I liked Streetwise Spycraft – US link/ UK link more than I expected as the cover design did not fill me with confidence. It is a small short paperback with some pretty lame graphics. BUT the text itself is great and in not many pages at all you learn a lot of very useful stuff. Useful for what? Useful in enabling me to be even sneakier than I already am.

Spies are all around us and have recently gotten back into the news with these lame Russians. In theory they are the ultimate survivors and their knowledge and skill sets have been carefully passed down through word of mouth and governmental training. Streetwise Spycraft – US link/ UK link shows you what spies do and how they do it. Handling agents, encoding messages, tracking, escape & evasion and surveillance are all skills covered lightly but effectively. The author, Barry Davies, joined the British Army in 1962 and four years later he volunteered for the SAS. He remained with what is one of the world’s most feared regiments for 18 years, during which time he was involved in skirmishes around the globe. He was instrumental in helping resolve the Mogadishu hijack situation in Germany, and was awarded the BEM. On leaving the SAS, Barry turned his talents to improving anti-terrorist equipment. He continues to advise, consult and lecture on all aspects of intelligence and terrorism. He has written several books and is often seen on television. He lives in Spain.