For many, espionage is surrounded with an aura of glamour supplied by images from the media. This book aims to correct this impression by revealing the welter of corruption and ineptitude that surrounds most intelligence operations. Among the episodes examined are the escape of George Blake, the 15-year spying career of Geoffrey Prime, and the mysterious murder of Hilda Murrell, an anti-nuclear protestor. The author argues that most espionage is entirely useless and the organizations' record cannot justify their abuse of civil liberties.