The world of the spook is vastly different, I'd venture, than the daring-do of those spies, without a single nerve or sweat cell in their bodies, in highly imaginative novels.

In the real world, spying is simply gathering intell and mostly without being seen or standing out.

Today we have swarm technology, which enables tiny mobile devices to be positioned like bluebottles to just collect data. collect much useful intell including recorded conversations as robots that look like dragonflies, locusts etc. can position themselves in many a convenient blind spot and from there collect audio and visual data?

After that, they can be weaponised to play a forward posture role in any future conflict?

Russia, we're told, has invested heavily in totally autonomous abilities that include unmanned tanks, planes, ships and subs, among a whole host of new weapons and intell collecting platforms. China, probably not that far behind and decades ahead of us!?

We have hardly started in this direction, but must if we would put mass back onto any future battlefield or be swamped within hours by those going down the completely autonomous path of both intell collection and weaponry.

Autonomy puts people out of hams way! And essential if there are few too people!
Alan B.

Thanks Warren Reed

For a terrific summary of the spy novel genre since 1900.

Comparable books by Australians?

“Code Cicada” by one Warren Reed

and I haven’t read his “An Elephant on Your Nose” yet.

So I've finished Warren Reed's “An Elephant on Your Nose” and it's one of the best spy novel's I've read in some time. I read many.

“An Elephant on Your Nose” fills a niche in combining the broad political sweep of relations between China, Japan and South Korea mixed with the interpersonal relations of their international intelligence and security people. Erstwhile opposing intelligence services seek to work together.

The main theme is a gripping counter-terrorism operation with a unexpected twists.

A very accomplished British female MI6 spy stars. She's sure to appear in sequels.

Booko looks like a good site for buying it - http://booko.com.au/9780648283973/An-Elephant-on-Your-Nose

Oh dear! Correcting typos:

So I've finished Warren Reed's “An Elephant on Your Nose” and it's one of the best spy novels I've read in some time. I read many.

“An Elephant on Your Nose” fills a niche in combining the broad political sweep of relations between China, Japan and South Korea mixed with the interpersonal relations of their international intelligence and security people. Erstwhile opposing intelligence services seek to work together.

The main theme is a gripping counter-terrorism operation with unexpected twists.

A very accomplished British female MI6 spy stars. She's sure to appear in sequels.

Booko looks like a good site to buy it - see http://booko.com.au/9780648283973/An-Elephant-on-Your-Nose