underline">The Ultimate Spy Book,  that author H. Keith Melton is perhaps "the world's most outstanding collector of, and expert in, intelligence equipment."  And Oleg Kalugin, retired Major-General of the Soviet Union's First Chief Directorate of the KGB (Committee of State Security), writes in his Foreword on a facing page that "Methods of spying may have changed considerably through the age, but even in this modern age of high technology the role of the human spy is as important as it has ever been.  As a member of the KGB, I spent most of my career attempting to gain the secrets of those Western nations that were seen as potential enemies of the Soviet Union.  Often I succeeded.  The spies and agents that I handled, such as the American John Walker, had to be trained in techniques that this book describes--gaining information, passing it on, and remaining undetected."  Melton then gives us concise insightful essays on "Who Spies?," "What Do Spies Do?," and "Spies of the Future," before relating a history of "Early Espionage," espionage efforts in "World War II," and the "Cold War."  A chapter on "Equipment and Techniques" includes sections on "Cameras," "Secret Operations," "Counterintelligence," "Clandestine Communications," and "Weapons."  A Chapter follows on "How to Be a Spy," elaborating "Training and Recruitment" with examples of "MICE" (the acronym for "Money, Ideology, Compromise, and Ego"--the primary motivating factors), "Covers and Legends," "Spy Networks," and the "Fate of a Spy."  And there are a "Glossary" of spy terms, an "Index," and, lastly, "Acknowledgments."  Throughout, the text is accurate and well-written, portraying every spy you've heard of and many many more, with the portrayals elaborated in their diverse historical contexts.  The sheer detail of these portrayals is unprecedented in our reading experience, bolstered with all manner of documentary evidence and copious photographs and other illustrations.  It is, in fact, the superb illustration of this book, no doubt the consequence of author Keith Melton's lifelong collection of spy-related artifacts, that make it unique and specially valuable.  On spy lore and spy technology, it is wonderfully comprehensive, providing a fascinating overview of all periods, figures, and technology that one may find parts of elsewhere.  Highly recommended.