The history of scientific intelligence – its birth, its importance during the Second World War and its unique wartime qualities – has relied almost entirely on the memories of its pioneer, R.V. Jones. Through scrutiny of Jones’ postwar literature (especially his war memoirs, entitled Most Secret War; his archival papers - as well as those of his colleagues and contemporaries - and other mediums he used to promote his account of scientific intelligence), this groundbreaking book constitutes a critique of the genesis of scientific and technical intelligence. Examining chronologically all of the key events Jones became famous for – the Battle of the Beams, the Bruneval Raid, the Radio War, the Battle of the V-Weapons – and comparing Jones’ account of these (and many other) events with contemporary documentation, this book provides a rich understanding of the internal machinations within the British wartime air scientific intelligence organization defined as ADI (Science) and their relationships with the many other political, military and intelligence sections that pursued similar and often closely linked quests. This book importantly connects science and technology with the collection and collation of intelligence; is an analysis of wartime intelligence of a scientific and technical nature; argues that scientific intelligence was much more than one man’s accomplishments, which involved many more individuals and organizations than has been perceived; and was much more crucial to the development of 20th century history than has been portrayed.

“Shining a light on a hitherto neglected area of the Second World War, that of the role of Scientific Intelligence, it is a substantial contribution to the history of that period. As such, it comes highly recommend.”

"This book is not just recommended for those with an interest in the secret intelligence and scientific war. It is essential…James Goodchild has certainly produced a definitive work which is also a masterpiece." - Winner of the Britain at War Book of the Month Award for June 2018.
 

“ … this work deserves to be read in detail by everyone concerned with the history of Allied Scientific Intelligence in World War 2 – the work James Goodchild has done in setting straight the story of the V-Weapons would alone have been worth the book, and there is much, much more besides ... An essential book both to read and to study – buy it!”