How Spies Think: Ten Lessons in Intelligence

The Defence of the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5 by Christopher Andrew is a must-read for anyone interested in intelligence analysis and its long-term lessons. It provides an invaluable guide to avoiding self-deception and fake news and offers insights into the methodology used by British intelligence agencies to reach judgements, establish confidence, and act decisively.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 368 pages
Publication date: 01 July 2021
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Winner of the Neave Book Prize 2022
Longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing 2021




One of the finest books ever written on intelligence analysis and its enduring lessons is Christopher Andrew's The Defence of the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5.


An essential guide to avoiding self-deception and fake news, according to Melanie Phillips of The Times.


Learn the techniques British intelligence agencies employ to make decisions, establish the appropriate level of confidence, and take decisive action, with Professor Sir David Omand, the former director of GCHQ.


How Spies Think, Professor Omand's book, equips us with the skills to distinguish between fact and fiction and teaches us how to apply genuine intelligence in our daily lives.


It is a must-read for anyone interested in the world of espionage and intelligence analysis, filled with revealing examples from a storied career, including key briefings with Prime Ministers and strategies used in conflicts from the Cold War to the present.

Weight: 264g
Dimension: 134 x 197 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780241385197