Leaders and Intelligence

By: Handel, Michael I.

Book Overview

From a systematic point of view, all intelligence work can be studied on three levels: Acquisition, analysis, and acceptance. The author focuses on the third of these levels, studying the attitudes and behavioural patterns developed by leaders during their political careers, their willingness to consider information and ideas contrary to their own, their ability to admit mistakes and change course in the implementation of a failing policy and their...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 071464059X
• ISBN13: 9780714640594
• Release Date: February 1989
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Aligning Leaders and Intelligence...

"Leaders and Intelligence" is a collection of essays originally presented at U.S. Army War College symposiums in 1986, 1987, and 1988. The collection has been edited and provided with an excellent introductory essay by strategy expert Michael Handel. Of the eight essays, four are based on the Second World War and one each from Napoleon's Jena campaign, the Vietnam war, and the Six-Day War. Each explores the impact of intelligence on the decision-making by one or more political and military leaders during conflict. Of particular interest to this reviewer were two essays that compared the use of intelligence by Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler in the Second World War, and a third that very frankly critiqued the use of intelligence by several high-ranking generals in the same conflict. Despite advances in technology, the interaction between leaders and the intelligence community is still very much a function of human and organizational behavior. Therefore, "Leaders and Intelligence" has valuable lessons to teach a generation most familiar with the demands of counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism. "Leaders and Intelligence" is very highly recommended to students and professionals of the intelligence community.

Very Useful Compilation

Micheal I. Handel, a professor at the Army War College, has compiled and edited this collection of case studies and essays on the use of intelligence by national leaders. It consists of papers from a series of international conferences held at Carlisle, Pa. Like all works monitored or written by Handel, it is thoroughly researched and full of sound judgements prepared by many of the leading scholars of intelligence history. Frank Cass, the publisher is noted for quality studies produced for the specialist and scholar. The volume was originally a special issue of the journal Intelligence and National Security. It is intended as part of a series of thematic texts.Belongs on the shelf of every serious researcher of the uses of intelligence.