Intelligence, Statecraft and International Power: Irish Conference of Historians (review)

“One of the merits of this intriguing volume of essays,” writes noted intelligence historian Christopher Andrew in its foreword, “is that it takes a much larger view, with contributions spanning two millennia from the Ancient World to the twenty-first century” (p. xiv). In this, Andrew is essentially correct. Composed of papers presented at the 27th Irish Conference of Historians at Trinity College, Dublin, in 2005, Intelligence, Statecraft and International Power is an eclectic collection to say the least. Although leaning heavily towards Irish history, as might be expected, of its fifteen essays eight are focused on Europe (six on Ireland and the United Kingdom, one on the United Kingdom alone, and one on Italy), two on Iraq, and one each on China, India, Russia, Egypt, and the United States. In terms of its chronological sweep, seven of its essays are pre-nineteenth century, one nineteenth century, six twentieth century, and one twenty-first century. The common theme holding them together is simply that each of the essays, to a greater or lesser degree, addresses aspects of the history of intelligence.

As is perhaps to be anticipated in such a volume, the essays read more like historical vignettes than lengthy research papers, offering glimpses of information and arguments rather than ultimate conclusions. It is clear that any revisions undertaken between conference presentation and publication were in style rather than substance. Nevertheless, some real gems can be found, and on the whole the volume is an easy and enjoyable read. Of particular strength are the contributions by Keith Jeffrey, Ann Dolan, and Eunan O’Halpin, all of which concern British and Irish intelligence in the twentieth century and add substantially to our general picture of this critical time in Anglo-Irish history. Other essays of note are Alistair J. Macdonald’s piece on espionage in late medieval Scotland and Robert McNamara’s article on British covert action in Egypt following the 1956 Suez Crisis, both of which are fascinating and well-written. There are, however, some that detract from the stated purpose of the volume. Elaine Murphy’s essay on the English navy during the 1640s, while compelling on its own merits, sheds little light on intelligence per se (despite her use of the word throughout). More troubling, perhaps, is Rose Mary Sheldon’s contribution on Trajan’s Parthian adventure, in which the author attempts to compare and contrast the Parthian wars with the current war in Iraq. The essay is unfortunately so political as to be ineffectual, with Sheldon’s clear distaste for the Bush Administration and its foreign policy clouding her historical judgment. Such an inclusion is a shame in an otherwise serious and substantial collection of papers.

As a general overview on the history of intelligence in Ireland, this volume provides an excellent introduction to the scholar and would be a worthy investment of time and money. For the more general historian of intelligence, however, its lack of a consistent theme or focus is more of a hindrance than a benefit. It would, therefore, be a better book to consult when necessary in a university library than to buy to house in a personal collection.