Book description
The Second Oldest Profession: The Spy as Bureaucrat, Patriot, Fantasist and Whore is a comprehensive and controversial history of espionage in our times.
The first permanent intelligence agency was created in 1909, and within a few years all the great powers had similar agencies. Concentrating on Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States, the book reveals why these services are not worth the enormous sums they cost, are not effective in predicting enemy actions, and cause more trouble than they prevent.
It includes anecdotes of failed operations, and questions the official versions of such famous operations as Ultra, Magic, and the XX Committee. An updated paperback edition is available in the UK. Chosen as Book of the Month Club Alternative choice, 1986.
