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This book was written in a period of transition. It looks at the changes to the intelligence services role and the threats to security that emerged following the end of the Cold War, but it was written before September 11th and the emergence of the war on terror. In many ways it is a defence of the intelligence services who at the time the book was written were facing cutbacks which would never be considered in the current climate.
It looks at the changing roll of all the UK intelligence services and their use against organised crime. The book is well written by Michael Smith, a former member of the British Army’s intelligence corps now turned journalist and is divided into chapters covering the following British intelligence organisations: MI5, MI6, GCHQ and Defence Intelligence
It also has chapters on Northern Ireland and New Threats. Although somewhat dated now and making little or no mention of the threat of Islamic terrorism it is an interesting view of what the future may have held if not for September 11th and serves as a reminder that security threats and intelligence operations still go on against other things than just the Islamic terrorist threat.Author: Michael Smith
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 336 pages
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Year: 1996