As Asia increases in economic and geopolitical significance, it is necessary to better understand the region's intelligence cultures. The Handbook of Asian Intelligence Cultures explores the historical and contemporary influences that have shaped Asian intelligence cultures as well as the impact intelligence service have had on domestic and foreign affairs. In examining thirty Asian countries, it considers the roles, practices, norms and oversight of Asia's intelligence services, including the ends to which intelligence tools are applied. The book argues that there is no archetype of Asian intelligence culture due to the diversity of history, government type and society found in Asia. Rather, it demonstrates how Asian nations' histories, cultures and governments play vital roles in intelligence cultures. This book is a valuable study for scholars of intelligence and security services in Asia, shedding light on understudied countries and identifying opportunities for future scholarship.
Ryan Shaffer is a historian with expertise on political violence and security. He has a PhD in history and has written for international magazines, including Reader's Digest and Homeland Security Today, and his academic research has appeared in journals, such as Intelligence and National Security and the Journal of Intelligence History. His books include African Intelligence Services: Early Postcolonial and Contemporary Challenges and The Handbook of African Intelligence Cultures.
... useful to academics and practitioners. Researchers, calling for more contributions from non-western perspectives, will welcome these edited volumes as springboards for deeper dives into the intelligence cultures of individual nations, or to develop their own comparative assessments. Governments and intelligence analysts, too, will find the volumes valuable. -- "International Affairs" "... comprehensive book" provides "cases in which the study of the intelligence agencies can give insights into broader political themes" and "some shafts of light on the intelligence cultures in less powerful countries." -- "Intelligence and National Security" As Asian countries assume ever greater salience in global affairs, one issue that is little understood is their intelligence capabilities and cultures. This ground-breaking publication makes good this deficit with detailed analyses covering all Asian countries large and small. I intend to keep my copy close to hand. --Nigel Inkster, former director of operations and intelligence at the U.K.'s Secret Intelligence Service Ryan Shaffer has put together a comprehensive collection of chapters that cover intelligence services in Central, East, South and Southeast Asia. If Asia is now at the forefront of world events, intelligence is the key to whether the United States can lead another strong alliance against another tyrant. --Leon E. Panetta, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency These examples are indicative of what The Handbook of Asian Intelligence Cultures has to offer. The entries are well written and documented, comprising a very worthwhile contribution to the intelligence literature. -- "Studies In Intelligence"
