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  • Experts

Best Spy Books

Most Recommended Books

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

“In terms of how technology is working in our modern surveillance powers, it’s a terrifyingly prophetic book in some of its implications for 21st-century human life. Orwell would deny that it was prophecy; he said it was a warning. But in fact, distinguished Orwell scholar Professor Peter Davis once made a list of all the things that Orwell got right, and it was a couple of fairly long paragraphs, and it was really rather terrifying.”

D J Taylor,

Read more

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré

“I think it sets the standard for all spy literature. It’s very hard to improve on The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. It’s the classic le Carré recipe of compromised individuals trying to find their way through a labyrinth of deception and self-deception”

Ben Macintyre, Journalist

Read more

The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers

“It’s a ripping yarn, it’s just so exciting. I first read it when I was about ten, and I’ve re-read it periodically since and it combines two of the things that I love most.”

Ben Macintyre, Journalist

Read more

We have a range of interviews on espionage and spying, with book recommendations on the subject from journalists, academics, former intelligence officers as well writers of spy novels.

The academic Michael Goodman chooses his best books on the pioneers of intelligence gathering, focusing on the early years of the CIA and Britain’s MI6. Rory Cormac discusses the history and morality of covert actions.  One of his recommendations is Keith Jeffrey’s authorised history of MI6, MI6: The history of the Secret Intelligence Service 1909-1949.

Keith Jeffrey himself gives us his top books on the UK’s Secret Service, both history and fiction.  Ex-CIA officer, Robert Baer, offers his best books on espionage, and reflects on the ups and downs, pros and cons, of serving in the field.  Tim Weiner chooses books specifically on the US intelligence services and the journalist Edward Lucas chooses his best books on Putin and Russian history.

Veteran foreign correspondent Richard Beeston chooses his favourite books of spies, lies and foreign correspondents, focused on novels and history that deal with the mid-20th century, including The Master Spy by Philip Knightley, a biography of the British traitor and Soviet agent, Kim Philby.

Ben Macintyre offers his best choices on spies, including The Defence of the Realm: The authorised history of MI5 by Christopher Andrew. British spy fiction writer Charles Cumming also revealed his favourite books on espionage.

Four of our interviewees recommend books by John Le Carré: Ben Macintyre and Keith Jeffrey both recommend The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, Charles Cumming picked The Constant Gardener and Robert Baer chose Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Of recent books, Ben Macintyre's The Spy and the Traitor  was chosen as one of our best nonfiction books of 2018; it's a true story that reads like a thriller. Also, A Woman of No Importance, a biography of Virginia Hall, who became the Gestapo’s most wanted Allied spy, is one of our best biographies of 2020.

    The best books on Spies, recommended by Ben Macintyre

  • Read
    The best books on Spies - The Double-Cross System by J C Masterman

    1

    The Double-Cross System
    by J C Masterman

  • Read
    The best books on Spies - The Defence of the Realm by Christopher Andrew

    2

    The Defence of the Realm
    by Christopher Andrew

  • Read
    The best books on Spies - The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré

    3

    The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
    by John le Carré

  • Read
    The best books on Spies - The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers

    4

    The Riddle of the Sands
    by Erskine Childers

  • Read
    The best books on Spies - Casino Royale by Ian Fleming

    5

    Casino Royale
    by Ian Fleming

The best books on Spies, recommended by Ben Macintyre

The British public-school system, with its hidden homosexuality and feelings of loneliness, encouraged subterfuge and led to a generation of great spy writers and spies, suggests author and journalist Ben Macintyre. He picks the best books on spies.

    The best books on The Secret Service, recommended by Keith Jeffery

  • Read
    The best books on The Secret Service - The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers

    1

    The Riddle of the Sands
    by Erskine Childers

  • Read
    The best books on The Secret Service - Greek Memories by Compton Mackenzie

    2

    Greek Memories
    by Compton Mackenzie

  • Read
    The best books on The Secret Service - From Russia With Love by Ian Fleming

    3

    From Russia With Love
    by Ian Fleming

  • Read
    The best books on The Secret Service - The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré

    4

    The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
    by John le Carré

  • Read
    The best books on The Secret Service - Secret Service by Christopher Andrew

    5

    Secret Service
    by Christopher Andrew

The best books on The Secret Service, recommended by Keith Jeffery

The author of the only authorized history of MI6, Keith Jeffery, tells us about the evolution of the secret intelligence services, their representation in fiction, and the man Fleming may have had in mind when he created James Bond

    The best books on Covert Action, recommended by Rory Cormac

  • Read
    The best books on Covert Action - Covert Action: Central Intelligence Agency and the Limits of American Intervention in the Post-War World by Gregory Treverton

    1

    Covert Action: Central Intelligence Agency and the Limits of American Intervention in the Post-War World
    by Gregory Treverton

