The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War

by Ben Macintyre

Richard Bromhead was one of those Englishmen who put a great deal of effort into appearing to be a lot more stupid than they really are. He was a formidable intelligence officer.

Espionage attracts more than its share of the damaged, the lonely and the plain weird.

Exploiting and manipulating that hunger for affection and affirmation is one of the most important skills of an agent-runner.

The problem with buttering up the boss is that bosses tend to move on, which can mean a lot of wasted butter.

In a craven and hierarchical organization, the only thing more dangerous than revealing your own ignorance is to draw attention to the stupidity of the boss.