Aproape totul despre: Serviciile secrete ale lumii

Silviu Leahu looks at spy work and its past worldwide. He covers MI6, the CIA, KGB, Mossad and Guoanbu. He also looks at Romania’s Securitatea. This nonfiction book contrasts real spies with those in books and films.

The book traces spying back to the ancient world. It draws on the Bible, the Iliad and hieroglyphs. It also uses De bello gallico. It then shows how spy fiction shaped modern views. James Bond drew in part on people Ian Fleming knew. On screen, Bond spends time in casinos and finds romance. Real agents lead lives that differ from his.

Over the past century, spies gathered facts about enemy states. At times, what they found changed the course of wars. Leahu looks at the darker side of these spy services, too. Under totalitarian rule, the state holds all power. Spy services could serve as a cover for political police. They carried out grave abuses and attacked human rights. They used the need to keep the nation safe as an excuse. Romania’s Securitatea brings this theme close to home.