True non-fiction book about spies... [View all]

Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall by Anna Funder

http://www.amazon.com/Stasiland-Stories-Behind-Berlin-Wall/dp/0062077325/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327642296&sr=1-1


As someone who considers himself an expert on Intelligence issues, and being from Canada, this book is a remarkable collection of true stories about the Stasi, the feared and legendary East German intelligence agency. What is most frightening, is the fact that the issues that many citizens were facing then (in the 1980`s), is in fact a reality today in Canada. In fact, the RCMP and now CSIS modeled their own organizations a great deal by what the East Germans were doing at the time, everything from their so called disruption tactics against targets (basically ruining a targets life and gang stalking techniques) to the use of I.M`s, a East German word for the recruitment of regular citizens by the Stasi to spy on their neighbour, brother, sister, mother, husband wife or co-worker; something which is actively engaged in Canada via CSIS. Often the reward would be a government job or opportunity one would not get otherwise.

If anyone is interested in a bit of history, mixed with some sensational but true stories, this is the book for you. If you are from Canada, you might consider it a bit of insight into operations that occur within out borders, except, the victims were able to gain full access to their files with the fall of East Germany. something unheard of in the ultra secret Canadian intelligence apparatus.