At the mention of spies, images of Hollywood characters come to mind. We all love James Bond in a tuxedo driving an Aston Martin DB5 to his latest mission or Jason Bourne’s seemingly robotic reflexes and superhuman strength when fending off attackers.
But the reality of espionage is often more banal.
My work with spies and years of research reporting on the intelligence world has shown that spycraft relies on the careful cultivation of relationships more than high-speed car chases or dramatic gunfights.