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The Great Game: The Myths and Reality of Espionage

by Frederick P. Hitz

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Espionage fact measured against spy fiction

$16.54 USD
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Paperback New English

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AlbakiReads Editorial

Espionage fact measured against spy fiction

Frederick P. Hitz uses his three decades with the CIA, including service as its inspector general, to set familiar spy-novel conventions beside documented intelligence work. Organized around subjects such as tradecraft, recruitment, institutional bureaucracy, and betrayal, the book compares fictional figures associated with John le Carré, Tom Clancy, and Joseph Conrad with cases involving Kim Philby and Aldrich Ames. The comparison foregrounds the practical systems and human dilemmas that shape espionage, while also examining how popular fiction frames the profession. It offers a nonfiction lens on intelligence history through the gap between invented spies and real cases.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in the history and practice of espionage
  • Fans of spy fiction curious about its relationship to intelligence work
  • Readers seeking CIA-insider perspectives on famous intelligence cases

Themes

Espionage and intelligence historySpy fiction versus realityTradecraft and recruitmentBureaucracy and betrayalEthical dilemmas

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Book overview

In this riveting insider's account, a former inspector general of the CIA compares actual espionage cases and practices with classic and popular spy fiction, showing that the real world of espionage is nearly always stranger and more complicated than even the best spy fiction.Exploring everything from tradecraft and recruitment to bureaucracy and betrayal, The Great Game contrasts fictional spies created by such authors as John Le Carr?, Tom Clancy and Joseph Conrad with their real-life counterparts from Kim Philby to Aldrich Ames. Drawing on his thirty year career with the CIA, Frederick P. Hitz shows that even the most imaginative authors fail to capture the profound human dilemmas raised by real-life cases. Engaging and insightful, The Great Gameshines a fascinating light on the veiled history of intelligence.
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