The Unending Game

The Unending Game: A Former R&AW Chief's Insights into Espionage is a 2018 book by Vikram Sood, former head of India's foreign intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). According to Sood his book is not a memoir but a beginner’s guide in intelligence and espionage.[1] Sood tries to clarify that the real world of espionage is not like James Bond movies and much more than just "cloak and dagger" operations; with John le Carre's novels about George Smiley being a better comparison to the reality.[2][3] The book further gives insights into the methods of intelligence collection and espionage and the relevance in the scope of a country's national interests.[4]

The Unending Game: A Former R&AW Chief's Insights into Espionage
Vikram Sood during the book launch
AuthorVikram Sood
CountryIndia
PublisherPenguin Random House
Publication date
2018
ISBN978-0-670-09150-8
Author Vikram Sood during a book launch in New Delhi, 2018

Description

The book covers the history and problems associated with espionage, its analysis and actions that are taken based on the information.[5] It covers the workings of international intelligence agencies including the meddling of the KGB and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Indian politics. Events that led to the Kargil war in 1999 with Pakistan and Sood's tenure as secretary, R&AW from 2000 till 2003 when he retired is also discussed in the book. It also includes the trends in the field of espionage and analysis of major intelligence failures in the world such as the 9/11 attacks and the 26/11 attacks.[6][7]

The book is divided into three parts.[8] The book is divided into three concept related sections that are titled as "Tradecraft", "Inside Intelligence" and "What Lies Ahead." The prologue section of the book covers how R&AW found about the progress of the "clandestine nuclear weapons programme" of Pakistan.[2]

Part 1, titled "Tradecraft", covers basics such as the definition and value of intelligence, the working of spies work and the traits of a perfect spy.[9] Chapter 3 covers battles between America's CIA and Russia's KGB. Chapter 4 covers the intelligence world in Asia and the role of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).[5] This chapter includes how in four years during the 1970s, the KGB planted nearly 17,000 stories in the Indian media, citing Mitrokhin's archive for the same.[1][10][11] The book covers the top Indian officials and politicians that were on the payrolls of foreign intelligence agencies. The extent of psychological warfare in India, in the decades of 1970s and 1980s is also discussed.[1][12] Mention of how Rabinder Singh, a R&AW official, was successfully infiltrated by America is also made.[6] The book discusses Pakistan's preference of a low-cost warfare over conventional battle.[5]

Part 2, titled "Inside Intelligence", talks about topics and organisation such as the Five Eyes, Snowden, Pinay Cercle, the Safari Club among others.[13] The Cambridge Five are also discussed. Part 3, titled, "What Lies Ahead", discusses aspects such as the technological future of the intelligence world. Chapter 10 is titled, "Known by their failures", which discusses Kargil War and the assassination of a former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi, in Sriperumbudur in 1991.[13]

The book launch of "The Unending Game", at India International Center on 13 August 2018. Apart from Vikram Sood, also seen in the picture are Smriti Irani, Baijayant Panda and Shivshankar Menon.[14]

Vikram Sood also briefly differentiates between India's R&AW and Pakistan's ISI, saying that the main difference is in the latter's ability to form policy, including foreign policy, whereas R&AW is just a "service provider" to the policymakers.[7][9][15] In Chapter 11, the book discusses reforms and ways that R&AW could follow for appointing personnel on the key posts.[5] According to Sood the intelligence agencies are the "sword arm of the nation (not the government)".[6] During an interview with The Quint in 2018, Sood said that the rivalry between R&AW and ISI is exaggerated.[16]

Book launch

The book launch took place on 13 August 2018 at Delhi, followed by a panel discussion with the Union minister Smriti Irani, former national security advisor Shivshankar Menon, and former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal.[17] Several former intelligence chiefs and senior officials of the R&AW had attended the book launch.[7] At the book launch, Sood said that the Pakistan Army is the "largest corporate entity in Pakistan", and that peace talks with Pakistan are "futile".[18] He stated that Kashmir is being used by the Pakistan army, as an excuse to be in power and have control over Pakistan.[15][19] In 2016, following an attack in Baramulla on 3 October in which a Border Security Force soldier died, Sood had stated similar thoughts, that "unless Pakistan mends its ways, India should not hold talks."[20]

Response

India Today in its review stated that the book was "low-profile but solid contribution to the study of intelligence as a tool for formulating security policy in India and elsewhere".[5]

See also

References
  1. Ghose, Sandip (12 August 2018). "For espionage buffs, ex-Raw chief Vikram Sood's 'The Unending Game' is a fascinating read". The Print. Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  2. Banerjie, Indranil (3 August 2018). "Espionage is much more than cloak and dagger ops". The Asian Age. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  3. Kashani, Sarwar (8 August 2018). "The not-so-raunchy side of the world of spies". Yahoo News India. IANS India Private Limited. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  4. "Intelligence agency heads should be selected on performance – Ex-R&AW chief". The Economic Times. 29 July 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  5. Balachandran, Vappala (31 August 2018). "The Unending Game by Vikram Sood: The shadowy world of espionage". India Today. Archived from the original on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  6. Sarin, Ritu (25 August 2018). "A delicate truth". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  7. Haidar, Suhasini (13 August 2018). "R&AW is just a service provider, says ex-chief". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  8. Sood, Vikram (2018). The Unending Game: A Former R&AW Chief's Insights into Espionage. India: Viking, Penguin Random House. p. 'x'. ISBN 9780670091508.
  9. Talukdar, Sreemoy (7 August 2018). "The Unending Game: Ex-spymaster Vikram Sood's book is a treatise on espionage marked by understated brilliance". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  10. Andrew, Christopher; Mitrokhin, Vasili (2005). The KGB and the World: The Mitrokhin Archive II. United Kingdom: Penguin Books UK. p. 323.
  11. Mukherjee, Gautam (9 September 2018). "Spying for the country". The Pioneer. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  12. Maddrell, Paul (2014). "Cooperation between the HVA and the KGB, 1951–1989" (PDF). Loughborough University. p. 35. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  13. Joshi, Ravi (3 August 2018). "Ex-RAW Chief Vikram Sood's Unending Insights Into Spy Trade". The Quint. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  14. Pushpakar, Shiv Kumar (13 August 2018). "Smriti Irani, Book Release". The Hindu Images. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  15. "Peace Talks With Pakistan Will Be Futile: Former RAW Chief Vikram Sood". Outlook India. Outlook Web Bureau. 14 August 2018. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2019.CS1 maint: others (link)
  16. Gautam, Nistha (10 August 2018). "Rivalry With ISI Is An Exaggeration: Former RAW Chief Vikram Sood". The Quint. Archived from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  17. "Peace talks with Pakistan will be futile: Former RAW chief". The Times of India. PTI. 14 August 2018. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2019.CS1 maint: others (link)
  18. "Pakistan's army is a corporate entity that supplies heroin all over country: Former R&AW chief". The Print. PTI. 14 August 2018. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2019.CS1 maint: others (link)
  19. "Kashmir Is An Excuse For Pakistan Army To Control Pakistan: Former RAW Chief Vikram Sood". News18. 14 August 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  20. "Talks useless until Pakistan changes it attitude: Ex-RAW chief Vikram Sood". The Indian Express. Asian News International. 4 October 2016. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2019.CS1 maint: others (link)


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