What are the five British espionage history books every spy fan should read?
In this Dead Drop 5 episode, Shane Whaley welcomes intelligence historian Dr Dan Lomas of the University of Nottingham for a deep dive into the real world behind espionage fiction.
Rather than choosing spy novels for Dead Drop 5, Dan selects five essential non-fiction intelligence books covering the birth of MI6, Cold War tradecraft, official histories, memoirs, and much more.
(We love chatting with Intelligence historians. Please drop us a line if you would like to be featured in an upcoming Dead Drop 5.)
Along the way, Shane and Dan discuss The Sandbaggers, Le Bureau, The International Spy Museum, Peter Wright's Spycatcher, SIS memoirs, the strange overlap between spy fact and spy fiction, and why intelligence history is a serious and growing academic field.
Watch Dr Dan Lomas Share His Favourite Spy History Books on The Spybrary YouTube channel.
Dr Dan Lomas is an Assistant Professor in International Relations. He is a specialist in the UK intelligence community throughout the Twentieth Century to the modern day, and has published extensively on intelligence and security-related issues. He has previously published on UK security vetting and government reviews of the UK intelligence community, including MI5, MI6 and GCHQ.
The Dead Drop 5 is back! In this much-requested Spybrary feature, our guest is sent undercover and can request five spy books, a gadget, luxury items and more from their handler.
Dr Dan Lomas’s five book picks were:
Michael Smith — The Spying Game: The Secret History of British Espionage
Keith Jeffery — MI6: The History of the Secret Intelligence Service 1909–1949
Alan Judd — The Quest for C: Mansfield Cumming and the Founding of the British Secret Service
Anthony Cavendish — Inside Intelligence
Mark Urban — UK Eyes Alpha: The Inside Story of British Intelligence
Dan also shared which spy he would call on to exfiltrate him, as well as what luxury item he would insist upon and more. Read below.
Follow Dr Dan Lomas on X.
In true Spybrary Dead Drop 5 fashion, Dr Dan Lomas goes undercover and requests five spy books to keep him company behind enemy lines. His picks are wonderfully eclectic, passionately argued, and guaranteed to expand our reading list!
The Dead Drop 5 Extras
Music: There is a Light That Never Goes Out – by The Smiths
Drink: Gin, not fussed about brand.
Luxury Item: Drum kit.
Exfiltration Contact: TR16
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The Dead Drop 5 is back! In this much-requested Spybrary feature, our guest is sent undercover and can request five spy books, a gadget, luxury items and more from their handle
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Join us on the Spy Book Podcast, Spybrary, and discover the thrilling world of spy books in our exclusive series, ‘Dead Drop 5'.
Want to chat best spy books with fellow spy novel readers? Join us in our online Spybary community today!
Best Spy Books and Dead Drops…what is this series exactly?
This riveting series is a crowd favorite, but be warned, your bank balance may take a hit based on these spy book recommendations. In these episodes, our brave podcast guests are dispatched on a clandestine mission behind the Iron Curtain, where danger lurks at every shadowy corner.
But fear not, they won't embark on this perilous journey unequipped.
Our intrepid agents can request five spy novels to be stashed in the dead drop.
But that's not all.
Beyond these spy books, our guests are granted a selection of diverse items, each carefully curated to make their mission more manageable, perhaps even a touch more comfortable.
Join host Shane Whaley as he interviews spy thriller readers about their upcoming mission and the five books they would like to take.
Get ready to dive into ‘Dead Drop 5', only on Spybrary, but be warned this series could seriously damage your bank account!
Listen to previous Dead Drop 5 best spy books episodes
