The Hidden Hand: Britain, America and Cold War Secret Intelligence

by Richard J. Aldrich

America and Britain have long enjoyed what leaders in both countries have deemed a "special relationship." Their closeness has long been cemented, Richard Aldrich writes, by shared intelligence--"the hidden hand" of his title, even if their intelligence communities have sometimes been at odds and worked to different purposes. In the postwar era, writes University of Nottingham professor of politics Aldrich, American intelligence was aided immeasurably by Britain, which had had considerable experience in keeping tabs on Russian agents for decades, thanks to the long-played "great game" in Central Asia. One successful joint enterprise took place in Iran, threatened by Soviet invasion after World War even with a few missteps, joint American-British efforts led to victory in a battle largely fought through propaganda, even if that battle gave America strategic advantage in the Persian Gulf region at Britain's expense. Other joint efforts were less successful, including the cynical abandonment of the Hungarian rebels of 1956, and relations between the two powers were often strained by competing interests, such as those made evident by the Suez crisis. Despite errors of judgment, spy scandals, interagency and international competition, and other blights on the record, Aldrich observes that "Cold War intelligence was neither fruitless nor a zero-sum game, and its most substantial benefits might be measured through inaction"--that is, the fact that the war stayed for the most part cold. Aldrich considers the whole range of operations in this detailed account, which will be of considerable interest to students of cold war history. --Gregory McNamee

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Espionage

Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A weighty tome! And an impressive level of detail. Richard Aldrich writes in an accessible style, though the thematic structure can make it awkward to follow at times.

Aldrich challenges many of the myths that have grown around the intelligence relationship and the Cold War, especially around the role of actual spies, such as the British traitor Kim Philby. Both British and American archives are extensively drawn upon here to provide a complete a picture as can be provided from both sides. The special relationship is one that is based firmly around intelligence, and this is an important addition to its history.

Despite the length, recommended for anyone who is interested in a greater understanding of the foundations of the special relationship and Cold War intelligence.

[Peter Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a doorstep of a book, and I did have to return to it after its sheer size and thus time commitment needed meant I got distracted elsewhere first time around. However it is packed with all the detail (in particular a vast cast list of participants in “Hidden Hand” activity or policy) a serious scholar of the subject would want.

But hey it’s three long decades since I was research student in this field, so thankfully it is also packed with jaw dropping anecdotes, and fresh insights into supposedly familiar history that keep the dilettante history reader, that I know I now am, both entertained and better informed.

From the prurient detail of how defecating soviet soldiers provided accidental intelligence, through filling gaps in my knowledge about conflicts that I never realised that the UK were active in (such as Indonesia), to yet even more frightening detail on nuclear armed cock ups on the fringes of the Cuban missile crisis this book is full of gems and it will keep you going for a very long time.......

[Larry Gundy]

Did not finish. Needed to do summer things.