Scan barcode
panda_incognito's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a collection of short bios about different spies throughout history. I enjoyed the brief glimpses into different operations and loyalties, and learned a lot more than I expected. Even though I was familiar with several of these spies, there were many others that I had never heard of, and this book has a far more global focus than many other books about espionage. There is a good mix of male and female spies, which most collections would aspire to, but this also features a range of different races, ethnic backgrounds, and national interests.
The writing was somewhat dry, but I liked the method having the spies tell their stories in their own words. It made it more suspenseful, and made the endings more dramatic, when it was told in the style of a spy awaiting execution. In this sense, the dry writing made the frequent first-person, present-tense narrations more believable, because they weren't sensationalist, written in a quirky style, or in a voice that didn't fit with another country or culture. Also, in addition to the main text, there are informational sidebars that explain espionage-related concepts, and there is a glossary in the back.
Children who are interested in spies will enjoy this book, and teenagers and adults who find the topic appealing can enjoy this as well, because there is nothing childish about it. Some spy collections I have read talk down to children or soften the harsh realities of spying, but this book is direct, honest, and clear, providing an interesting glimpse into a variety of lives and operations, many of which are quite obscure. This is a really good book, and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to read this.
I received an advance copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The writing was somewhat dry, but I liked the method having the spies tell their stories in their own words. It made it more suspenseful, and made the endings more dramatic, when it was told in the style of a spy awaiting execution. In this sense, the dry writing made the frequent first-person, present-tense narrations more believable, because they weren't sensationalist, written in a quirky style, or in a voice that didn't fit with another country or culture. Also, in addition to the main text, there are informational sidebars that explain espionage-related concepts, and there is a glossary in the back.
Children who are interested in spies will enjoy this book, and teenagers and adults who find the topic appealing can enjoy this as well, because there is nothing childish about it. Some spy collections I have read talk down to children or soften the harsh realities of spying, but this book is direct, honest, and clear, providing an interesting glimpse into a variety of lives and operations, many of which are quite obscure. This is a really good book, and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to read this.
I received an advance copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
More...