Books in Influence and Persuasion series

On Thursday 30 September 2004, two men stood under the television lights in Florida. That American state had recently been battered by hurricanes, but another story led the news broadcasts. The Republican President of the USA, George W. Bush, was taking part in the first televised public debate with his rival in the forthcoming presidential election, Democratic contender John Kerry. The winner in that election would become the most powerful person in the world, whose chosen policies would affect the lives not just of Americans but of countless others. What would be said in Florida that night was of great importance.

Every country, company and military force have information they strive to keep secret. This information is highly prized by others and can be the difference between success or failure in business, between victory or defeat in battle and whether a government or ruler stays in power or is toppled. This information is known as intelligence, and comes in many different forms. It can be military details about troops, their location and planned movements. It can be political secrets about what alliances one nation intends forming with others. It can also be technical secrets such as details of scientific research or the workings of a new weapon.