The Puppet Masters : Spies, Traitors and the Real Forces Behind World Events

by John Hughes-Wilson

John Hughes-Wilson is a recently retired Colonel in British military intelligence. He reveals how espionage networks are the hidden force behind major events. The Cold War spying game, as depicted by John Le Carre, has been going on for centuries. Almost every devious trick used by the KGB or the CIA would have been familiar to Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth I's intelligence chief. He trapped Mary Queen of Scots in a conspiracy that led to her a brilliant operation that involved breaking Spanish codes, torturing their spies and turning many into double-agents. His methods, and his conviction that 'the ends justify the means', have been shared by successful intelligence chiefs from Roman times to the present day. John argues that Military Intelligence - not prostitution - is the world's 'oldest profession', but the two often overlap. From the prostitute in Jericho who hid Joshua's spies to the infamous KGB 'honey traps' that ensnared CIA agents, politicians and businessmen, ladies of the night appear with salacious frequency in the story.Not that all of them are real the brilliant French agent at the court of Catherine the Great was a transvestite who eventually moved to London with enough compromising documents to blackmail half the princes in Europe. Secret intelligence networks were the secret of success for all the great statesmen and generals from Caesar and Genghis Khan to Cardinal Richelieu and George Washington. Napoleon's intelligence network was world famous, but the Duke of Wellington's system proved just as adept. With radio, telephone and email, the mechanics of espionage have been transformed and vast agencies spawned by the world wars and the cold war have now reinvented themselves for the 'war on terror'. John investigates the 'monumental intelligence failure' of 9/11 and describes the progress of the undercover war against Al Qaida.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Espionage, Politics

320 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2004

Reviews

[Phill Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took a course way back in my university daze called "Security and Intelligence" (insert oxymoron joke here). After the final lecture, I marched up to my professor and earnestly thanked him -- not because I was brown nosing, but because that was the best damn course in school. The Puppet Masters was not a textbook for that class, but it could have topped the reading list. This is not damning it with faint praise: Textbooks are stereotyped as dry and academic, while The Puppet Masters blew my mind. Read this book, leave your house, and play the James Bond theme in your head while ducking behind trees on your way to the grocery store. If the police stop you for suspicious behavior, tell them you are executing one critical mission for MI6, and assign the rozzers to clear stupid civilians from the area.

[William Hennessey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with the review by Sally W: an "interesting" book, but replete with structural errors. Either the typist -- or the editor... or both -- didn't proof-read the grammar sufficiently. Also: Harry Hopkins a KGB spy? C'mon! The author undoubtedly believes that anyone who supported Russia's WWII cooperation must have been a Red.

[Christopher Bowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

Although this was a bit dry in places in general it is a worthwhile read. The author has done his research well.

[Philip Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating stuff

Every now and again I delve into the non fiction world for a change. I enjoy spies/espionage tax and the book was as excellent as it was fascinating

[Mikee Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot to process lol.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a disturbing book. The best history of spying and espionage I have ever read. Donald Trump, if he ever bothered to read a book, might want to peruse this one. He might think twice about criticizing intelligence agencies.

[Sandra Strange · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow! If you have any interest at all in what makes history and in spies and conspiracies and intelligence gathering through the ages, this book is for you. Thesis: that the best generals only succeed through great Intelligence. You want the truth about Washington, Lincoln, Napoleon and Bismarck's success, about the Cold War, not to mention World Wars I and II? Read this book. The author grasps what is really interesting and adds his own (prejudiced, but entertaining) comments. Teachers of history, both American and World, ought to add the author's stories of the underside of history to their repertoires, because these telling details add interest and also balance and humanity to the sweep of cause and effect that makes up the events that shape our world.

[Sally-W · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book caught my attention because I really enjoy espionage fiction. I found it interesting but the more I read, the more dissatisfied I became with the number of errors.

I have to assume that whoever edited the Kindle version tired after a while and abandoned the project. There were repetitive sentences following one another that could have been cut, missing hyphens, missing prepositions, missing articles, poor grammar - eg. "was an SIS. officer", repeated phrases - "it was the it was the".

I tired, too, of reporting content error.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 5 out of 5]

A most fascinating, erudite and comprehensive account of the role of hidden influence, covert operations and a range of master manipulators of men and situations in history and statecraft down the ages. Seamlessly integrates theoretical aspects with examples and anecdotes galore to give a good feel of the subject and underplay that fact can definitely be much more strange and singular than the most lurid fiction...

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, just not brilliant. I enjoyed learning about the history of espionage, from Roman times to the present. I only rate it 3 stars as its doesn't tax the brain too much, but is a book I'd most certainly recommend, and read again some day.