THE sinister, murky world of espionage is laid bare in this revised and updated edition of Philip Knightley's powerful book about spies and spying in the 20th century.

The author is cynical about the intelligence business, not least about its efficacy, and reveals the staggering extent to which such services have shaped, and even manipulated, the policies of governments.

Over the past century, intelligence has grown from humble beginnings into a multi-million-pound covert industry, employing vast numbers of people.

The fictional character of James Bond, whose creator, Ian Fleming, worked in naval intelligence, has brought an unjustified glamour to espionage, which has often attracted oddballs and misfits.

One its most significant "characters" was William Le Queux, the British author, whose fantasies about German spies was a direct factor in the creation of the first bureaucratic intelligence service in this country, in the years leading up to the First World War.

Germany, France, Russia and other powers joined the rush towards espionage, followed by the Americans, who now have the largest and most costly intelligence service in the world.

The Second Oldest Profession by Phillip Knightley (Pimlico, priced £14.99)