Spies in History

Our fascination with spies, both real and fictional, seems endless. But when and where did the history of espionage begin, and how has the craft of spying evolved over the centuries? Spies in History is a collection of portraits featuring some of the most famous spies, as well as lesser-known and more surprising figures. Among them are Rahab, the Canaanite woman from the Bible who aided the Israelites before their assault on Jericho; Thomas Phelippes, a brilliant cryptanalyst and master handler of secret agents during the Elizabethan era; and Noël Coward, the renowned playwright and singer who used his celebrity status to influence American public and political opinion in support of Britain during World War II. In this volume, historians, scholars, and writers from around the world examine intelligence operations and espionage from the ancient world through the Cold War and into the era of Putin, Trump, and Xi Jinping.