Historical Dictionary of Sexspionage

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Overview

In a surprising number of espionage cases sex has played a significant role—often only in the background—possibly as a reason why a particular individual has lived beyond his means and is in desperate need of cash. FBI agent Earl Pitts sold secrets to the Soviets to ease his financial burdens, which came from his habitually heavy use of male and female prostitutes. Yuri Nosenko collaborated with the CIA after having misappropriated KGB funds to entertain expensive women while on official duties in Geneva, and ...
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Historical Dictionary of Sexspionage

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More About This Book

Overview

In a surprising number of espionage cases sex has played a significant role—often only in the background—possibly as a reason why a particular individual has lived beyond his means and is in desperate need of cash. FBI agent Earl Pitts sold secrets to the Soviets to ease his financial burdens, which came from his habitually heavy use of male and female prostitutes. Yuri Nosenko collaborated with the CIA after having misappropriated KGB funds to entertain expensive women while on official duties in Geneva, and Aleksandr Ogorodnik of the Soviet foreign ministry was persuaded to become a spy by his pregnant Spanish lover, an agent recruited by the CIA. In the realm of human behavior, sex can be the catalyst for risky or reckless conduct. The Historical Dictionary of Sexspionage explores this behavior through a chronology, an introduction, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on the secret agencies, operations, and events. From Delilah's seduction of Samson in 1161 BC to State Department official Donald Keyser's conviction of passing secrets to Isabelle Cheng, a Taiwanese intelligence officer, in 2007, Nigel West recounts the history of sexspionage.
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Editorial Reviews

American Reference Books Annual
The entries are...well written and entertaining. Obviously this volume will be very useful to students and writers undertaking projects involving the specific topic of sex in relation to espionage.
Booklist
This would be a good source for academic and large public libraries, for both scholars and general readers.
Feminist Collections
West, whose specialization is British intelligence history and whose extensive writing experience and global interests are evident in the breadth and depth of the entries, sums up the motivations, techniques, and results of sexspionage in each case history. Rather than relying on tired stereotypes of "type A" men having midlife crises, lonely spinsters, lovelorn secretaries, or isolated bachelors, he delves into complexities of character to explain events.
Feminist Collections: A Quarterly Of Women's Studies Resources
West, whose specialization is British intelligence history and whose extensive writing experience and global interests are evident in the breadth and depth of the entries, sums up the motivations, techniques, and results of sexspionage in each case history. Rather than relying on tired stereotypes of "type A" men having midlife crises, lonely spinsters, lovelorn secretaries, or isolated bachelors, he delves into complexities of character to explain events.
American Reference Books Annual (ARBA)
The entries are...well written and entertaining. Obviously this volume will be very useful to students and writers undertaking projects involving the specific topic of sex in relation to espionage.
Feminist Collections: A Quarterly Of Women's Studies Resources
West, whose specialization is British intelligence history and whose extensive writing experience and global interests are evident in the breadth and depth of the entries, sums up the motivations, techniques, and results of sexspionage in each case history. Rather than relying on tired stereotypes of "type A" men having midlife crises, lonely spinsters, lovelorn secretaries, or isolated bachelors, he delves into complexities of character to explain events.
Library Journal

Anyone interested in spies will know the name Nigel West. Currently the European editor of the International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence, West is also the author of several Scarecrow books on espionage, including Historical Dictionary of British Intelligence and Historical Dictionary of International Intelligence. As we learn from this resource, sex has played a significant role in a surprising number of espionage cases. For example, FBI agent Earl Pitts sold secrets to the Soviets to ease his financial burdens, which came from his habitually heavy use of male and female prostitutes. Yuri Nosenko collaborated with the CIA after having misappropriated KGB funds to entertain expensive women while on official duties in Geneva, and Aleksandr Ogorodnik of the Soviet foreign ministry was persuaded to become a spy by his pregnant Spanish lover, an agent recruited by the CIA. You will also find here details of Delilah's seduction of Samson in 1161 B.C.E.; John F. Kennedy and his lover, Mary Meyer; and much more.
—Al Vara

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Product Details

Meet the Author

Nigel West is currently the European editor of the International Journal of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence and teaches the history of postwar intelligence at the Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies in Alexandria, VA. He is the author of many books, including the Historical Dictionary of British Intelligence (Scarecrow Press, 2005), Historical Dictionary of International Intelligence (Scarecrow Press, 2006), and Historical Dictionary of Cold War Counterintelligence (Scarecrow Press, 2007). In October 2003 he was awarded the U.S. Association of Former Intelligence Officers' first Lifetime Literature Achievement Award.
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