Snitch!
A History of the Modern Intelligence Informer
Published on 1. February 2010
Book
Paperback/Softback
224 pages
978-1-4411-9007-9 (ISBN)
Description
This is a vivid account of how some citizens actively assist state surveillance by 'informing' on others, such as during the Cold War and the current campaign against terrorism. With "Snitch!", Steve Hewitt provides a thorough study of human informers, i.e., people who secretly supply information to a domestic security agency (a spy provides information to a foreign intelligence service.) The work begins with an examination of the rise of the modern security state through the Cold War to today's ongoing 'long war' on terror. Using a unique comparative approach, Hewitt analyzes the practical and political aspects of informing, drawing on past and present examples from the United States, United Kingdom, former Soviet Union, and other countries. He argues that although the scale of the use of informers by domestic security agencies differs from nation to nation, the nature of their use and the impact on those targeted by this form of surveillance do not. An engaging read that combines scholarly research and specific case studies, "Snitch!" will appeal to anyone interested in security and intelligence as well as in issues surrounding the use of informers, especially in democratic societies.
Reviews / Votes
"Snitch! is a concise and fluent reminder that, for all the publicity about increasing technical surveillance, informers were not just the first way by which states sought security information but are now re-emphasised as a critical feature of countering terrorism. Through examining famous cases and general aspects of the recruitment and use of informers, Steve Hewitt has provided an excellent survey of their utility for 'authorities' and the personal and social costs entailed." --Peter Gill, University of Liverpool Fascinating, original and carefully researched, 'Snitch!' is an intelligent and superbly readable book on a subject that could not be more timely. --Richard J. Aldrich, Professor of International Security, University of Warwick "A UK expert on security and intelligence contributes to the little existing scholarship on informers with a survey that provides social and historical context on those who supply information to government agencies on intelligence matters rather than crime. From case studies of famous informers (e.g., Ronald Reagan), informer states, and the use of informers in the current 'war on terror,' Hewitt concludes that snitching is a state activity to be feared because of the existing lack of limitations and transparency." -Eithne O'Leyne, BOOK NEWS, Inc. 'This important study aims at a 'broad, international and accessible survey' that places informers in the context of their times and places.' -- Contemporary Review Reviewed in French in Veille Magazine.More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 228 mm
Width: 153 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
348 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4411-9007-9 (9781441190079)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
02/2010
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Continuum
€29.49
Available for download
Person
Dr Steve Hewitt is an expert on security and intelligence and Senior Lecturer in the Department of American and Canadian Studies at the University of Birmingham. Among the courses he teaches are a history of American intelligence, including the Central Intelligence Agency. Steve Hewitt regularly appears on television and radio commenting on issues of terrorism and security.
Content
1. Introduction; 2. "Inherent in the Conditions of Human Society:" The Nature of Informing; 3. Informing History; 4. Famous Informers; 5. Informer States; 6. Informers in the "War on Terror"; 7. Conclusion: Living in the Informer Age.