War, Espionage, and Masculinity in British Fiction

War, Espionage, and Masculinity in British Fiction

Author: Susan L. Austin

Publisher: Vernon Press

Published: 2023-05-23

Total Pages: 201

ISBN-13: 1648896316

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'War, Espionage, and Masculinity in British Fiction' explores the masculinities represented in British works spanning more than a century. Studies of Rudyard Kipling’s 'The Light That Failed' (1891) and Erskine Childer’s 'The Riddle of the Sands' (1903) investigate masculinities from before World War I, at the height of the British Empire. A discussion of R.C. Sherriff’s play 'Journey’s End' takes readers to the battlefields of World War I, where duty and the harsh realities of modern warfare require men to perform, perhaps to die, perhaps to be unmanned by shellshock. From there we see how Dorothy Sayers developed the character of Peter Wimsey as a model of masculinity, both strong and successful despite his own shellshock in the years between the world wars. Graham Greene’s The Heart of the Matter (1948) and The Quiet American (1955) show masculinities shaken and questioning their roles and their country’s after neither world war ended all wars and the Empire rapidly lost ground. Two chapters on 'The Innocent' (1990), Ian McEwan’s fictional account of a real collaboration between Great Britain and the United States to build a tunnel that would allow them to spy on the Soviet Union, dig deeply into the 1950’s Cold War to examine the fictional masculinity of the British protagonist and the real world and fictional masculinities projected by the countries involved. Explorations of Ian Fleming’s 'Casino Royale' (1953) and 'The Living Daylights' (1962) continue the Cold War theme. Discussion of the latter film shows a confident, infallible masculinity, optimistic at the prospect of glasnost and the potential end of Cold War hostilities. John le Carré’s 'The Night Manager' (1993) and its television adaptation take espionage past the Cold War. The final chapter on Ian McEwan’s 'Saturday' (2005) shows one man’s reaction to 9/11.


Book Synopsis War, Espionage, and Masculinity in British Fiction by : Susan L. Austin

Download or read book War, Espionage, and Masculinity in British Fiction written by Susan L. Austin and published by Vernon Press. This book was released on 2023-05-23 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'War, Espionage, and Masculinity in British Fiction' explores the masculinities represented in British works spanning more than a century. Studies of Rudyard Kipling’s 'The Light That Failed' (1891) and Erskine Childer’s 'The Riddle of the Sands' (1903) investigate masculinities from before World War I, at the height of the British Empire. A discussion of R.C. Sherriff’s play 'Journey’s End' takes readers to the battlefields of World War I, where duty and the harsh realities of modern warfare require men to perform, perhaps to die, perhaps to be unmanned by shellshock. From there we see how Dorothy Sayers developed the character of Peter Wimsey as a model of masculinity, both strong and successful despite his own shellshock in the years between the world wars. Graham Greene’s The Heart of the Matter (1948) and The Quiet American (1955) show masculinities shaken and questioning their roles and their country’s after neither world war ended all wars and the Empire rapidly lost ground. Two chapters on 'The Innocent' (1990), Ian McEwan’s fictional account of a real collaboration between Great Britain and the United States to build a tunnel that would allow them to spy on the Soviet Union, dig deeply into the 1950’s Cold War to examine the fictional masculinity of the British protagonist and the real world and fictional masculinities projected by the countries involved. Explorations of Ian Fleming’s 'Casino Royale' (1953) and 'The Living Daylights' (1962) continue the Cold War theme. Discussion of the latter film shows a confident, infallible masculinity, optimistic at the prospect of glasnost and the potential end of Cold War hostilities. John le Carré’s 'The Night Manager' (1993) and its television adaptation take espionage past the Cold War. The final chapter on Ian McEwan’s 'Saturday' (2005) shows one man’s reaction to 9/11.

