Few professions comprise such an eclectic mix of personalities as that of intelligence.The characteristics required to thrive as a spy - ideological conviction, ego, the ability to manipulate, deceive and remain cold - have created some of the most compelling and enduring figures in history.

In The Intelligent Spy's Handbook, Robin Renwick provides an overview of the biggest names in the world of espionage, with a wonderful eye for the details that bring each of them to life. We hear, for instance, of how Kim Philby, to have fun at the expense of his colleagues, kept a photograph in his office of Mount Ararat - taken from the Soviet side.

We see how the audacious, far-fetched ideas of the naval officer Ian Fleming, aside from creating the most famous of all spies, may have actually inspired the real-life Operation Mincemeat. And the darker side of some of our more heroic stories is exposed, from the chemical castration of Alan Turing to the personal sacrifices Oleg Gordievsky made to become Britain's most successful Soviet mole. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a first-time reader, this book is the perfect primer on the best-known individuals in the history of intelligence.