Intelligence in War

Knowledge of the Enemy from Napoleon to Al-Qaeda

By: John Keegan

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

In fiction, the spy is a glamorous figure whose secrets make or break peace, but, historically, has intelligence really been a vital step to military victories? In this breakthrough study, the preeminent war historian John Keegan goes to the heart of a series of important conflicts to develop a powerful argument about military intelligence.

In his characteristically wry and perceptive prose, Keegan offers us nothing short of a new history of war through the prism of intelligence. He brings to life the split-second decisions that went into waging war before the benefit of aerial surveillance and electronic communications. The English admiral Horatio Nelson was hot on the heels of Napoleon’s fleet in the Mediterranean and never knew it, while Stonewall Jackson was able to compensate for the Confederacy’s disadvantage in firearms and manpower with detailed maps of the Appalachians. In the past century, espionage and decryption have changed the face of battle: the Japanese surprise attack at the Battle of the Midway was thwarted by an early warning. Timely information, however, is only the beginning of the surprising and disturbing aspects of decisions that are made in war, where brute force is often more critical.

Intelligence in War is a thought-provoking work that ranks among John Keegan’s finest achievements.©2003 John Keegan; (P)2003 Random House, Inc., Random House Audio, A Division Of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

“[Keegan] brings to the literature of war a deep affection for revealing details, and it’s clear that he loves to be surprised by what he learns. His pleasure animates the material for his readers.”
—National Post

“Keegan has not set out to debunk intelligence. Rather he has sought to place the clandestine underbelly of war in perspective, to wrest it from the popular imagination as some sort of entertaining shortcut to victory.”
—The New York Times

“Read Keegan’s Intelligence in War for its wonderful narration and genuine insights into the details of intelligence operations.”
—The Globe and Mail

So So

This was interesting subject matter my problem was I would have liked it not to cover so much British and WWII subject matter. It would have been better for me if it would have covered more of the earlier and latter time periods of its title.

Great stuff

Very entertaining and informative, especially if you're a history buff. Puts a different spin on famous historical events.

Great insight on the value of intelligence...

Very interesting historical perspective.

I happened to be listening to this book when UBL had been killed. It was quite interesting to see how things went down and how the intelligence was gathered, passed, read and acted upon. This book goes along books as The Art of War and The Prince.

Classic Keegan

This book contains a great deal of data that allows the reader to get into the head of the commander and understand the intelligence problem from that unique perspective. Keegan uses his vast knowledge of military history and military command to put into perspective what intelligence can and cannot do. This is not a spy novel but a serious and effective discussion of a very topical problem.

Great Book.

John Keagan is the best. What else can I say. From the time I read The Second World War, I have lived his work.