made a material impact on society, and is volunteer friendly. Readers will learn about what sparked the original idea for each organization, discover the creative ways obstacles were overcome, and see the power of change rippling out to second and third "generations" of lives. Facts, figures, and contact information included may encourage readers to join the ranks of the more than 20 million like-minded volunteers who helped build the organizations.