A history of intelligence from its classical origins to the onset of the surveillance state in the digital age. "A groundbreaking history of intelligence--from its origins in the ancient world to the onset of the surveillance state in the digital age--that lifts the veil of secrecy from this clandestine world. Dramatic and authoritative, The Secret State skillfully examines the potential pitfalls of the traditional intelligence cycle; the dangerous uncertainties of spies and human intelligence; how the Cold War became an electronic intelligence war; the technological revolution that began with the use of reconnaissance photography in World War I; the legacy of Stalin's deliberate ignoring of vital intelligence; how signals intelligence gave America one of its greatest victories; how Wikileaks really happened; and whether 9/11 could have been avoided if America's post-Cold War intelligence agencies had adapted to the new world of international terrorism. Drawing on a variety of sources, ranging from eyewitness accounts to his own personal experience, Colonel John Hughes-Wilson examines everything from undercover agents to photographic reconnaissance to today's much-misunderstood cyberwarfare. In this definitive history of espionage, Hughes-Wilson searches for hard answers and scrutinizes why crucial intelligence is so often ignored, misunderstood, or spun by politicians in season generals alike. From yesterday's spies to tomorrow's cyber world, The Secret State is a fascinating and thought-provoking history of this ever-changing and ever-important subject."--Jacket.