Revue économique 57 - 2, mars 2006

In both its internal dimension (the police force) and its international dimension (espionage), intelligence has long been under the exclusive purview of the State. However, the development of international co-operation, post-Cold War political changes, the call for transparency in post-democratic societies, and the exponential growth of open information thanks to the Internet have profoundly altered the conditions under which intelligence now operates, in a context of shared sovereignty.

On a fascinating subject that has never been mapped out, the first Atlas of Intelligence includes:

- An engaging history of intelligence, stretching from Pearl Harbor to September 11th, from mass intoxication in preparation for the Normandy landings to Wikileaks, from the CIA's covert operations during the Cold War to the KBG's influence in Africa and Latin America, from the assassination of members of the Black September Organization to the war in Iraq, and from the 'expulsions’ of Russian diplomats to the Patriot Act.

- An overview of contemporary issues in the intelligence world, its effects on public policy, its dark side and failures (the Yom Kippur War, Al-Qaeda), as well as the legal and ethical questions that intelligence practices raise.

- 65 maps, diagrams and charts (the map of the KGB in Africa, a timeline of assassinations, an illustration of listening posts, etc.).

- 34 short thematic chapters that are easily digestible.


Sébastien Laurent is a professor at the Université de Bordeaux where he co-directs the professional Masters programme in 'Global Security - Trilingual Analyst’. He also teaches at Sciences Po Paris and Bordeaux’s IEP (Institute of Political Science).