viii•EDITOR’S FOREWORD
while the introduction puts things in context. The bibliography should
not be forgotten, certainly not in this sort of book, because that is where
readers can find clues to the constantly increasing literature on what is
one of the most fascinating of fields. Admittedly, thisHistorical Dic-
tionary of British Intelligencecannot be read like a novel, but that does
not really matter since there are so many of those around. It does some-
thing far more important: it provides rather quick and direct access to
the information on which the many books are based and helps readers
not only to figure out what is going on but also to estimate just how far
the authors (whether of nonfiction, fiction, or some indeterminate mid-
dle ground) can be trusted.
This historical dictionary was written by probably the ideal author
for the task, Nigel West. Already interested in intelligence and security
issues while at university, he soon began writing on the subject, produc-
ing about 20 notable works of nonfiction so far with more doubtlessly
to come. Most deal with the British operations, while some focus on
Soviet and other varieties. Most cover the periods of World War II and
the Cold War, but others go further back. Taken together, there is noth-
ing quite like it and Nigel West is widely regarded as one of the (or
perhapsthe) foremost authorities on British Intelligence. Indeed, in
1989 he was voted the Experts’ Expert by a panel of spy writers se-
lected by theObserver. In 2003 he was awarded the U.S. Association
of Former Intelligence Officers’ first Lifetime Literature Achievement
Award. Aside from that, Nigel West has lectured widely and been a
member of the House of Commons. As stated, probably the ideal person
for the job.
Jon Woronoff
Series Editor