John Hughes-Wilson is a former intelligence officer and is ideally placed to reveal the secret history of military intelligence. He takes us 'behind the scenes' of military and political events from Elizabeth I to Osama bin Laden and the crisis in the Middle East. The book is divided into three parts. The first investigates some famous disasters when lack of intelligence was the decisive factor, e.g. Gallipoli and Dieppe. The second examines some equally famous examples of good intelligence being overlooked or ignored, e.g. the 'bridge too far' battle of Arnhem. The last part goes behind the scenes of some famous successes, from the capture of Slobodan Milosevic to the defeat of IRA bombing campaigns and the arrest of a spy ring at the heart of NATO.

About the Author

John Hughes-Wilson is a former intelligence officer and the author of BLINDFOLD AND ALONE (with Cathryn Corns) and the best selling MILITARY INTELLIGENCE BLUNDERS. He broadcasts with David Dimbleby, presenting military events for the BBC and is a fellow of the RUSI and Churchill College, Cambridge.

Prizes

The real inside story by a genuine insider with unique access to intelligence documents Interviews with former spies and intelligence operatives who have never spoken in public before 'John Hughes-Wilson has a lively pen and an eye for a good anecdote...an enjoyable romp through world history' Sunday Telegraph 'A powerful book about what, even within living memory, used to be a taboo subject: the role of intelligence in warfare' M.R.D. Foot, Spectator 'Hughes-Wilson's balder statements are calculated to stimulate debate and get the heart racing, and in this objective he undoubtedly succeeds' RUSI Journal 'This is an excellent, well-researched thought-provoking book' Choice.