Book and Film Recommendations

Director: Ang Lee | 26 October 2007

During World War II era, a young woman, Wang Jiazhi, gets swept up in a dangerous game of emotional intrigue with a powerful political figure, Mr. Yee.

Frustrated in his attempts to assassinate Yee, who is an important official in Japanese-ruled Shanghai, Old Wu, who has lost his wife and two sons as well as two women who had attempted to seduce Yee, now recruits Kuang, Mai Tai Tai, and their troupe of drama students from Hong Kong University in yet another attempt to do away with Yee. Mai Tai Tai is chosen to befriend Yee, which she does by posing as the wife of Mak, befriending Yee's wife and her female friends, and then eventually befriending Yee himself. Even though both get together, they do end up going separate ways, only to meet again four years later. This time Mai is all set to entrap Yee at Chandni Chowk Jewellers which is owned by an East Indian man named Khalid Saiduddin. The question does remain: Will she and her troupe succeed?

Edited by Christopher R. Moran, Christopher J. Murphy  | Edinburgh University Press | 30 June 2026

From memoirs and academic texts to conspiracy-laden exposes and spy novels, the intelligence services’ secrecy has never stopped people from writing about espionage. Now, this is the first introduction to these official and unofficial histories. Each chapter showcases new archival material, looking at a particular book or series of books and considering issues of production, censorship, representation and reception. Contributors include: Richard Aldrich, intelligence historian; Nicholas Dujmovic, CIA Staff Historian; Matthew Jones, novelist; Jo Wippl, Former CIA operations officer; Keith Jeffery, author of the first official history of MI6 and Chapman Pincher, journalist.

Nigel West | Biteback Publishing | 29 February 2024

Nigel West was a boy when his father’s friendship with John Profumo and a school visit by John le Carré piqued his interest in espionage. Since then, as he recounts in this memoir, he has exposed Soviet agents within MI5, MI6 and the CIA, given recognition to unsung Second World War heroes, and gained an unparalleled insight into the working of the security services.

Fergus Mason | CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform | 2 November 2014

In 1960, at the height of the Cold War, an American U-2 spy plane was shot down deep inside Soviet airspace. What followed was a global incident that nearly tipped the world into open conflict. The U.S. government scrambled to cover its tracks. The Soviets played their propaganda hand masterfully. And behind the scenes, spies on both sides pushed the boundaries of secrecy and deception.

With page-turning suspense, this book uncovers the gripping true story of one of the most infamous intelligence failures in U.S. history. From high-altitude reconnaissance missions to high-stakes diplomacy, it's a story of bold risk, catastrophic miscalculation, and international intrigue that echoes to this day.

Perfect for readers of Cold War history, military nonfiction, and real-life spy stories.