Book and Film Recommendations

Susanna Fogel
January 2026

Two secretaries at the American embassy in 1970s Moscow become CIA operatives after their husbands are killed, uncovering a Cold War conspiracy behind the tragedy. This spy thriller TV series premiers on 15 January on Peacock.

Luca Trenta and Kiril Avramov
Lynne Rienner Publishers, 05 Dec 25

How do governments approach, understand, and even justify assassination? What methods have been used historically, and how do they differ from current practice? What are the consequences of assassination for international politics, diplomacy, and international law? These are the fundamental questions animating this ground-breaking exploration of the adoption and deployment of assassination as an instrument of statecraft.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• ISSUES.
  • Rethinking Assassination-as-Politics―A. O'Connor.
  • The Impact of Assassination on International Law―S. Duroy.
  • Cooperating to Kill: Secret International Agreements―A. Jimenez-Bacardi.
  • State Use of Chemical and Biological Agents in Alleged Assassinations―G. Cross and R. Beedham.
  • Evidentiary and Forensic Challenges―D. Kaszeta.
  • The Communication Dimension―A. Hänni and C. Nehring.
  • The Media’s Influence on Framing Assassinations―F. Shihundu.
  • The Hiring of Criminals―J. Davis.
• CASES.
  • France: Assassinations and the French Secret Service―K. Ramondy.
  • India: Intelligence Agencies and Assassinations―D. Paramesha-Chaya.
  • Iran: Projecting Power and Protecting the Revolution via Assassination―M. Levitt.
  • Israel: Targeted Killings in the Occupied Territories―A. Barnea.
  • Mexico: Assassinations in the Ongoing War on Drugs―V.A. Hernández Ojeda.
  • Russia: Target Assessment and a Typology of Retaliation―K. Avramov et al.
  • The United States: Escalating to Assassination from the Cold War to the Present―M.H. Haas.
• CONCLUSION.
  • Directions for Future Research―K. Avramov and L. Trenta. 

Gustavo Díaz Matey (Editor), Pablo Moral (Editor)
Routledge, 17 Nov 25

This book examines the strategic role of weaponized narratives and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) in international relations.

It aims to understand how information is used as a tool for power projection and strategic competition, combining theoretical and empirical analyses. The work covers both traditional disinformation and lesser-studied phenomena like information suppression and the psychosocial vulnerabilities that enable manipulation. Through case studies of information campaigns in both wartime and peacetime, it highlights the security challenges posed by these narratives across varying geopolitical tensions. The book bridges realist and constructivist approaches, considering the roles of state and non-state actors, as well as domestic populations and international organizations. With empirical studies of initiatives by NATO, the UN, and the EU, the volume equips readers to address critical questions about the success, influence, and impact of weaponized narratives and the effectiveness of efforts to counter them.

This book will be of much interest to students of information warfare, foreign influence operations, foreign policy, and international relations.

Anthony Vinci
Henry Holt and Co., 28 October 2025

The new global intelligence competition has brought espionage into our workplaces and our living rooms. Adversaries like China, Iran, and Russia have realized that the human element is the weakest link in our industrial and political infrastructure. As a result, they target all of us―stealing our financial data and medical records, eavesdropping on our conversations, and using platforms like TikTok and Hollywood movies to influence our opinions.



The Fourth Intelligence Revolution reveals how the undercover adventures of World War II, the spy-versus-spy confrontations of the Cold War, and the "find-fix-and-finish" counterterrorism missions after 9/11 have given way to the most dangerous period of espionage yet. This eye-opening account exposes how intelligence now permeates every corner of society, from economic espionage and genetic data gathering to information operations targeting children through AI chatbots―even extending to reconnaissance on the far side of the moon. 



Both a warning and a call to action, The Fourth Intelligence Revolution suggests that we are all, in essence, becoming intelligence officers and that citizens have both the power and responsibility to reclaim intelligence to safeguard and strengthen our democracy.