From Berlin to the Congo, from Moscow to the back streets of London, these are the true stories of the agents on the front lines of British intelligence. And the truth is sometimes more remarkable than the spy novels of Ian Fleming or John le Carré. Gordon Corera provides a unique and unprecedented insight into this secret world and the reality that lies behind the fiction. He tells the story of how the secret service has changed since the end of the World War II and, by focusing on the real people and the relationships that lie at the heart of espionage, illustrates the danger, the drama, the intrigue, and the moral ambiguities that come with working for British intelligence.

-- A river full of crocodiles : murder in the Congo -- Moscow rules -- The wilderness of mirrors -- Compromising situations -- Escape from Moscow -- The Afghan plains -- Out of the shadows -- In the bunker