Books about Britain's intelligence agencies

[llall]

I'm looking for any books dealing with the actions of Britain's intelligence agencies. Their biggest successes and failures, their most bizarre activities, their ethos, etc..

Any suggestions?

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

A couple of suggestions you might consider;
Bodyguard of Lies in two volumes by Anthony Cave Brown, concerning the clandestine efforts during WW II to deceive Hitler, break enemy codes such as Enigma and protect the details of D-Day.
Bodyguard of Lies focuses primarily on the British efforts, going into detail on the various intelligence departments, their roles, operations. Examples include: LCS, MI-6, Ultra, SLU’s, operation “Flash”, “Plan Jael”, breaking the Enigma code.
I completed Volume I and found it to be a fascinating read.
Looking forward to Volume II

A quote by Churchill at the introduction- "In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies"

Another book is A Race on the Edge of Time by David E. Fisher, regarding the development and use of radar in WW II. The book has been a part of my parent’s library for years. It now resides in my library, but have yet to read it. However, given the fact the sovereignty of Britain owed much to its invisible shield, I’m confident the book will include the roles of British intelligence toward radar’s development and use.

[mal4mac]

I recently read A Small Town in Germany by John le Carré. It's set in Bonn soon after WWII, against a background of concern that former Nazis were returning to positions of power in West Germany. As the Nazis didn't regain power I guess this could be thought of as a success...

[kelby_lake]

Dare I say James Bond?

[WyattGwyon]

John Banville's The Untouchable is brilliant. Real characters and events, but fictionalized in the everyday details and dialogue. This one is in the great debacle category.

Agent Zigzag by Ben MacIntyre. A true story that reads like fiction.
This one is in the amazing triumph category.

[Scheherazade]

The Spy Who Came in from The Cold by le Carre.

[Emil Miller]

Dare I say James Bond?

Only if you believe in fairytales.

[Emil Miller]

I recently read A Small Town in Germany by John le Carré. It's set in Bonn soon after WWII, against a background of concern that former Nazis were returning to positions of power in West Germany. As the Nazis didn't regain power I guess this could be thought of as a success...

I also read A Small Town in Germany when it was published and thought it very evocative of Bonn, a town that I had visited on account of it being Beethoven's birthplace. However, the neo-nazis have not gone away, to the extent that only four days ago, some German Federal politicians proposed that the German Constitutional Court ban the National Democratic Party (NPD) for its far-right activities.

[kev67]

There must be loads. If you are talking non-fiction then Spy Catcher by Peter Wright springs to mind. Not that I've read it, but it caused a huge commotion when it was published in the 80s (I think it was then because Thatcher was after his blood). I seem to remember a recent head of MI5 wrote her memoirs, although I suppose they are not as revealing. I see from Wikipedia it was Eliza Manningham-Buller, which sounds like a very British Intelligence sort of name. As is Stella Remington, another head of MI5 who also wrote her memoirs. She has written several other books, I see.

[hannah_arendt]

Maybe John le Carre or Chris Ryan?

[Emil Miller]

Ashenden by WS Maugham, based on his experiences as a spy during WWI, is the real thing from a writer's viewpoint.

[prendrelemick]

Ace of Spies by Robin Bruce Lockheart.

A factual - ish account of Sydney Reilly, spy and adventurer, who worked for various intellegence departments around the time of WW1.

There was a TV mini series Called "Reilly-Ace of Spies" starring Sam Neil in the 80's based on his adventures.

[MementoMori]

I'm not too keen on spy novels, but I thought Graham Greene's The Human Factor was excellent.

[AuntShecky]

I heard about the shortest book in the world. It's called "American Intelligence."

Case in point ^: I posted that joke when I missed the word
"agencies" in the title of the original thread. Not only that,yours fooly reversed the punch line. So much for "intelligence," huh? George Smiley's got nothing to worry about from the likes o' me.

[mal4mac]

I also read A Small Town in Germany when it was published and thought it very evocative of Bonn, a town that I had visited on account of it being Beethoven's birthplace. However, the neo-nazis have not gone away, to the extent that only four days ago, some German Federal politicians proposed that the German Constitutional Court ban the National Democratic Party (NPD) for its far-right activities.

I thought it drew a believable picture of Bonn, nice to hear it worked for someone who has been there. One wouldn't expect the neo-Nazis to disappear completely, surely, but are they a serious force in Germany? They seem stronger in Greece and France these days. The vicious attack on Tottenham fans in Italy was also a worrying event. If the recession turns into a serious long term depression I suspect these parties may gain more followers, but, Germany looks less likely than most to suffer greatly from the economic down turn, this time.

[mal4mac]

I'm not too keen on spy novels, but I thought Graham Greene's The Human Factor was excellent.

I just watched the film "Went the Day Well?" (1942) based on a story by Graham Greene. Villagers in a remote English village eagerly help a large group of Allied troops billeted in their town, but when they realise the soldiers are disguised German paratroopers acting as the vanguard of an invasion, they pull together to thwart the enemy. Actually filmed when German invasion was a real threat, and lays on the "evil Nazi" propaganda with a trowel - tut tut as the vicar is shot during an Anglican service, shake your head, as the Nazis move to murder the children of resistors... shooting the cheekiest little chap in the leg... but the villagers get them when they all pull together... sound a bit "too much" perhaps, but it actually hung together, probably due to Greene's magic pen...