Book
The great game : the myth and reality of espionage / Frederick P. Hitz.
Record details
- ISBN: 0375412107 (hc)
- Physical Description: 211 p. : ill.
- Publisher: New York : Alfred A. Knopf, c2004.
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
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Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
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- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
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| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeshore Branch | 823.087209 Hitz | 31681001488766 | NONFIC | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
Compares figures from classic works of spy literature with counterintelligence and espionage agents, citing commonalities between fictional and true-life characters while analyzing the psychological and personal factors that motivate double agents. 30,000 first printing. - Random House, Inc.
In this fascinating analysis, Frederick Hitz, former inspector general of the Central Intelligence Agency, contrasts the writings of well-known authors of spy novelsâclassic and popularâwith real-life espionage cases. Drawing on personal experience both as a participant in âthe Great Gameâ and as the first presidentially appointed inspector general, Hitz shows the remarkable degree to which truth is stranger than fiction.
The vivid cast of characters includes real life spies Pyotr Popov and Oleg Penkovsky from Soviet military intelligence; Kim Philby, the infamous Soviet spy; Aldrich Ames, the most damaging CIA spy to American interests in the Cold War; and Duane Clarridge, a CIA career operations officer. They are held up against such legendary genre spies as Bill Haydon (le Carréâs mole in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy), Magnus Pym (in le Carréâs A Perfect Spy), Tom Rogers (in David Ignatiusâs Agents of Innocence), and Maurice Castle (in Graham Greeneâs The Human Factor).
As Hitz skillfully weaves examples from a wide range of espionage activitiesâfrom covert action to counterintelligence to classic agent operationsâwe see that the actual is often more compelling than the imaginary, and that real spy case histories present moral and other questions far more pointedly than fiction.
A lively account of espionage, spy tradecraft, and, most of all, the human dilemmas of betrayal, manipulation, and deceit.
