Nigel West, a renowned expert who writes extensively about British intelligence, reveals in this book the operations of Britain’s overseas intelligence gathering organisation, Secret Intelligence Service (SIS)/MI6, from its origins in 1909 to the end of the Second World War.
Books
MHM Book of the Year 2020 – Winners Announced!
The ballots have been cast, the votes have been counted, and we are delighted to announce the winners of the MHM Book Awards.
REVIEW – The Elite: the story of special forces – from Ancient Sparta to the War on Terror
Fiennes had picked his moment well. Ever since the dramatic Iranian Embassy Siege of 1980, the press, and to some degree the public, have been obsessed by the idea of special forces.
REVIEW – Keenie Meenie: the British mercenaries who got away with war crimes
But there is a clear difference between soldiers who fight for their own national army – or, it may be, their own tribe or religion or ideology – and those prepared to fight for anyone willing to pay.
REVIEW – A short history of the American Civil War
Anderson, an American history professor who has taught about the war for 20 years – ‘a Southerner teaching in South Carolina’, he tells us – has written a different sort of book.
REVIEW – Leadership in War: lessons from those who made history
Roberts begins with a personal hero, Napoleon Bonaparte. There seemed to be an array of qualities that made the general great, including meticulous planning, steady nerves, superb timing, good speeches, and respect for the men who served under him.
REVIEW – The Long Shadow of Waterloo: myths, memories, and debates
The Battle of Waterloo is intrinsically linked to the Duke of Wellington and Napoleon, the towering military figures of the early 19th century.
REVIEW – Chastise: the Dambusters story, 1943
Max Hastings, noted historian and journalist, is a titanic force in British history, with 27 books to his name – many of which cover conflict. In Chastise, he brings his expertise on warfare to bear on this critical episode in WWII history.
REVIEW – The song of Simon de Montfort: England’s first revolution and the death of chivalry
Simon de Montfort was a colossus in English affairs during the 13th century, as this biography skilfully explains. What is revealed is a man who was shaped by the mores of his times.
REVIEW – Retreat from Moscow: a new history of Germany’s winter campaign, 1941 – 1942
David Stahel’s latest book, Retreat from Moscow: a new history of Germany’s winter campaign, 1941-1942, is here to add vital nuance to discussion of the German Army in this crucial phase of the war. Over the last decade, his works on the Eastern Front have led the way in scholarly reassessment of Operation Barbarossa in 1941, demonstrating how Germany’s failure to decisively defeat the Red Army was a disaster, and left them in a highly vulnerable position for the winter of 1941-1942.
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