Spooked

In recent years the subject of intelligence has well and truly come out of the shadows. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 and 7/7, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, debates about domestic surveillance, secret detention and rendition have all brought unprecedented notoriety and exposure to the work of the intelligence services. In a media world, both the limitations and abuses of intelligence have never been more visible. Faced with the threat of militant jihadism, public expectations of intelligence have greatly increased, as have calls for more transparency about combatting this new menace. These essays draw together Britain's leading intelligence historians to present a fresh and original study of British secrecy since 1945. A combination of synoptic works and empirical case studies, drawing on recently declassified archival materials, the essays touch upon several historiographical concerns: the advantages and disadvantages of greater openness; the accuracy of media reporting on secret services; the representation of intelligence in popular culture; and the use and misuse of intelligence in the so-called ‘War on Terror’. A focal point of this volume is the role of intelligence in imperial contexts, especially during the period of decolonisation. The contributors include Richard Aldrich, Christopher Andrew, Philip Davies, Anthony Glees, Rob Johnson, Philip Murphy and Calder Walton.