War, Espionage, and Masculinity in British Fiction

War, Espionage, and Masculinity in British Fiction

Author: Susan L. Austin

Publisher: Vernon Press

Published: 2023-07-18

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781648897276

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'War, Espionage, and Masculinity in British Fiction' explores the masculinities represented in British works spanning more than a century. Studies of Rudyard Kipling's 'The Light That Failed' (1891) and Erskine Childer's 'The Riddle of the Sands' (1903) investigate masculinities from before World War I, at the height of the British Empire. A discussion of R.C. Sherriff's play 'Journey's End' takes readers to the battlefields of World War I, where duty and the harsh realities of modern warfare require men to perform, perhaps to die, perhaps to be unmanned by shellshock. From there we see how Dorothy Sayers developed the character of Peter Wimsey as a model of masculinity, both strong and successful despite his own shellshock in the years between the world wars. Graham Greene's The Heart of the Matter (1948) and The Quiet American (1955) show masculinities shaken and questioning their roles and their country's after neither world war ended all wars and the Empire rapidly lost ground. Two chapters on 'The Innocent' (1990), Ian McEwan's fictional account of a real collaboration between Great Britain and the United States to build a tunnel that would allow them to spy on the Soviet Union, dig deeply into the 1950's Cold War to examine the fictional masculinity of the British protagonist and the real world and fictional masculinities projected by the countries involved. Explorations of Ian Fleming's 'Casino Royale' (1953) and 'The Living Daylights' (1962) continue the Cold War theme. Discussion of the latter film shows a confident, infallible masculinity, optimistic at the prospect of glasnost and the potential end of Cold War hostilities. John le Carré's 'The Night Manager' (1993) and its television adaptation take espionage past the Cold War. The final chapter on Ian McEwan's 'Saturday' (2005) shows one man's reaction to 9/11.


Book Synopsis War, Espionage, and Masculinity in British Fiction by : Susan L. Austin

Download or read book War, Espionage, and Masculinity in British Fiction written by Susan L. Austin and published by Vernon Press. This book was released on 2023-07-18 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'War, Espionage, and Masculinity in British Fiction' explores the masculinities represented in British works spanning more than a century. Studies of Rudyard Kipling's 'The Light That Failed' (1891) and Erskine Childer's 'The Riddle of the Sands' (1903) investigate masculinities from before World War I, at the height of the British Empire. A discussion of R.C. Sherriff's play 'Journey's End' takes readers to the battlefields of World War I, where duty and the harsh realities of modern warfare require men to perform, perhaps to die, perhaps to be unmanned by shellshock. From there we see how Dorothy Sayers developed the character of Peter Wimsey as a model of masculinity, both strong and successful despite his own shellshock in the years between the world wars. Graham Greene's The Heart of the Matter (1948) and The Quiet American (1955) show masculinities shaken and questioning their roles and their country's after neither world war ended all wars and the Empire rapidly lost ground. Two chapters on 'The Innocent' (1990), Ian McEwan's fictional account of a real collaboration between Great Britain and the United States to build a tunnel that would allow them to spy on the Soviet Union, dig deeply into the 1950's Cold War to examine the fictional masculinity of the British protagonist and the real world and fictional masculinities projected by the countries involved. Explorations of Ian Fleming's 'Casino Royale' (1953) and 'The Living Daylights' (1962) continue the Cold War theme. Discussion of the latter film shows a confident, infallible masculinity, optimistic at the prospect of glasnost and the potential end of Cold War hostilities. John le Carré's 'The Night Manager' (1993) and its television adaptation take espionage past the Cold War. The final chapter on Ian McEwan's 'Saturday' (2005) shows one man's reaction to 9/11.

