Sublime
An inspiration engine for ideas
The Establishment was officially called SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) though old hands in SOE invariably referred to the rival organisation as ‘C’ (its Chief’s code name), and its speciality was thwarting SOE. C had been running the British Secret Service (with emphasis on the Secret) since 1911 and were appalled when SOE received a mandate
... See moreLeo Marks • Between Silk and Cyanide
Jahn took over from Mundt as head of facilities, and Mundt himself got the plum—deputy director of operations—at the age of forty-one.
John le Carré • The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
Lancelot frowns. ‘We’re not going to the Department?’ ‘Ah, no,’ says Marlowe. He clears his throat. ‘As I said, there have been one or two changes.’ ‘Such as?’ ‘Well, the whole sector’s been privatised. Musty old intelligence agencies broken up and sold to US private equity firms. That sort of thing. The services previously provided by the
... See moreThomas D. Lee • Perilous Times
Samson Syndrome. It was the spy’s equivalent of the mid-life crisis. The most famous case was the MI5 officer Michael Bettaney who was convicted of spying for the KGB in the eighties. The cause? Not buying a train ticket. Because he was caught fare-dodging, Bettaney knew he would fail his next security review; failing the review would lead to his
... See moreMatthew Richardson • The Scarlet Papers: The Times Thriller of the Year 2023
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
John Yorke • Into The Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them
The Abwehr intelligence service employed two kinds of cipher. German secret agents in the field were given simple systems you could work out with pencil and paper (sometimes called manual or hand ciphers) to scramble the messages they sent by wireless to their controllers. These were the twigs and branches of secret communications. The ‘ham radio’
... See moreNicholas Rankin • Ian Fleming's Commandos
“Who’s Mr. Ironside?” Leamas asked. “I don’t think he exists,” she replied. “He’s her big gun when she’s stuck for an answer. I asked her once who he was. She went all shifty and mysterious, and said ‘Never mind.’ I don’t think he exists.” “I’m not sure Miss Crail does,” said Leamas and Liz Gold smiled.
John le Carré • The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
He has black eyebrows and black hair on the back of his hands.
Harold Pinter • The Short Plays of Harold Pinter
It might make things easier if he went down to London again and found Marlowe. Report in, like a good soldier. But he swore he wouldn’t work for Marlowe again. Not after Malaya.