Intelligence, Security and the State

Reviewing the British Intelligence Community

Christopher J Murphy editor Daniel WB Lomas editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Edinburgh University Press

Publishing:30th Sep '26

£24.99

This title is due to be published on 30th September, and will be despatched as soon as possible.

This paperback is available in another edition too:

Intelligence, Security and the State cover

The modern-day UK intelligence and security community is the product of over a century of reviews going back to Edwardian spy scares, through two World Wars, and a Cold War. Written by intelligence experts, Intelligence, Security and the State provides an insight into the development of UK intelligence through a selection of the many intelligence reviews that have taken place during this period. How and why these reviews were commissioned and their impact, if any, is analysed in detail. The reviews cover the origins and early development of the community, alongside the political, operational, and financial oversight of British intelligence. Each of the declassified reviews, reproduced here for the first time, are introduced by short essays giving a wider understanding of the UK intelligence community. The book offers a detailed insight into the machinery of government in the UK and British intelligence as a whole.

'Lomas and Murphy’s volume is a groundbreaking study of how the British state created, reshaped and oversaw the structure and work of its secret agencies over the past 125 years. It tells a story previously untold and one which neither intelligence agencies nor their masters understand fully. It is an essential read for anyone interested in intelligence history.' -- John R. Ferris, University of Calgary, Canada

ISBN: 9781399519267

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

440 pages