Ultimate Spy (expanded) - Hardcover

H. Keith Melton is a renowned historian and specialist in clandestine devices and equipment. He is recognized internationally as an authority on espionage tradecraft and has amassed an unparalleled collection of spy devices, books, and images of famous spies. Part of his amazing private collection is on permanent display inside the Central Intelligence Agency. He lives in Jupiter, Florida.

At once newly relevant in the age of Homeland Security, and eternally fascinating by the dint of its sneakiness, the espionage game find concise historical and taxonomical representation in this revised edition of the 1996 original, a picture book of spy tools through the ages. Proceeding from the Civil War to the Hanssen era, each page follows the same formula of coupling flat photographs of the implements of spying with bite-size descriptions running alongside. Among the gadgets profiled are the "induction telephone tap" (a device clamped to an external phone cable for difficult-to-detect tapping) and the "rectal tool kit" (a lozenge-shaped plastic case containing, among other things, a saw blade, grinding tool and drill bit, all packaged for discrete transport). An introduction by former Director of the CIA Helms lends a certain adult credibility to this photo-encyclopedia, but really it seems aimed at the inner child lurking in every war buff and Robert Ludlum-ite in business class. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --Publishers Weekly

Adult/High School-Significant events impacting the world of espionage have happened since the previous edition of this book (DK, 1996). Just within the past two years, the Hanssen case made headlines, and intense focus has been put on counterterrorist measures. These items and more are included here. Added to the material on spy history is a section on post-Cold War happenings, and gadget-philes will drool over the greatly expanded "Equipment and Techniques" section. Also, the identity of the inspiration for Ian Fleming's "Q" character in the James Bond novels is revealed in a neat little biography. Fans of the previous Ultimate Spy will be happy to see that the superb pictorial layout of the Enigma machine is still here along with step-by-step photos of how to operate it. The format remains the same: easy-to-digest text supplemented with an abundance of crisp, eye-catching photos. Detracting slightly from the book are a couple of captions that were complete in the earlier edition, but are missing the last sentence in this one. Still, this volume is a sure winner for reluctant readers, and even those libraries with the earlier version should consider adding this updated edition to their collections. Sheila Shoup, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --School Library Journal

Adult/High School-Significant events impacting the world of espionage have happened since the previous edition of this book (DK, 1996). Just within the past two years, the Hanssen case made headlines, and intense focus has been put on counterterrorist measures. These items and more are included here. Added to the material on spy history is a section on post-Cold War happenings, and gadget-philes will drool over the greatly expanded "Equipment and Techniques" section. Also, the identity of the inspiration for Ian Fleming's "Q" character in the James Bond novels is revealed in a neat little biography. Fans of the previous Ultimate Spy will be happy to see that the superb pictorial layout of the Enigma machine is still here along with step-by-step photos of how to operate it. The format remains the same: easy-to-digest text supplemented with an abundance of crisp, eye-catching photos. Detracting slightly from the book are a couple of captions that were complete in the earlier edition, but are missing the last sentence in this one. Still, this volume is a sure winner for reluctant readers, and even those libraries with the earlier version should consider adding this updated edition to their collections. --School Library Journal

Adult/High School-Significant events impacting the world of espionage have happened since the previous edition of this book (DK, 1996). Just within the past two years, the Hanssen case made headlines, and intense focus has been put on counterterrorist measures. These items and more are included here. Added to the material on spy history is a section on post-Cold War happenings, and gadget-philes will drool over the greatly expanded "Equipment and Techniques" section. Also, the identity of the inspiration for Ian Fleming's "Q" character in the James Bond novels is revealed in a neat little biography. Fans of the previous Ultimate Spy will be happy to see that the superb pictorial layout of the Enigma machine is still here along with step-by-step photos of how to operate it. The format remains the same: easy-to-digest text supplemented with an abundance of crisp, eye-catching photos. Detracting slightly from the book are a couple of captions that were complete in the earlier edition, but are missing the last sentence in this one. Still, this volume is a sure winner for reluctant readers, and even those libraries with the earlier version should consider adding this updated edition to their collections. Sheila Shoup, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --School Library Journal