The Secret War

The Secret War Treason, Espionage, and Modern Fiction

Paperback (30 Aug 2013)

Save $6.19

  • RRP $56.87
  • $50.68
Add to basket

Includes delivery to the United States

5 copies available online - Usually dispatched within 7-10 days

Publisher's Synopsis

The Secret War marks a new direction in the cultural history and theory of intelligence gathering and state secrecy in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. While historical truth remains hidden from the public, Eva Horn finds in political fiction, which serves as both an indicator and a tool, a means to analyse political secrets. Starting with a general theory of treason and military intelligence as a specific type of political knowledge, the book charts the history of intelligence gathering from 1900 to 9/11.

The Secret War analyses literary and cinematic depictions of espionage from Rudyard Kipling and T. E. Lawrence to John Le Carré and Steven Spielberg. Horn considers these fictional accounts against the historical development of Western secret services from their inception in World War I to their struggle against current terrorist networks. The Secret War shows the crucial part fictions play in shaping conflicts, constructing "the enemy," and deciding political strategies.

Book information

ISBN: 9780810127630
Publisher: Northwestern University Press
Imprint: Northwestern University Press
Pub date:
DEWEY: 809.304
DEWEY edition: 23
Language: English
Number of pages: x, 413
Weight: 570g
Height: 229mm
Width: 152mm
Spine width: 25mm