Intelligence and the War against Japan
Britain, America and the Politics of Secret Service

This book explores the politics of the British and American secret service during the Far Eastern War.

Richard J. Aldrich (Author)

9780521641869, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 13 April 2000

526 pages, 24 b/w illus. 6 maps
22.9 x 15.2 x 3.3 cm, 0.94 kg

'It is a necessary read for all those interested in both intelligence history and, more importantly, Anglo-American relations generally.' Journal of Defence Studies

Intelligence and the War against Japan offers a comprehensive scholarly history of the development of the British secret service and its relations with its American intelligence counterparts during the war against Japan. Richard J. Aldrich makes extensive use of recently declassified files in order to examine the politics of secret service during the Far Eastern War, analysing the development of organizations such as Bletchley Park, the Special Operations Executive and the Office of Strategic Services in Asia. He argues that, from the Battle of Midway in June 1942, the Allies focused increasingly on each other's future ambitions, rather than the common enemy. Central to this theme are Churchill, Roosevelt and their rivalry over the future of empire in Asia. Richard J. Aldrich's cogent, fluent analysis of the role of intelligence in Far Eastern developments is a thorough and penetrating account of this latter-day 'Great Game'.

1. Introduction: intelligence and empire
Part I. Before Pearl Harbor, 1937–41: 2. Wing Commander Wigglesworth flies east: the lamentable state of intelligence, 1937–9
3. Insecurity and the fall of Singapore
4. Surprise despite warning: intelligence and the fall of Singapore
5. Conspiracy or confusion? Churchill, Roosevelt and Pearl Harbor
6. 'Imperial Security Services': the emergence of OSS and SOE
Part II. India and Spheres of Influence, 1941–4: 7. 'Do-gooders' and 'bad men': Churchill, Roosevelt and rivalry over empire
8. American intelligence and the British Raj: OSS and OWI in India, 1941–4
9. Strange allies: British intelligence and security in India, 1941–4
Part III. Mountbatten's South East Asia Command, 1943–5: 10. Secret service and Mountbatten's South East Asia Command
11. Special operations in South East Asia
12. The British Secret Intelligence Service (M16) in the Far East
13. Centre and region: the politics of signals intelligence
Part IV. Rivalry or Rivalries? China, 1942–5: 14. American struggles in China: OSS and Naval Group
15. Britain and her allies in China
Part V. The End of the War in Asia, 1945–6: 16. Anti-colonialism, anti-communism and plans for post-war Asia
17. Resisting the resistance: Thailand, Malaya and Burma
18. Special operations in liberated areas: Indochina and the Netherlands East Indies, 1944–6
19. Hong Kong and the future of China
20. Conclusion: the hidden hand and the fancy foot.

Subject Areas: Cultural studies [JFC], Second World War [HBWQ], General & world history [HBG]