Surveillance, counter surveillance, dead drops… all of that jazz.
I'm currently reading The Spy and The Traitor by Ben Macintyre.. it's the closest book to what I'm interested in.
Suggest me more below (preferable if it has an audiobook version).
by Swedish_dish7
7 Comments
I would recommend any novel by John le Carré, but I guess you’re not really looking for novels
Maybe [Agent Zigzag](https://bookshop.org/p/books/agent-zigzag-a-true-story-of-nazi-espionage-love-and-betrayal-ben-macintyre/8731708), by Ben Macintyre as well
**Story of a Secret State**, by Jan Karski. Reads like a spy novel, dead true.
The author was a courier for the Armia Krajowa – the Polish “home army”, as opposed to exiles fighting abroad. As part of his resistance work, he was given a unique job to do.
His job would be to travel all over Poland, and act as a witness to everything he could. He observes the Resistance press, secret schools for Polish children (Poles were kicked out of education under the occupation), the Warsaw ghetto (he’s smuggled in, and then back out again with information from the people inside), at one point he smuggles himself into a death camp to see that part of the process, he sees weapons smuggling and explosives training…
Karski was supposed to witness everything…and then he was supposed to leave, take everything he’d learned and get the fuck out. The information he’d gathered was supposed to go to the Allies – to Britain, to America, to literally anyone, anywhere, who might help Poland fight.
So he gets out, and then he sits down and starts writing everything down. [This book](https://www.amazon.com.au/Story-Secret-State-Report-World/dp/1626160317) was his report.
Bear in mind this was published in 1944. For him in text, it’s all still happening and **the war is not over yet.**
See No Evil is an oldie but a goodie.
Check out by all means available by Michael Vickers. He ran the Afghan campaign for the company back in the 80s before going on to becoming undersecretary of defense under Obama (and having a big role in planning the Bin Laden raid). Dude lived an interesting life, and I wouldn’t be surprised if President Harris appoints him director of CIA next year
I’ve just finished Tiger Trap: America’s Secret Spy War with China by David Wise last week, I think it’s really close to what you’re searching for. I’ve found the book to be really interesting, the author speaks about the differences between Chinese and American espionage as well as the cultural background of these practices. Wise gave a really detailed recounting of a dozen FBI operations, all designed to dismantle Chinese espionage. He used interviews and government documents to support his claims, and the writing style makes it easy to get into the text (at least that was the case for me). On the whole I think it’s worth a read.
Check out the books by Tony mendez. He was the cia disguises guy who was very active on the ground. Crazy stories. I don’t remember which I liked best. Check out all three and see what interests you most.
Cry of the Eagle
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTY1WL6D](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTY1WL6D)