  • Read
    The best books on Covert Action - Executive Secrets: Covert Action and the Presidency by William J Daugherty

    2

    Executive Secrets: Covert Action and the Presidency
    by William J Daugherty

  • Read
    The best books on Covert Action - MI6: The History of the Secret Intelligence Service 1909-1949 by Keith Jeffery

    3

    MI6: The History of the Secret Intelligence Service 1909-1949
    by Keith Jeffery

  • Read
    The best books on Covert Action - The Mitrokhin Archive: The KGB in Europe and the West by Christopher Andrew & Vasili Mitrokhin

    4

    The Mitrokhin Archive: The KGB in Europe and the West
    by Christopher Andrew & Vasili Mitrokhin

  • Read
    The best books on Covert Action - Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations by Ronen Bergman

    5

    Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations
    by Ronen Bergman

The best books on Covert Action, recommended by Rory Cormac

Many of us live in democracies and believe in government transparency, but the truth is our leaders have considerable scope to engage in secret operations overseas. Rory Cormac talks us through five books on ‘covert action,’ and some of the countries that have embraced it as a policy tool.

    The best books on Spies, Lies and Foreign Correspondents, recommended by Richard Beeston

  • Read
    The best books on Spies - Scoop by Evelyn Waugh

    1

    Scoop
    by Evelyn Waugh

  • Read
    The best books on Spies - Eastern Approaches by Fitzroy Maclean

    2

    Eastern Approaches
    by Fitzroy Maclean

  • Read
    The best books on Spies - Battle for the Bundu: the First World War in East Africa by Charles Miller

    3

    Battle for the Bundu: the First World War in East Africa
    by Charles Miller

  • Read
    The best books on Spies - The Balkan Trilogy by Olivia Manning

    4

    The Balkan Trilogy
    by Olivia Manning

  • Read
    The best books on Spies - The Master Spy by Phillip Knightley

    5

    The Master Spy
    by Phillip Knightley

The best books on Spies, Lies and Foreign Correspondents, recommended by Richard Beeston

The former foreign correspondent takes us on a gloriously anecdotal ramble through the history of war reporting, espionage and journalistic half-truths, and recalls his encounters and friendship with “the third man” Kim Philby

    The best books on Espionage, recommended by Robert Baer

  • Read
    The best books on Espionage - Black Mass by John Gray

    1

    Black Mass
    by John Gray

  • Read
    The best books on Espionage - Travels into Bokhara by Alexander Burnes

    2

    Travels into Bokhara
    by Alexander Burnes

  • Read
    The best books on Espionage - The Insurrection in Mesopotamia by Aylmer Haldane

    3

    The Insurrection in Mesopotamia
    by Aylmer Haldane

  • Read
    The best books on Espionage - The Tartar Steppe by Dinno Buzzati

    4

    The Tartar Steppe
    by Dinno Buzzati

  • Read
    The best books on Espionage - Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré

    5

    Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
    by John le Carré

The best books on Espionage, recommended by Robert Baer

The former CIA operative lifts the lid on the reality of spying. He says the intelligence service knew there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq before the war, but politicians and reporters didn’t listen

    The best books on Putin and Russian History, recommended by Edward Lucas

  • Read
    The best books on Putin and Russian History - It Was a Long Time Ago, and It Never Happened Anyway by David Satter

    1

    It Was a Long Time Ago, and It Never Happened Anyway
    by David Satter

  • Read
    The best books on Putin and Russian History - Internal Colonization by Alexander Etkind

    2

    Internal Colonization
    by Alexander Etkind

  • Read
    The best books on Putin and Russian History - The Man Without a Face by Masha Gessen

    3

    The Man Without a Face
    by Masha Gessen

  • Read
    The best books on Putin and Russian History - Molotov’s Magic Lantern by Rachel Polonsky

    4

    Molotov’s Magic Lantern
    by Rachel Polonsky

  • Read
    The best books on Putin and Russian History - Let Our Fame Be Great: Journeys Among the Defiant People of the Caucasus by Oliver Bullough

    5

    Let Our Fame Be Great: Journeys Among the Defiant People of the Caucasus
    by Oliver Bullough

The best books on Putin and Russian History, recommended by Edward Lucas

Journalist and author Edward Lucas gives an excoriating critique of Putinism and explains how Russia’s amoral present is rooted in a failure to come to terms with its past.

    The best books on The US Intelligence Services, recommended by Tim Weiner

  • Read
    The best books on The US Intelligence Services - The Art of War by Sun Zi (also written in English as Sun Tzu)

    1

    The Art of War
    by Sun Zi (also written in English as Sun Tzu)

  • Read
    The best books on The US Intelligence Services - The Invisible Government by David Wise and Thomas B Ross

    2

    The Invisible Government
    by David Wise and Thomas B Ross

  • Read
    The best books on The US Intelligence Services - From the Shadows by Robert M Gates

    3

    From the Shadows
    by Robert M Gates

  • Read
    The best books on The US Intelligence Services - The March of Folly by Barbara W Tuchman

    4

    The March of Folly
    by Barbara W Tuchman

  • Read
    The best books on The US Intelligence Services - Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

    5

    Nineteen Eighty-Four
    by George Orwell

The best books on The US Intelligence Services, recommended by Tim Weiner

The job of the intelligence services is to understand others and help leaders act more wisely, says the author of a new history of the FBI. There’s a balance to be struck between liberty and security but when the CIA and FBI do not harmonise their intelligence missions, people die.

