Spies, and spooks, and agents, oh, my! Spycraft: Essentials by Piper Bayard and Jay Holmes has the title right. This book is for anyone who writes about spies, loves the history of American intelligence agencies and spycraft, or anyone who enjoys a good and educational read.
Clear definitions give the reader the background she needs to understand American politics as it relates to the spy business. Explanations of the distinctions between American agencies clarify a lot. And there are fascinating examples of events and people in the business.
The sections addressed to writers and how one can use the information included in the book are idea-sparking. Who knew that being color-blind would keep a spook from being good at planting bugs?
What makes the book a sheer delight for me is the humor hits. Piper and Jay have rapier wits and use their humor in unexpected places. “Let’s say someone at the CIA identifies Schmucky Putavich in Bananastan as a person of interest.” There were many times while reading that a chortle escaped me.
This is a book you can sit down and read front to back, or choose a specific topic and only read those sections. Whatever way you read it, I’m certain you’ll learn and enjoy learning. On a scale of 1-5, I give this book a 5.
Piper Bayard is a recovering attorney and an author. Her co-author, Jay Holmes, is a former field intelligence operative currently a senior member of the intelligence community. They know whereof they speak.
Get a copy of Spycraft: Essentials by Bayard and Holmes. It’s available on Amazon now. You won’t regret it!
Please note: I received an Advance Readers’ Copy of Spycraft for free without obligation. But, this is a book I will also buy because it’s a book I want and need on my bookshelf. I wish I’d had this book before I started writing my novel, My Soul to Keep. But I’m glad I’ll have it while writing the next books in the series.