The Shinobi Hiden: Insights into the Secrets of Ninjutsu
Hand-drawn historic illustration of a ninja from circa 1770 (Meiwa era). The Shinobi Hiden or Legends of Ninja Secrets, also known as the Ninpiden, is a significant historical text in…
Adolf Tolkachev: The Billion Dollar Spy
Adolf Tolkachev Adolf Georgiyevich Tolkachev, born on January 6, 1927, in Aktyubinsk, Aktobe Region, Kazakh SSR, USSR, was Soviet electronics engineer who played a pivotal role in the Cold War.…
The Devil’s Brigade: The First Special Service Force
Personnel of the FSSF being briefed prior to setting out on a patrol, Anzio beachhead, Italy. The First Special Service Force (FSSF), also known as the “Devil’s Brigade” or as…
From Russia with Secrets: The Mitrokhin Archive
The Lubyanka building (former KGB headquarters) in Moscow. Credit: A. Savin / CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED. The “Mitrokhin Archive” is a vast collection of handwritten notes, primary sources, and official…
Allen Dulles: The Spy Who Captured an Army
From left to right: CIA Director Allen Dulles with CIA Counter-insurgency expert Colonel Edward Lansdale, U.S Air Force Chief of Staff General Nathan F. Twining, and CIA Deputy Director Lieutenant…
The Bansenshūkai: Ninja Tactics & Philosophy of Espionage
Bansenshukai. The Bansenshukai contains a collection of knowledge from the clans in the Iga and Kōga regions. They were devoted to ninja training. Credit: Motokoka / CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED.…
Skybound: The CIA’s Pioneering Role in the Evolution of HALO
U.S. Navy SEALS conducting HALO training. U.S. Navy photo (Released). The 1960s marked a significant era in the history of military operations, with the formal development and widespread adoption of…
Shadows of the Empire: Espionage in Ancient Rome
The Roman Forum, the political, economic, cultural, and religious center of the city during the Republic and later Empire. Credit: Saiko / CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED. Cropped. Espionage played a…
SOE’s Daring Kidnap: German General Kreipe
Members of the Kreipe abduction team (from l. to r.): Georgios Tyrakis, William Stanley Moss, Patrick Leigh Fermor, Emmanouil Paterakis, and Antonios Papaleonidas. The two British SOE officers are in…
Wandering Warriors: The Rōnin of Japan
Scan from an original woodblock print by Shikazaki Ryuu circa 1890. Depicts the true tale of the revenge of the 47 Rōnin. During the feudal era of Japan (1185–1868 AD),…