Longlisted for theOrwell Prize for Political Writing2021
From the former director of GCHQ,learn the methodology used by the British intelligence agencies to reach judgements,establish the right level of confidence and act decisively.Intelligence officers discern the truth. They gather information - often contradictory or incomplete - and,with it,they build the most accurate possible image of the world. With the stakes at their absolute highest,they must then decide what to do.In everyday life,you are faced with contradictory,incomplete information,too. Reading the news on social media,figuring out the next step in your career,or trying to discover if gossip about a friend is legitimate,you are building an image of the world and making decisions about it.Looking through the eyes of one of Britain's most senior ex-intelligence officers,Professor Sir David Omand,How Spies Thinkshows how the big decisions in your life will be easier to make when you apply the same frameworks used by British intelligence. Full of revealing examples from his storied career,including key briefings with Prime Ministers from Thatcher to Blair,and conflicts from the Falklands to Afghanistan,Professor Omand arms us with the tools to sort fact from fiction,and shows us how to use real intelligence every day.
Publisher: Penguin Books LtdISBN: 9780241385197Number of pages: 368Weight: 255 gDimensions: 198 x 129 x 22 mm
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'One of the best books ever written about intelligence analysis and its long-term lessons. Brilliant,lucid and thought-provoking'- Christopher Andrew,author ofThe Defence of the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5
'An invaluable guide to avoiding self-deception and fake news...unlocking the secrets of spycraft tells us something darkly important about ourselves. A sane antidote to some of the bewildering insanities of the age'- Melanie Phillips,The Times'This is nothing less than the new manual for analytical thought. What does it take to think clearly and maintain an open mind in the face of confusion David Omand's book onHow Spies Thinkprepares us for the the challenges of the 21st century'- Richard Aldrich,author ofGCHQ
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