Spy Television (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780275981631)

For half a century, television spies have been trained professionals, reluctant heroes, housewives, businessmen, criminals, and comedians. They have by turns been glamorous, campy, reflective, sexy, and aloof. This is the first book-length treatment of one of TV's oldest and most fascinating genres. Britton's comprehensive guide provides readers, from casual viewers to die-hard fans, with behind-the-scenes stories to this notable segment of television entertainment.

From the early 1960s, in which television spies were used essentially as anti-Communist propaganda, through the subsequent years that both built upon and parodied this model, and finally to today's gadget-laden world of murky motives and complex global politics, spy television has served as much more than mere escapism. From the beginning, television spies opened doors for new kinds of heroes. Women quickly took center stage alongside men, and minority leads in spy programs paved the way for other kinds of roles on the small screen. For half a century, television spies have been trained professionals, reluctant heroes, housewives, businessmen, criminals, and comedians. They have by turns been glamorous, campy, reflective, sexy, and aloof. This is the first book-length treatment of one of TV's oldest and most fascinating genres.

Author: Wesley Britton
ISBN-10: 0275981630
ISBN-13: 9780275981631
Publisher: Praeger
Language: English
Published: 01/30/2004
Pages: 312
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.39lbs
Size: 9.52h x 6.20w x 1.08d

Review Citation(s):
Booklist 04/01/2004 pg. 1340
Library Journal 05/01/2004 pg. 109
Choice 09/01/2004 pg. 94
Booklist 11/01/2004 pg. 460