Secrets of the Khan: Intelligence and Espionage in the Mongol Conquests
Mongol warrior. Genghis Khan: The Exhibition. Photo by William Cho / CC BY-SA 2.0. The Mongol Empire, founded by Genghis Khan in 1206, was the largest contiguous land empire in…
The Strategic Genius of Trần Hưng Đạo: Lessons from History
The three watercolor paintings by Đoàn Thành Lộc depict Saint Trần (Grand Prince Hưng Đạo) and his six generals. Photo by Rio Lam / CC BY-SA 4.0. Trần Hưng Đạo,…
The Evolution of James Bond: From Fleming’s Novels to Modern Adaptations
Bronze bust of the author Ian Fleming by the British sculptor Anthony Smith. Commissioned by the Fleming family to commemorate the centenary of Ian Fleming’s birth in 2008. Photo: Fortheloveofknowledge…
Best of/Interesting Escape and Evasion Intelligence/Spies Tactics Weaponizing the Behavioral Sciences
Building Better Intelligence: The Essential Role of Critical Thinking
“The Thinker in The Gates of Hell” at the Musée Rodin. Photo by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra / CC BY 2.0. Critical thinking is a fundamental skill in the intelligence cycle, which…
The Role of Intelligence and Deception in Ancient Greece
Menelaus and Meriones lifting Patroclus’ corpse on a cart while Odysseus looks on, Etruscan alabaster urn from Volterra, Italy, 2nd century BC Between 1500 B.C. and 1200 B.C., Greece was…
John T. Downey: The CIA Officer Who Was America’s Longest Held POW
John T. Downey (left) and Richard Fecteau at CIA headquarters in 2013. November 17, 2024, marks the 10th anniversary of the passing of former CIA officer John Thomas Downey, often…
The Norwegian Milorg: A Pillar of Resistance in WWII
Milorg resistance fighters marching after the handover of Akershus Fortress to the resistance movement by the Germans in May 1945. The Norwegian Milorg, short for “Militær Organisasjon” (Military Organization), was…
The Crucial Role of Intelligence in Winning the Cold War
Remains of the “Iron Curtain” in the Czech Republic, 2014. Photo by Marcin Szala / CC BY-SA 3.0. The Cold War, spanning from the end of World War II in…
Turning the Tide: OSS Double-Agent Operations in World War II
The OSS Memorial situated on the south wall of the OSS Memorial situated on the south wall of the Original Headquarters Building lobby, Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency photo.…
JFK Special Warfare Museum: A Tribute to Army Special Operations Forces
Soldiers from each of the Army’s seven Special Forces Groups at the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy in November 2011. U.S. Army photo by SFC Jeremy D. Crisp /…