A remarkable insight into the training and techniques of Allied agents operating behind enemy lines during the Second World War.

Most wars have had some element of espionage and subterfuge, but few have included as much as the Second World War, where the all-embracing nature of the conflict, new technology, and the battle of ideologies conspired to make almost everywhere a war zone. The occupation of much of Europe in particular left huge areas that could be exploited.

Partisans, spies and saboteurs risked everything in a limbo where the normal rules of war were usually suspended. Concealment of oneself, one's weapons and equipment, was vital, and so were the new methods and hardware which were constantly evolving in a bid to stay ahead of the Gestapo and security services. Silent killing, disguise, covert communications and the arts of guerrilla warfare were all advanced as the war progressed.

With the embodiment and expansion of organisations such as the British SOE and the American OSS, and the supply of special forces units which operated behind enemy lines, clandestine warfare became a permanent part of the modern military and political scene. Perhaps surprisingly many of these hitherto secret techniques and pieces of equipment were put into print at the time and many examples are now becoming available.

This manual brings together a selection of these dark arts and extraordinary objects and techniques in their original form, under one cover to build up an authentic picture of the Allied spy.

Dr Stephen Bull studied at the University of Wales, and worked at the BBC and National Army Museum in London. He was for many years Curator of Military History and Archaeology for Lancashire County Museums. His books have been published in a variety of languages and on both sides of the Atlantic. He has made many TV and radio appearances including the series Battlefield Detectives and Instruments of Death, and the BBC One Show and wrote the book for the Channel 4 series Last War Heroes. A consultant to the University of Oxford, Stephen has assisted in the creation of a European database to document the individual experience of the First World War through archives, photographs, and objects.