Threatened Masculinity from British Fiction to Cold War German Cinema

Threatened Masculinity from British Fiction to Cold War German Cinema

Author: Joseph P. Willis

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-05-30

Total Pages: 211

ISBN-13: 1000011976

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The impact of the Cold War on German male identities can be seen in the nation’s cinematic search for a masculine paradigm that rejected the fate-centered value system of its National- Socialist past while also recognizing that German males once again had become victims of fate and fatalism, but now within the value system of the Soviet and American hegemonies that determined the fate of Cold War Germany and Central Europe. This monograph is the first to demonstrate that this Cold War cinematic search sought out a meaningful masculine paradigm through film adaptations of late-Victorian and Edwardian male writers who likewise sought a means of self-determination within a hegemonic structure that often left few opportunities for personal agency. In contrast to the scholarly practice of exploring categories of modern masculinity such as Victorian imperialist manliness or German Cold-War male identity as distinct from each other, this monograph offers an important, comparative corrective that brings forward an extremely influential century-long trajectory of threatened masculinity. For German Cold-War masculinity, lessons were to be learned from history—namely, from late-Victorian and Edwardian models of manliness. Cold War Germans, like the Victorians before them, had to confront the unknowns of a new world without fear or hesitation. In a Cold-War mentality where nuclear technology and geographic distance had trumped face-to-face confrontation between East and West, Cold-War German masculinity sought alternatives to the insanity of mutual nuclear destruction by choosing not just to confront threats, but to resolve threats directly through personal agency and self-determination.


Book Synopsis Threatened Masculinity from British Fiction to Cold War German Cinema by : Joseph P. Willis

Download or read book Threatened Masculinity from British Fiction to Cold War German Cinema written by Joseph P. Willis and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-05-30 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The impact of the Cold War on German male identities can be seen in the nation’s cinematic search for a masculine paradigm that rejected the fate-centered value system of its National- Socialist past while also recognizing that German males once again had become victims of fate and fatalism, but now within the value system of the Soviet and American hegemonies that determined the fate of Cold War Germany and Central Europe. This monograph is the first to demonstrate that this Cold War cinematic search sought out a meaningful masculine paradigm through film adaptations of late-Victorian and Edwardian male writers who likewise sought a means of self-determination within a hegemonic structure that often left few opportunities for personal agency. In contrast to the scholarly practice of exploring categories of modern masculinity such as Victorian imperialist manliness or German Cold-War male identity as distinct from each other, this monograph offers an important, comparative corrective that brings forward an extremely influential century-long trajectory of threatened masculinity. For German Cold-War masculinity, lessons were to be learned from history—namely, from late-Victorian and Edwardian models of manliness. Cold War Germans, like the Victorians before them, had to confront the unknowns of a new world without fear or hesitation. In a Cold-War mentality where nuclear technology and geographic distance had trumped face-to-face confrontation between East and West, Cold-War German masculinity sought alternatives to the insanity of mutual nuclear destruction by choosing not just to confront threats, but to resolve threats directly through personal agency and self-determination.

Masculinity in Fiction and Film

Masculinity in Fiction and Film

Author: Brian Baker

Publisher: A&C Black

Published: 2008-06-08

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 1847062628

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Covers wide range of popular British and American fiction and film including Westerns, spy fiction, science fiction and crime narratives.


Book Synopsis Masculinity in Fiction and Film by : Brian Baker

Download or read book Masculinity in Fiction and Film written by Brian Baker and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2008-06-08 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Covers wide range of popular British and American fiction and film including Westerns, spy fiction, science fiction and crime narratives.

Masculinities in British Adventure Fiction, 1880–1915

Masculinities in British Adventure Fiction, 1880–1915

Author: Joseph A. Kestner

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-05-06

Total Pages: 238

ISBN-13: 1317099966

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Making use of recent masculinity theories, Joseph A. Kestner sheds new light on Victorian and Edwardian adventure fiction. Beginning with works published in the 1880s, when writers like H. Rider Haggard took inspiration from the First Boer War and the Zulu War, Kestner engages tales involving initiation and rites of passage, experiences with the non-Western Other, colonial contexts, and sexual encounters. Canonical authors such as R.L. Stevenson, Rudyard Kipling, Joseph Conrad, and Olive Schreiner are examined alongside popular writers like A.E.W. Mason, W.H. Hudson and John Buchan, providing an expansive picture of the crisis of masculinity that pervades adventure texts during the period.


Book Synopsis Masculinities in British Adventure Fiction, 1880–1915 by : Joseph A. Kestner

Download or read book Masculinities in British Adventure Fiction, 1880–1915 written by Joseph A. Kestner and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-05-06 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Making use of recent masculinity theories, Joseph A. Kestner sheds new light on Victorian and Edwardian adventure fiction. Beginning with works published in the 1880s, when writers like H. Rider Haggard took inspiration from the First Boer War and the Zulu War, Kestner engages tales involving initiation and rites of passage, experiences with the non-Western Other, colonial contexts, and sexual encounters. Canonical authors such as R.L. Stevenson, Rudyard Kipling, Joseph Conrad, and Olive Schreiner are examined alongside popular writers like A.E.W. Mason, W.H. Hudson and John Buchan, providing an expansive picture of the crisis of masculinity that pervades adventure texts during the period.

