Wellington's Spies

Wellington's Spies
Author: Mary McGrigor
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
Total Pages: 362
Release: 2006-03-19
Genre: History
ISBN: 1781596719

The gripping story of three intelligence officers whose dangerous work and sacrifice helped lead to victory over Napoleon’s forces. Intelligence was just as important in the Napoleonic Wars as it is today. But back then, there was only one way of obtaining it: through spies and informers. Here, Mary McGrigor uses firsthand accounts of three of Wellington’s most daring and successful intelligence officers to reveal the relationships they established and the risks they faced. The three men, all of Scottish descent, were very different in character, but all showed remarkable courage. Their stories are filled with danger, action, adventure, and even romance—as well as tragedy and narrow escape. Skillfully interwoven against the backdrop of the brutal Peninsula War, in which atrocities were commonplace, this book gives a fresh insight into Wellington’s remarkable triumph over Napoleon’s armies.

Spying for Wellington

Spying for Wellington
Author: Huw J. Davies
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Total Pages: 459
Release: 2018-11-08
Genre: History
ISBN: 0806162139

Intelligence is often the critical factor in a successful military campaign. This was certainly the case for Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, in the Peninsular War. In this book, author Huw J. Davies offers the first full account of the scope, complexity, and importance of Wellington’s intelligence department, describing a highly organized, multifaceted series of networks of agents and spies throughout Spain and Portugal—an organization that was at once a microcosm of British intelligence at the time and a sophisticated forebear to intelligence developments in the twentieth century. Spying for Wellington shows us an organization that was, in effect, two parallel networks: one made up of Foreign Office agents “run” by British ambassadors in Spain and Portugal, the other comprising military spies controlled by Wellington himself. The network of agents supplied strategic intelligence, giving the British army advance warning of the arrival, destinations, and likely intentions of French reinforcements. The military network supplied operational intelligence, which confirmed the accuracy of the strategic intelligence and provided greater detail on the strengths, arms, and morale of the French forces. Davies reveals how, by integrating these two forms of intelligence, Wellington was able to develop an extremely accurate and reliable estimate of French movements and intentions not only in his own theater of operations but also in other theaters across the Iberian Peninsula. The reliability and accuracy of this intelligence, as Davies demonstrates, was central to Wellington’s decision-making and, ultimately, to his overall success against the French. Correcting past, incomplete accounts, this is the definitive book on Wellington’s use of intelligence. As such, it contributes to a clearer, more comprehensive understanding of Wellington at war and of his place in the history of British military intelligence.

Spying for Wellington

Spying for Wellington
Author: Huw J. Davies
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Total Pages: 329
Release: 2018-11-08
Genre: History
ISBN: 0806162147

Intelligence is often the critical factor in a successful military campaign. This was certainly the case for Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, in the Peninsular War. In this book, author Huw J. Davies offers the first full account of the scope, complexity, and importance of Wellington’s intelligence department, describing a highly organized, multifaceted series of networks of agents and spies throughout Spain and Portugal—an organization that was at once a microcosm of British intelligence at the time and a sophisticated forebear to intelligence developments in the twentieth century. Spying for Wellington shows us an organization that was, in effect, two parallel networks: one made up of Foreign Office agents “run” by British ambassadors in Spain and Portugal, the other comprising military spies controlled by Wellington himself. The network of agents supplied strategic intelligence, giving the British army advance warning of the arrival, destinations, and likely intentions of French reinforcements. The military network supplied operational intelligence, which confirmed the accuracy of the strategic intelligence and provided greater detail on the strengths, arms, and morale of the French forces. Davies reveals how, by integrating these two forms of intelligence, Wellington was able to develop an extremely accurate and reliable estimate of French movements and intentions not only in his own theater of operations but also in other theaters across the Iberian Peninsula. The reliability and accuracy of this intelligence, as Davies demonstrates, was central to Wellington’s decision-making and, ultimately, to his overall success against the French. Correcting past, incomplete accounts, this is the definitive book on Wellington’s use of intelligence. As such, it contributes to a clearer, more comprehensive understanding of Wellington at war and of his place in the history of British military intelligence.

