Need to Know

An Archive of Journalistic Pursuits


Permanently free, Need to Know collects the previously published non-fiction books News of Devils, Rogue Royale, Diamonds in the Rough, Tradecraft, Agent of Influence, A Spy Is Born, and Enemy Action, as well as many other essays and articles that haven’t previously appeared in book form. There’s a lot about espionage, and a lot about Ian Fleming and James Bond, but plenty of other stuff, too. You can read about war heroes and hoaxers, mercenaries who inspired Frederick Forsyth, unreleased music by soul legend Marvin Gaye, Joseph Heller’s script for Casino Royale, and the ethics of journalists with close links to the intelligence world. There’s investigative reporting, reviews, and literary criticism.

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Contents


Diamonds in the Rough: Investigations Into the Worlds of Ian Fleming and James Bond

Agent of Influence: Antony Terry and the Shaping of Cold War Fact and Fiction

Blunt Instruments: The British Thriller and the Secret Roots of Ian Fleming’s James Bond

A Spy is Born: Dennis Wheatley and the Secret Roots of Ian Fleming’s James Bond

News of Devils: The Media and Edward Snowden

Tradecraft