Secret Service: British agents in France, 1792-1815 Elizabeth Sparrow, Boydell and Brewer, 1999

This book tells the story of the British fear of a French-style revolution and the origins of the British secret services MI5 and 6. This proto secret service, the author maintains, was part of British opposition of Napoleon and as such was able to manipulate some of the Emperor’s staff. The book is based on research into the letters written by the agents themselves and contemporary government documents.http://www.boydell.co.uk/SECRET.HTMElizabeth Sparrow is an independent scholar.