The Double Agents

The Double Agents

Author: W.E.B. Griffin

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2007-06-26

Total Pages: 364

ISBN-13: 1101215275

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W.E.B. Griffin’s iconoclastic OSS heroes face an historic challenge in the brand-new volume of the New York Times-bestselling series. Critics and fans alike welcomed the return of the “shrewd, sharp, rousing” (Kirkus Reviews) Men at War series: “The Saboteurs is good entertainment and the fast-paced and exciting novel Griffin’s readers have come to expect. This is Griffin’s 36th novel and his son’s first; one wonders how prolific a force Griffin & Son will be!” (Library Journal) Now, Dick Canidy and colleagues in the Office of Strategic Services face an even greater task—to convince Hitler and the Axis powers that the invasion of the European continent will take place anywhere but on the beaches of Nazi-occupied France. “Wild Bill” Donovan’s men have several tactics in mind, but some of the people they must use are not the most reliable—are, in fact, most likely spying for both sides – so the deceptions require layer upon layer of intrigue, and all it will take is one slip to send the whole thing tumbling down like a house of cards. Are the OSS agents up to it? They certainly think so. And then the body is found floating off the coast of Spain. . . . Filled to the brim with action, character, and the deep understanding of the military heart and mind that have made Griffin’s books so outstanding, The Double Agents is irresistible storyteller from a master of the craft.


Book Synopsis The Double Agents by : W.E.B. Griffin

Download or read book The Double Agents written by W.E.B. Griffin and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2007-06-26 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: W.E.B. Griffin’s iconoclastic OSS heroes face an historic challenge in the brand-new volume of the New York Times-bestselling series. Critics and fans alike welcomed the return of the “shrewd, sharp, rousing” (Kirkus Reviews) Men at War series: “The Saboteurs is good entertainment and the fast-paced and exciting novel Griffin’s readers have come to expect. This is Griffin’s 36th novel and his son’s first; one wonders how prolific a force Griffin & Son will be!” (Library Journal) Now, Dick Canidy and colleagues in the Office of Strategic Services face an even greater task—to convince Hitler and the Axis powers that the invasion of the European continent will take place anywhere but on the beaches of Nazi-occupied France. “Wild Bill” Donovan’s men have several tactics in mind, but some of the people they must use are not the most reliable—are, in fact, most likely spying for both sides – so the deceptions require layer upon layer of intrigue, and all it will take is one slip to send the whole thing tumbling down like a house of cards. Are the OSS agents up to it? They certainly think so. And then the body is found floating off the coast of Spain. . . . Filled to the brim with action, character, and the deep understanding of the military heart and mind that have made Griffin’s books so outstanding, The Double Agents is irresistible storyteller from a master of the craft.

Second World War in Contemporary British Fiction

Second World War in Contemporary British Fiction

Author: Victoria Stewart

Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Published: 2011-07-01

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13: 0748647503

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Shows how central the Second World War still is to post-war writing. Focusing on the upsurge of interest in the Second World War in recent British novels, this monograph explores the ways in which secrecy and secret work - including code-breaking, espionage and special operations - have been approached in representations of the war. It considers established writers, including Muriel Spark, Sarah Waters and Kazuo Ishiguro, as well as newer voices, such as Liz Jensen and Peter Ho Davies. The examination of the after-effects of involvement in secret work, inter-generational secrets in a domestic context, political allegiance and sexuality shows how issues of loyalty, deception and betrayal are brought into focus in these novels.


