bout de papier, Vol. 21, No. 2 (2005) — Spring 2005 // Printemps 2005, pp. 26–27
SPY, A HANDBOOK, by Harry
Ferguson, London: Bloomsbury, 2004,
268 pp, index. $12.99.
Notwithstanding the name of this book, Spy contains insights which may be of interest to those practicing the ancient art of diplomacy. Diplomacy is increasingly about information. Information is power – or, at least, it often provides a strategic advantage. Similarly, when reporting on events in a foreign country a critical objective is often to attain insight about national motivation. An “edge” in discussions/negotiations often comes from an understanding of the other side’s goals, limitations and strategy.
In intelligence, as in diplomacy, a key goal is to understand what makes the host country “tick.” This has become of greater importance in the past half century as we are dealing with an increasing number of nations which do not share closely linked socio-cultural perspectives.
This book was prepared as an accompanying text for the BBC television series Spy. Although produced as part of the marketing strategy for the series, Spy contains a great deal of insightful information into the training of people involved in intelligence work. Some of this training, or at least some considerations to think about, can be of value to diplomats as well.
The book recounts what it takes to be a spy and opens with short but decent descriptions of the requisite skills: resourcefulness, observation skills, nerve, empathy, and discretion. Nothing radically different, so far, from skills needed for your average diplomat.
One of the strengths of the book, to this reviewer, was the source development segments. Don’t be fooled by “spy speak”. Source development can be nothing more complex than the routine work of diplomats, developing contacts who are available to answer questions or provide insights on issues in support of preparing diplomatic reports. When read in this context, the book presents insights into the motivations of persons who can be helpful. More importantly, the book provides a good description of the psychological considerations used in elicitations (getting contacts to tell you things), where a fine line is maintained between encouragement and passivity, as well as an understanding of body language and its impact on communications. The book, however, falls short by providing insufficient insights into the impact of differing cultures on communications and developing contacts.
The book is a quick read – many photographs from the TV series increase the number of pages. A quick scan by those practicing the art of diplomacy can open up new approaches to the job. One need not read the book for its intelligence insights but, rather, for what it tells the reader about meeting people and having them tell you things which help you understand a foreign country and a foreign environment.
For those wanting to read the book for insights into the grey and murky world of intelligence, Spy provides a snapshot of the sort of training associated with intelligence. Much of this type of information is also available in other publications. What makes this book unique is that it attempts to tie a curriculum for the training of intelligence operatives with the real-life experience of eight persons of both sexes and widely differing ages, who are selected from more than 5,000 persons who answered queries placed innocuously in the media and on business cards placed in pubs. The book records the training of the selected candidates as well as their experiences in carrying out some of the practice modules. Those carrying out the training have the appropriate backgrounds in SIS, CIA, and other organizations and have constructed a sensible curriculum for the mock induction of the eight selected persons into the world of spy tradecraft.
The training program is well conceived and one commiserates with the poor students; they are provided only brief insights into different skill requirements before being sent out to demonstrate to what extent they have mastered the details, as well as to test their ingenuity and native affinity for intelligence-related work. Some of the exercises have comic results as when one student is on a “stake-out” during which he keeps his vehicle’s heater running (it’s cold) only to deplete the battery and have to telephone the Automobile Association (British CAA) for assistance when required to start the engine and follow the “suspect.” Less comic results would have resulted if the student had acted in a similar fashion in more hostile environments.
The book also provides a short summary of intelligence and what its many activities include, such as the types of intelligence which are collected (SIGINT, HUMINT, MASINT, etc.). Anecdotes enliven the text to make a topic which can be dry more easily digestible. The book provides quick snapshots of the skill sets of persons working in intelligence, whether related to security, foreign intelligence or the more technical trades. For those looking for insight into what might be contained in a training program for prospective “spies” the book is short, informative and quite interesting.
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Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 21, No. 2 (2005) — Spring 2005 // Printemps 2005, pp. 26–27. Read the rest of this issue →
