The Secret World: A History of Intelligence & Espionage (Spy History)

The first-ever detailed, comprehensive history of intelligence, from Moses and Sun Tzu to the present day.The history of espionage is far older than any of today’s intelligence agencies, yet the long history of intelligence operations has been largely forgotten. The codebreakers at Bletchley Park, the most successful World War II intelligence agency, were completely unaware that their predecessors in earlier moments of national crisis had broken the codes of Napoleon during the Napoleonic wars and those of Spain before the Spanish Armada.

Those who do not understand past mistakes are likely to repeat them. Intelligence is a prime example. At the outbreak of World War I, the grasp of intelligence shown by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and British Prime Minister Herbert Asquith was not in the same class as that of George Washington during the Revolutionary War and leading eighteenth-century British statesmen.

In this talk, the first global history of espionage ever written, distinguished historian Christopher Andrew recovers much of the lost intelligence history of the past three millennia—and shows us its relevance.
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[msdrummerkitty]

A really undynamic interview of a really interesting subject

[Johlibaptist]

Chris Andrew bowls googlies for the British intelligence community. Sometimes he complicates rather than elucidates. There is truth mixed with muddle, broad generalizations and obscure facts.

[agentneatnick]

Wow! Good video. Just finished this book. Cross Kingdom, The Shiva-Gate Conspiracy, written by Reece McKnight. It is action packed and a true page turner. Highly detailed you will be hooked. The book can be found on Amazon and Lulu. Someone should make this a movie!

[noth]

Funny that he's saying intelligence is missing from history largely - that is the whole point to a large degree, isn't it? If you fight a war and use a secret weapon to defeat your enemy, and then proceed to yell from the rooftops what your weapon is and how you used it to defeat your enemy - you're doing the enemies of the future the biggest favor you could possibly do, OBVIOUSLY.
The sayings about 'unsung heroes' and references to unknown actors, forgotten names etc is something that has been a part of the game forever. Any weapon that is unknown to your enemy is an ace up your sleeve, because it gives him no occasion to figure out or invent a counter, or equivalent, or to factor it in to his calculations at the very least.

[photograph]

Our leaders need know what intelligence agencies know & historical patterns.If you know historical patterns hopefully won’t make same mistakes was done in past.

[skyfall]

Once upon a time we used set to gather and make a TV program
Now everything is by zoom

[goodgollymisspolly]

Fascinating! One hears about cop "gut feelings." Good cops seem to have cop 'sense.' Something doesn't sit right. I've enjoyed reading here & there. Even as a child, Huge Nancy Drew fan. My whole life. I like riddles.

[jesimielmillar]

"You're Not Smart Enough to Counter-Act", you say! Well, SMART is not necessary to COUNTER-ACT-U, because: "YOU HAVE VERY little INTELLIGENCE!" Under-Stood?"

- Jesimiel Millar
(1-26-22)
8:45 PM

[mr.alldaaay]

The best part of All this babbling, is the truth spoken about Rasoolullah (saw)

[Rhombohedral]

too much biblical poppycock with zero relevance and just meaningless bla bla bla