The National Archives: The Spy Toolkit

Spies claim that theirs is the second oldest profession. Secret agents across time have had the same key tasks: looking and listening, getting the information they need, and smuggling it back home. Over the course of human history, some amazingly complex and imaginative tools have been created to help those working under the cloak of supreme secrecy.

During World War II, British undercover agents were the heroes behind the scenes, playing a dangerous and sometimes deadly game--risking all to gather intelligence about their enemies. What did these agents have in their toolkits? What ingenious spy gadgets did they have up their sleeves? What devious tricks did they deploy to avoid detection? From the ingenious to the amusing, this highly visual book delves into espionage files that were long held top secret, revealing spycraft in action.

The National Archives at Kew is the repository of documents that record the history of the UK. Events revealed through these papers are both large and small, ranging from momentous political events to day to day happenings in the lives of ordinary individuals.

Written in an engaging style, showing some of the amusing sides of spying in World War II, from fake moustaches and wigs to some of the more drastic plastic surgery and dental work undergone by spies to fool their would-be captors.

Introduction
The Organization
The Agent
Training
Sabotage
Devices and Gadgets
Disguise
Deception
Touching Base
The Enemy
About this Book

The Spy Toolkit
Secret Agents
Sabotage: Explosive Devices
Booby Traps
Incendiary Devices
Disguise and Deception
Touching Base