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pensivepelican's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve always been a sucker for spy stories -- from the campy Mission Impossible and James Bond to well-worn copies of cold war classics, to the depiction of the distrust between the Soviets and United State in television's The Americans. In The Anatomy of a Spy, the author goes beyond cloak and dagger to what motivates those who choose to spy for – or against – their country and those who feel they have no choice. It’s a fascinating, well-researched book for fans of the spy genre, whether fiction or true life. I received this Advanced Reader Copy of The Anatomy of a Spy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
zana711's review
5.0
Superbly written analysis of "Why Spies Spy" - supposedly the "second oldest profession in the world", the author dives into what motivates spies to spy, especially those who would be betraying their countries in doing so. From sexual gratification, money, patriotism, ego to revenge, each motivation had intriguing examples from both WWs and the Cold War to illustrate how understanding why someone would willingly risk death (or at least life in prison if caught) affects how that intelligence would be evaluated.
I found the fantasist examples to be most intriguing. Genuinely believing that they are truly James Bonds of the world, they conjure up fake intelligence which if they were believed would cause even more issues than if they were genuine intelligence.
Highly readable and enjoyable!
I found the fantasist examples to be most intriguing. Genuinely believing that they are truly James Bonds of the world, they conjure up fake intelligence which if they were believed would cause even more issues than if they were genuine intelligence.
Highly readable and enjoyable!
avalinahsbooks's review
4.0
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
This was an interesting read. It contains a lot of cool stories about actual (as opposed to fictional!) spies. I didn't know so many true spy stories existed (I mean, that so many were known publicly!)
The book is organized by talking about different kinds of motivation for spies (money, sex, revenge or ego) and it's always illustrated by real examples from history. I found them fascinating, especially the ones about Enigma. To think that there were actually so many spies in history, and that at least some of those wartime movies (not Bond!) is true is incredible. I was surprised to learn that it even mentions resistance organisations, such as the Forest Brothers, who operated in my country as well (counter-Soviet resistance) and worked with various British and French intelligence agents. In the end, the book even goes a little into the 2016 US election dirty tricks and unwitting intelligence agents who may have helped to move it along.
This book was very interesting, but I have to say that sometimes it did bog me down with detail. So it may bore a reader who is less used to, say, reading history books. But if that's your jam, you will certainly enjoy it.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
This was an interesting read. It contains a lot of cool stories about actual (as opposed to fictional!) spies. I didn't know so many true spy stories existed (I mean, that so many were known publicly!)
The book is organized by talking about different kinds of motivation for spies (money, sex, revenge or ego) and it's always illustrated by real examples from history. I found them fascinating, especially the ones about Enigma. To think that there were actually so many spies in history, and that at least some of those wartime movies (not Bond!) is true is incredible. I was surprised to learn that it even mentions resistance organisations, such as the Forest Brothers, who operated in my country as well (counter-Soviet resistance) and worked with various British and French intelligence agents. In the end, the book even goes a little into the 2016 US election dirty tricks and unwitting intelligence agents who may have helped to move it along.
This book was very interesting, but I have to say that sometimes it did bog me down with detail. So it may bore a reader who is less used to, say, reading history books. But if that's your jam, you will certainly enjoy it.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
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