Book Synopsis Second World War in Contemporary British Fiction by : Victoria Stewart

Download or read book Second World War in Contemporary British Fiction written by Victoria Stewart and published by Edinburgh University Press. This book was released on 2011-07-01 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shows how central the Second World War still is to post-war writing. Focusing on the upsurge of interest in the Second World War in recent British novels, this monograph explores the ways in which secrecy and secret work - including code-breaking, espionage and special operations - have been approached in representations of the war. It considers established writers, including Muriel Spark, Sarah Waters and Kazuo Ishiguro, as well as newer voices, such as Liz Jensen and Peter Ho Davies. The examination of the after-effects of involvement in secret work, inter-generational secrets in a domestic context, political allegiance and sexuality shows how issues of loyalty, deception and betrayal are brought into focus in these novels.

British Spy Fiction and the End of Empire

British Spy Fiction and the End of Empire

Author: Sam Goodman

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-06-05

Total Pages: 198

ISBN-13: 1317678958

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The position of spy fiction is largely synonymous in popular culture with ideas of patriotism and national security, with the spy himself indicative of the defence of British interests and the preservation of British power around the globe. This book reveals a more complicated side to these assumptions than typically perceived, arguing that the representation of space and power within spy fiction is more complex than commonly assumed. Instead of the British spy tirelessly maintaining the integrity of Empire, this volume illustrates how spy fiction contains disunities and disjunctions in its representation of space, and the relationship between the individual and the state in an era of declining British power. Focusing primarily on the work of Graham Greene, Ian Fleming, Len Deighton, and John le Carre, the volume brings a fresh methodological approach to the study of spy fiction and Cold War culture. It presents close textual analysis within a framework of spatial and sovereign theory as a means of examining the cultural impact of decolonization and the shifting geopolitics of the Cold War. Adopting a thematic approach to the analysis of space in spy fiction, the text explores the reciprocal process by which contextual history intersects with literature throughout the period in question, arguing that spy fiction is responsible for reflecting, strengthening and, in some cases, precipitating cultural anxieties over decolonization and the end of Empire. This study promises to be a welcome addition to the developing field of spy fiction criticism and popular culture studies. Both engaging and original in its approach, it will be important reading for students and academics engaged in the study of Cold War culture, popular literature, and the changing state of British identity over the course of the latter twentieth century.


Book Synopsis British Spy Fiction and the End of Empire by : Sam Goodman

Download or read book British Spy Fiction and the End of Empire written by Sam Goodman and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-06-05 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The position of spy fiction is largely synonymous in popular culture with ideas of patriotism and national security, with the spy himself indicative of the defence of British interests and the preservation of British power around the globe. This book reveals a more complicated side to these assumptions than typically perceived, arguing that the representation of space and power within spy fiction is more complex than commonly assumed. Instead of the British spy tirelessly maintaining the integrity of Empire, this volume illustrates how spy fiction contains disunities and disjunctions in its representation of space, and the relationship between the individual and the state in an era of declining British power. Focusing primarily on the work of Graham Greene, Ian Fleming, Len Deighton, and John le Carre, the volume brings a fresh methodological approach to the study of spy fiction and Cold War culture. It presents close textual analysis within a framework of spatial and sovereign theory as a means of examining the cultural impact of decolonization and the shifting geopolitics of the Cold War. Adopting a thematic approach to the analysis of space in spy fiction, the text explores the reciprocal process by which contextual history intersects with literature throughout the period in question, arguing that spy fiction is responsible for reflecting, strengthening and, in some cases, precipitating cultural anxieties over decolonization and the end of Empire. This study promises to be a welcome addition to the developing field of spy fiction criticism and popular culture studies. Both engaging and original in its approach, it will be important reading for students and academics engaged in the study of Cold War culture, popular literature, and the changing state of British identity over the course of the latter twentieth century.