    The best books on Cybersecurity, recommended by Misha Glenny

  • Read
    The best books on Cybersecurity - Cyber War by Richard A Clarke and Robert Knake

    1

    Cyber War
    by Richard A Clarke and Robert Knake

  • Read
    The best books on Cybersecurity - The Future of the Internet by Jonathan Zittrain

    2

    The Future of the Internet
    by Jonathan Zittrain

  • Read
    The best books on Cybersecurity - The Net Delusion by Evgeny Morozov

    3

    The Net Delusion
    by Evgeny Morozov

  • Read
    The best books on Cybersecurity - Fatal System Error by Joseph Menn

    4

    Fatal System Error
    by Joseph Menn

  • Read
    The best books on Cybersecurity - Kingpin by Kevin Poulsen

    5

    Kingpin
    by Kevin Poulsen

The best books on Cybersecurity, recommended by Misha Glenny

There’s an unseen, mostly unacknowledged cyber war going on. British journalist Misha Glenny, author of Dark Market, tells us who’s involved, how far it spreads and what could happen if we let it continue unchecked. He picks the best books to get a better handle on cybersecurity.

    The best books on Global Security, recommended by Chris Abbott

  • Read
    The best books on Global Security - Losing Control: Global Security in the Twenty-First Century by Paul Rogers

    1

    Losing Control: Global Security in the Twenty-First Century
    by Paul Rogers

  • Read
    The best books on Global Security - Blair's Wars by John Kampfner

    2

    Blair's Wars
    by John Kampfner

  • Read
    The best books on Global Security - All the Shah’s Men by Stephen Kinzer

    3

    All the Shah’s Men
    by Stephen Kinzer

  • Read
    The best books on Global Security - Al-Qaeda: The True Story of Radical Islam by Jason Burke

    4

    Al-Qaeda: The True Story of Radical Islam
    by Jason Burke

  • Read
    The best books on Global Security - Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

    5

    Nineteen Eighty-Four
    by George Orwell

The best books on Global Security, recommended by Chris Abbott

Global security consultant says sending armed forces into another country based on purely moral, gut feelings of good and evil is a dangerous policy-making premise. He chooses books on Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and Al Qaeda

    The best books on Pioneers of Intelligence Gathering, recommended by Michael Goodman

  • Read
    The best books on Pioneers of Intelligence Gathering - The Very Best Men by Evan Thomas

    1

    The Very Best Men
    by Evan Thomas

  • Read
    The best books on Pioneers of Intelligence Gathering - Wilderness of Mirrors by David C Martin

    2

    Wilderness of Mirrors
    by David C Martin

  • Read
    The best books on Pioneers of Intelligence Gathering - Flawed Patriot by Bayard Stockton

    3

    Flawed Patriot
    by Bayard Stockton

  • Read
    The best books on Pioneers of Intelligence Gathering - Most Secret War by R V Jones

    4

    Most Secret War
    by R V Jones

  • Read
    The best books on Pioneers of Intelligence Gathering - The Quest for C by Alan Judd

    5

    The Quest for C
    by Alan Judd

The best books on Pioneers of Intelligence Gathering, recommended by Michael Goodman

The senior lecturer in the Department of War Studies, King’s College London, chooses books on the real pioneers of British and American espionage – flawed men who saved lives and made a difference.

    The best books on Espionage, recommended by Charles Cumming

  • Read
    The best books on Espionage - The Perfect English Spy by Tom Bower

    1

    The Perfect English Spy
    by Tom Bower

  • Read
    The best books on Espionage - Their Trade is Treachery by Chapman Pincher

    2

    Their Trade is Treachery
    by Chapman Pincher

  • Read
    The best books on Espionage - A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler

    3

    A Coffin for Dimitrios
    by Eric Ambler

  • Read
    The best books on Espionage - The Constant Gardener by John le Carré

    4

    The Constant Gardener
    by John le Carré

  • Read
    The best books on Espionage - sex, lies and videotape by Steven Soderbergh

    5

    sex, lies and videotape
    by Steven Soderbergh

The best books on Espionage, recommended by Charles Cumming

Leading British spy writer Charles Cumming found his vocation at 25 after he was approached by MI6. He says that experience, brief but interesting, was crying out to be dramatised

About

We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

This site has an archive of more than one thousand interviews, or five thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.

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