The Puppet Masters: Spies, Traitors and the Real Forces Behind World Events (Cassell Military Paperbacks) Paperback – April 1, 2007

I liked the way the author took me through the history of the "Great Game" in a seamless was leaving much for thought at the end. Avery up to date book which includes reference to the latest atrocities committed by ISIS. Well written and researched. I thoroughly enjoyed this very informative book.

A very interesting overview of espionage through the ages

Contains some interesting history.

Intersting anecdotes, a potted history, many unknown aspects and facts, but not quite the rivetting read I expected

Great review, lots of historical very important footnotes. Eyeopener. Thanks!

Most interesting book on the subject I have read in years and a great read as well.

Very educational & entertaining all in the same way. Covers the behind-the-scene gathering of information, related to military confrontations, from the caveman to turn of the century.As the author quite clearly points out though, it is what/how the 'decision makers' do with the information provided as to whether actions resultant actions are successful. Further, the author insists that the reader note the amount of lives that may have been/can be saved during any form of conflict, if the information is both accurate and analysed professionally.Definitely recommend

The title of this book is, in my opinion, misleading. It is a much more thoughtful and insightful story than just a collection of yarns about "spies, traitors, and the real forces behind world events". And although John Hughes-Wilson is a Brit, he does not seem to embrace agent 007, James Bond! The author's easy, conversational style of writing describes the development and role of intelligence in the formulation of strategy and military tactics from Biblical times to the present. He covers great successes and monumental failures almost equally, and draws lessons from both. While there are anecdotes about strange and Machiavellian characters, seductive women, and bumbling amateurs, the underlying message is one of the importance of clear-thinking professionalism to the management of intelligence gathering, analysis, and interpretation. I was fascinated.

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.

This is exactly what you need to learn more about the world of espionage (and this is not just spying, as the author points out). John Hughes-Wilson describes all of the different ways in which intelligence shaped the world as we know it, and the curious lack of acknowledgement from military leaders for these efforts. He traces how intelligence was used in military campaigns ranging from the Old Testament to the Cold War, and then beyond. The tone of the book is informative and frequently broken up by humorous anecdotes. This is a great updated version which takes a look at the terrifying new battleground of intelligence versus terrorism.

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

Excellent account of the history of intelligence/spying

An excellent insight into political incompetence, corruption and missed chances. The greatest danger is always the human element. "Put not your faith in princess"