Uniquely among modern British statesmen, Churchill believed passionately in the value of secret intelligence both in peace and war. Shaped by his experiences as a war correspondent and soldier, he helped ensure the passing of the Official Secrets Act of 1911, and was the first Home Secretary to authorise general warrants for the secret interception of mail. As wartime Prime Minister he built a centralised intelligence community, created the Special Operations Executive to work behind enemy lines, and with Roosevelt built the transatlantic intelligence alliance that endures to this day. Based on wide-ranging sources, many never explored or only recently released, the book offers an intriguing insight into both modern intelligence and the mind and character of Churchill himself.