The Economist reads | Spook books

What to read to understand intelligence and espionage

Our defence editor picks seven good books on spying

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A man holds an Icom walkie talkie device after he removed the battery during the funeral of persons killed when hundreds of paging devices exploded in a deadly wave across Lebanon the previous day, in Beirut's southern suburbs.

Books that probe the secrets of the Mossad 

Seven books on Israeli intelligence agencies, which are spearheading the offensive against Hizbullah in Lebanon

A cable car with the Lebanese flag on the side is seen going up and down on the line connecting seaside road to the hill top in Jounieh, Lebanon.

An introduction to Lebanon, perhaps the next front in a wider war

Four books and a film on a pivotal Middle Eastern country


Young Lebanese women take a 'selfie' picture in front of a newly painted portrait of the late Egyptian writer and feminist Nawal el-Saadawi on a wall in the capital Beirut's downtown district.

What to read about modern feminism

An introduction to a large, evolving and controversial subject


How Christianity shapes politics in America

Four books and a podcast explain a complicated relationship

What to read about the British economy

Britain used to be the world’s richest country. These six books explain how it came to be, and why it is no longer

Six novels about India, perhaps the world’s most interesting place

Works of fiction about a country whose global clout, already large, is growing