Spies, Wiretaps, and Secret Operations [2 volumes]

Spies, Wiretaps, and Secret Operations [2 volumes]
Author: Glenn Peter Hastedt
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 994
Release: 2010-12-09
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1851098089

A comprehensive two-volume overview and analysis of all facets of espionage in the American historical experience, focusing on key individuals and technologies. In two volumes, Spies, Wiretaps, and Secret Operation: An Encyclopedia of American Espionage ranges across history to provide a comprehensive, thoroughly up-to-date introduction to spying in the United States—why it is done, who does it (both for and against the United States), how it is done, and what its ultimate impact has been. The encyclopedia includes hundreds of entries in chronologically organized sections that cover espionage by and within the United States from colonial times to the 21st century. Entries cover key individuals, technologies, and events in the history of American espionage. Volume two offers overviews of important agencies in the American intelligence community and intelligence organizations in other nations (both allies and adversaries), plus details of spy trade techniques, and a concluding section on the portrayal of espionage in literature and film. The result is a cornerstone resource that moves beyond the Cold War-centric focus of other works on the subject to offer an authoritative contemporary look at American espionage efforts past and present.

Spy

Spy
Author: Kit Bennetts
Publisher: Penguin Random House New Zealand Limited
Total Pages: 189
Release: 2014-10-31
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1775538052

The inside story of the Bill Sutch spy scandal by the agent who potted him. In 1975 Kit Bennetts was one of the youngest officers ever to serve in the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service. Fresh out of training, on routine surveillance duty one night he followed a big Mercedes from the Soviet Embassy in Wellington and witnessed a meeting between a KGB officer and an unknown man. That man turned out to be Dr William Sutch, one of New Zealand's most eminent citizens. Five months later, after more surveillance and a major sting, Sutch was arrested and charged with passing information to the Russians. A spectacular trial ensued — New Zealand's only epionage trail, ever — at which Sutch was acquitted, only to die seven months later. Thirty years aon, and with the recent release of the Mitrokhin archives, fascination with the case and speculation about whether Sutch was indeed a KGB mole endures. Spy marks the first time an SIS officer has ever gone public. Fast paced, humorous, it details how the SIS got their man, only to lose the case against him in court.

With Wellington in Spain

With Wellington in Spain
Author: F. S. Brereton
Publisher: Good Press
Total Pages: 251
Release: 2023-10-21
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN:

With Wellington in Spain: A Story of the Peninsula by F. S. Brereton is a historical fiction that transports readers to the tumultuous times of the Peninsula War. Following the footsteps of Wellington, Brereton's narrative captures the challenges, strategies, and triumphs of the war. Rich in historical detail and filled with action, this book offers a captivating glimpse into a pivotal moment in history.

Intelligence and Espionage: Secrets and Spies

Intelligence and Espionage: Secrets and Spies
Author: Daniel Lomas
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 175
Release: 2019-01-30
Genre: History
ISBN: 0429664117

Intelligence and Espionage: Secrets and Spies provides a global introduction to the role of intelligence – a key, but sometimes controversial, aspect of ensuring national security. Separating fact from fiction, the book draws on past examples to explore the use and misuse of intelligence, examine why failures take place and address important ethical issues over its use. Divided into two parts, the book adopts a thematic approach to the topic, guiding the reader through the collection and analysis of information and its use by policymakers, before looking at intelligence sharing. Lomas and Murphy also explore the important associated activities of counterintelligence and the use of covert action, to influence foreign countries and individuals. Topics covered include human and signals intelligence, the Cuban Missile Crisis, intelligence and Stalin, Trump and the US intelligence community, and the Soviet Bloc. This analysis is supplemented by a comprehensive documents section, containing newly released documents, including material from Edward Snowden’s leaks of classified material. Supported by images, a comprehensive chronology, glossary, and 'who’s who' of key figures, Intelligence and Espionage is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the role of intelligence in policymaking, international relations and diplomacy, warfighting and politics to the present day.