The Missing Dimension: Governments and the Intelligence Communities in the 20th Century Hardcover – Import, January 1, 1984 by Christopher Andrew (Author), David Dilks (Author)

The book The Missing Dimension: Governments and the Intelligence Communities in the 20th Century by Christopher Andrew and David Dilks explores the crucial yet often overlooked role of intelligence agencies in shaping government policies and international relations throughout the 20th century.

Key Themes and Topics:

1. The Role of Intelligence in Governance:

   • The book delves into how intelligence services have influenced major decisions made by governments during pivotal moments in history, including wars, diplomacy, and international crises.

2. Secrecy and Policy-Making:

   • It examines the inherent secrecy of intelligence operations and how this has created a "missing dimension" in the historical analysis of political events and decision-making processes.

3. Case Studies:

   • The authors provide detailed case studies on how intelligence operations impacted major events, such as World War I, World War II, and the Cold War.

4. Relationship Between Governments and Intelligence Communities:

   • The book explores the complex and sometimes contentious relationship between political leaders and their intelligence agencies, highlighting issues of trust, accountability, and communication.

5. Failures and Successes of Intelligence:

   • It analyzes instances where intelligence agencies succeeded in providing critical information and where they failed, leading to misguided policies or missed opportunities.

6. Global Perspectives:

   • While the book focuses on major powers such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union, it also sheds light on intelligence activities in other countries, providing a comparative perspective.

Why It’s Significant:

• Academic Contribution: The book is an important contribution to the field of intelligence studies, an area that was relatively underexplored when the book was published.
• Interdisciplinary Appeal: It appeals to historians, political scientists, and those interested in international relations and security studies.
• Authors’ Expertise: Christopher Andrew is a leading scholar of intelligence history, and David Dilks is a respected historian, lending the book scholarly credibility.

Target Audience:

• Academics, researchers, and students of history, political science, and intelligence studies.
• General readers with an interest in the secretive world of intelligence and its impact on global events.

The book remains a valuable resource for understanding how intelligence shaped the political and military strategies of the 20th century, often in ways that were invisible to the public and historians at the time.

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