Sexuality and Gender in Fictions of Espionage

Sexuality and Gender in Fictions of Espionage

Author: Ann Rea

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2023-12-28

Total Pages: 251

ISBN-13: 1350271381

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An exploration of how espionage narratives give access to cultural conceptions of gender and sexuality before and following the Second World War, this book moves away from masculinist assumptions of the genre to offer an integrative survey of the sexualities on display from important characters across spy fiction. Topics covered include how authors mocked the traditional spy genre; James Bond as a symbol of pervasive British Superiority still anxious about masculinity; how older female spies act as queer figures that disturb the masculine mythology of the secret agent; and how the clandestine lives of agents described ways to encode queer communities under threat from fascism. Covering texts such as the Bond novels, John Le Carré's oeuvre (and their notable adaptations) and works by Helen MacInnes, Christopher Isherwood and Mick Herron, Sexuality and Gender in Fictions of Espionage takes stock of spy fiction written by women, female protagonists written by men, and probes the representations of masculinity generated by male authors. Offering a counterpoint to a genre traditionally viewed as male-centric, Sexuality and Gender in Fictions of Espionage proposes a revision of masculinity, femininity, queer identities and gendered concepts such as domesticity, and relates them to notions of nationality and the defence work conducted at crucial moments in history.


Book Synopsis Sexuality and Gender in Fictions of Espionage by : Ann Rea

Download or read book Sexuality and Gender in Fictions of Espionage written by Ann Rea and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2023-12-28 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exploration of how espionage narratives give access to cultural conceptions of gender and sexuality before and following the Second World War, this book moves away from masculinist assumptions of the genre to offer an integrative survey of the sexualities on display from important characters across spy fiction. Topics covered include how authors mocked the traditional spy genre; James Bond as a symbol of pervasive British Superiority still anxious about masculinity; how older female spies act as queer figures that disturb the masculine mythology of the secret agent; and how the clandestine lives of agents described ways to encode queer communities under threat from fascism. Covering texts such as the Bond novels, John Le Carré's oeuvre (and their notable adaptations) and works by Helen MacInnes, Christopher Isherwood and Mick Herron, Sexuality and Gender in Fictions of Espionage takes stock of spy fiction written by women, female protagonists written by men, and probes the representations of masculinity generated by male authors. Offering a counterpoint to a genre traditionally viewed as male-centric, Sexuality and Gender in Fictions of Espionage proposes a revision of masculinity, femininity, queer identities and gendered concepts such as domesticity, and relates them to notions of nationality and the defence work conducted at crucial moments in history.

Spies of the First World War

Spies of the First World War

Author: James Morton

Publisher: National Archives UK

Published: 2010-05-17

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781905615469

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Best-selling author James Morton tells the story of organized espionage in Britain from spy fever early in the 20th century to the end of the First World War and the rise of air intelligence. He introduces us to a world of colorful characters and dark underhand dealing in which spies, male and female, driven by love, money, patriotism or a mix of all of them, struggled to survive. The first English officer spies are featured alongside their frequently flamboyant French, Belgium and German counterparts - from the hunchback dentist Wilhelm Klauer to the 'Grande (and lesser) horizontales' such as Mata Hari. So too are their controllers such as authors John Buchan and Somerset Maugham and men like Richard Tinsley who oversaw a network of some 2000 spies from Holland. As professionalism grew great successes emerged - not least the deciphering of the intercepted Zimmerman telegram - along with notable failures. Morton tackles both in a meticulously researched narrative that balances the history of espionage with the human stories of individuals and tales of heroism with cowardice, incompetence and betrayal.


Book Synopsis Spies of the First World War by : James Morton

Download or read book Spies of the First World War written by James Morton and published by National Archives UK. This book was released on 2010-05-17 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Best-selling author James Morton tells the story of organized espionage in Britain from spy fever early in the 20th century to the end of the First World War and the rise of air intelligence. He introduces us to a world of colorful characters and dark underhand dealing in which spies, male and female, driven by love, money, patriotism or a mix of all of them, struggled to survive. The first English officer spies are featured alongside their frequently flamboyant French, Belgium and German counterparts - from the hunchback dentist Wilhelm Klauer to the 'Grande (and lesser) horizontales' such as Mata Hari. So too are their controllers such as authors John Buchan and Somerset Maugham and men like Richard Tinsley who oversaw a network of some 2000 spies from Holland. As professionalism grew great successes emerged - not least the deciphering of the intercepted Zimmerman telegram - along with notable failures. Morton tackles both in a meticulously researched narrative that balances the history of espionage with the human stories of individuals and tales of heroism with cowardice, incompetence and betrayal.