Spycraft by Nadine Akkerman and Pete Langman

 

Although horrified by incidents such as the Salisbury poisonings and Southport stabbings, many people can take national security for granted otherwise. Nadine Akkerman and Pete Langman have ensured the undercover operatives who kept England safe in the past cannot be disregarded in this way. Meticulously researched, Spycraft provides a compelling and comprehensive account of the covert methods they used to protect the country from historical threats, including the notorious Babbington and Gunpowder Plots.

Spycraft is beautifully produced, with a cover which glows in the dark and numerous colour illustrations. The book covers a broad range of topics, from encryption and forgery to invisible inks, assassination and disguise. Whilst focusing on the years between the succession of Queen Elizabeth and the restoration of King Charles (1558-1660), the authors include interesting material about the origins of key techniques, many of which are still relevant today. Historical spy-masters understood the benefits of deniability, distraction and hiding sources as now.

With no national security agencies like MI5 or GCHQ, William Cecil and other powerful statesmen employed their own secret teams of forgers, cryptographers, assassins and poisoners to do their business. There was competition for sought after skills, such as those of cipher expert Thomas Phelippes.

England lagged behind France and Spain at the start of Elizabeth’s reign. Spy-master Sir Francis Walsingham and his team had to catch up quickly when Jesuit priests entered the country in the 1570s. The book reveals the way they managed to foil the Babbington Plot to topple Elizabeth. Knowing Mary Queen of Scots and her co-conspirators used a complex cipher, Walsingham positioned Phelippes close to Chartley where she was being held, so as not to cause suspicious delays when deciphering her letters. The operation depended on other critical contributions too, including those who broke the seals and re-sealed them again without detection. Others searched Mary’s rooms to find cipher keys. Without these skills, Mary’s treachery would not have been exposed.

Alongside the success stories, Akkerman and Langman describe how weapons were concealed, poisons applied and stiletto blades used to deadly effect. Having conducted experiments to prove the effectiveness of many of the techniques, they include a ‘School of Spycraft’ section, with step-by-step instructions for counterfeiting seals, cracking codes, and sourcing plant-based poisons. Whether readers wish to try these or not, Spycraft is a fascinating read for those seeking a fuller understanding of the period and those interested in espionage.