Spies Essay Example

The practise of espionage was well known since ancient times. Even thou espionage has an extensive history, its flourishing years has not started since the early 20th century, and spying has not fired up to advance since World War I. One of he most famous spies, even thou just a fictional creation, is James Bond. The gender of spy novels dates back to 19th century and it had influenced shaping the British people pro war mood against Germany before World War I. The purpose of this essay is to determine if the British elites were deliberately promoting the public mind in favour of war against Germany by the use of spy novels, or have the British people shaped their own minds by keen interest in stories of espionage. This will be determined by examining the books Spies of Kaiser: Plotting the Downfall of England and The Invasion of 1910 with the full account of the siege of London by William Le Queux, Official Secret Act 1911, and few other sources in relation to this agenda. The essay supports that the public pro war mood was shaped by elite of Britain to gain more control, power and wealth.

Before going further into presenting arguments, analysis, and evidence, the important background information about the author of the key sources needs to be examined. William Le Queux was author in late 19th and early 20th century who established the genre of future war fiction and spy novels (Oxford DNB, 2006). His most influential works were ‘The invasion of 1910’ series, and Spies of Kaiser: Plotting the Downfall of England, which in a sense were responsible for the creation of Secret Service Bureau (ibid.). In his novels the hero was usually cosmopolitan, wealthy, adventurous, mysterious, and opportunist – all the qualities which he aspired in his own lifestyle due profits from his successful writings (ibid.). The following is a description of Ray Raymond they key hero in the Spies of Kaiser: Plotting the Downfall of England “…Ray Raymond, the pipe-smoking elder son of a