The Second Oldest Profession: Spies and Spying in the Twentieth Century - Phillip Knightley

Spies are fascinating creatures, aren’t they? Well, I’ve always thought so. From the wild excesses of the Bond films to the miserable old men of John Le Carré’s novels, I’ve always had a lot of time for spy fiction. The reality, of course, is harder to get a grasp of, as spies are, by their very nature, extremely secretive. This book, The Second Oldest Profession, advertises itself as a history of spying in the Twentieth Century, and on the whole it doesn’t disappoint. The author, Phillip Knightly, doesn’t actually believe that spies are much good at all; indeed, he goes so far as to claim ... more