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Review
His analysis is shrewd, his judgement sound...(the book's) strength is to present stories of the secret service's successes and failures within the political and strategic context of the times. (Adam Sisman SUNDAY TIMES )
THE ART OF BETRAYAL tells the history of MI6 in the words of real spies (Mail on Sunday )
A refreshing...(and) compelling read **** (Christopher Sylvester DAILY EXPRESS )
Corera, the BBC's security correspondent, has enjoyed privileged access to key spy players from the past few decades and, writing in an engaging style, he picks up the story of the MI6 at the point where the "official" history grinds to a halt after the Second World War. (Annie Machon SUNDAY EXPRESS )
As a good journalist and a reader of spy novels, Corera presents his material as fast-paced stories, from the covert diplomacy of the Cold War to recent and current security concerns in Afghanistan and the Middle East, and he humanises the grand dramas of a duplicitous trade. (Iain Finlayson THE TIMES )
Highly readable and well-researched account of the Service...Let's hope the current generation of spooks has learnt from past mistakes. (Con Coughlin DAILY TELEGRAPH )
Corera provides a unique insight into how British intelligence has changed since the Second World War and how our spymasters reacted to major crises such as the September 11 attacks and the Iraq war. A fascinating read. (Hanna Tavne THE PEOPLE )
Superb new history of British intelligence (Matthew D'ancona EVENING STANDARD )
The best post-1949 account of British intelligence I have read...this is as good as it gets. And it's a good read. (Alan Judd THE SPECTATOR )
This book will intrigue anyone with a taste for adventure and an interest in the moral dilemmas of loyalty and disloyalty. (Sir John Ure COUNTRY LIFE )
THE ART OF BETRAYAL tells the history of MI6 in the words of real spies (Mail on Sunday )
A refreshing...(and) compelling read **** (Christopher Sylvester DAILY EXPRESS )
Corera, the BBC's security correspondent, has enjoyed privileged access to key spy players from the past few decades and, writing in an engaging style, he picks up the story of the MI6 at the point where the "official" history grinds to a halt after the Second World War. (Annie Machon SUNDAY EXPRESS )
As a good journalist and a reader of spy novels, Corera presents his material as fast-paced stories, from the covert diplomacy of the Cold War to recent and current security concerns in Afghanistan and the Middle East, and he humanises the grand dramas of a duplicitous trade. (Iain Finlayson THE TIMES )
Highly readable and well-researched account of the Service...Let's hope the current generation of spooks has learnt from past mistakes. (Con Coughlin DAILY TELEGRAPH )
Corera provides a unique insight into how British intelligence has changed since the Second World War and how our spymasters reacted to major crises such as the September 11 attacks and the Iraq war. A fascinating read. (Hanna Tavne THE PEOPLE )
Superb new history of British intelligence (Matthew D'ancona EVENING STANDARD )
The best post-1949 account of British intelligence I have read...this is as good as it gets. And it's a good read. (Alan Judd THE SPECTATOR )
This book will intrigue anyone with a taste for adventure and an interest in the moral dilemmas of loyalty and disloyalty. (Sir John Ure COUNTRY LIFE )
Book Description
The secret history of MI6 - from the Cold War to the present day.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a fascinating book written with great verve and aplomb. The history of the Secret Intelligence Service - MI6 as it is familiarly known today - has been charted by many, but few have possessed Corera's narrative style. Particularly enthralling are the sections about the 1950s and early 1960s, when Soviet moles seemed to be emerging with regularity and the KGB appeared all too often to be winning the intelligence war. But the story of perhaps MI6's greatest success from that era - that of the defector Oleg Penkovsky - is the most compelling of all, with Corera recreating with real authenticity the tense, taut discussion (interrogation) between MI6 (and the CIA) and Penkovsky in Room 360 of London's Mount Royal Hotel.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Fascinating - a really good look at MI6, full of info and surprises. Paints MI6 as a strange mix of the heroic and macho world of Ian Fleming's James Bond, and the secretive and dangerous world of le Carré. It's thought provoking and relates to events still very fresh - and possibly raw - in Britons' minds, such as Blair's decision to invade Iraq; however it also brings back memories of the Cold War and really emphasises how little we knew about what was actually going on (that hasn't changed, it seems). Really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it - a superb read.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this book much more than the previous reviewer.
It may not be an academic tome and may contain little that's new to a specialist audience but I suspect that's not the target market anyway. For a general reader like me it was accessible, well-researched and fluidly written.
I always value Gordon Corera's analysis of security issues on BBC News and have enjoyed his Radio 4 documentaries. This book was equally rewarding.
It may not be an academic tome and may contain little that's new to a specialist audience but I suspect that's not the target market anyway. For a general reader like me it was accessible, well-researched and fluidly written.
I always value Gordon Corera's analysis of security issues on BBC News and have enjoyed his Radio 4 documentaries. This book was equally rewarding.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Not a Lot New
Firstly an excellent read if you have read no other intelligence books before. But, it is only the last two chapters that give up anything relatively new, though most of that is in... Read more
Published 3 months ago by P. Waller
This Is Intelligence Speaking
Gordon Corera has written a book which will become an indispensible tool for anyone interested in the role the secret service has played in the advancement of British foreign... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Neutral
MI6 past its sell by date ?
I love a good spy story whether fictional or historical. This is a good summary of MI6's more recent history, though if you have read up on this topic some of the content will be... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Gary B
An engaging, well-researched, thoroughly readable account of the world...
BBC Security Correspondent, Gordon Corera`s new book, The Art of Betrayal - Life and Death in the British Secret Service covers ground that will be familiar to all students of the... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mark Meynell
Accessibly written summary but with some flaws
The positives about this book are that it's very readable, has some entertaining anecdotes and, for anyone who is completely new to the subject, it provides a breezy overview of... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Rimbaud
Revealing and relevant
Easy to read and entertaining, gives a revealing picture of the real people and personalities involved in the secret service of the decades. Read more
Published 9 months ago by M Tedd
The 'Censored' Story
Disappointing. One always looks forward to new material on MI6 but one will look in vain here for any revelations. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Stephen Dorril
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