Once dubbed espionage, the practice of intelligence has never been more important nor more sophisticated than it is today. Its coming-of age began during World War II, which saw the birth of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in the United States and the XX Committee to supervise the activities of double agents in Great Britain, and during the Cold War, where its rapid technological advances forever changed intelligence-gathering methods. Today, with the growing concern for terrorism, intelligence is more vital than ever and is needed not only by major powers but virtually all countries.
In this time of change, it is essential to consider the evolution of intelligence, and how well it is coping at present. That, among other things, is the contribution of the Historical Dictionary of International Intelligence. Author Nigel West's second contribution to the series includes a list of acronyms, a chronology, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on the agencies and agents, the operations and equipment, the tradecraft and jargon, and many of the countries involved. No military reference collection is complete without it. |
