About the book: 1946 / The work of the American historian Richard Wheeler Rowan, author of the books "Intelligence and Counterintelligence", "The Pinkertons: A Dynasty of Detectives", tells the story of the secret service from Mithridates of Pontus, who ruled in the 2nd century BC, before the First World War, reveals the historical paths of development of the secret service, its methods and means. Vitaly Kryukov: A book by the American journalist Richard Wilmer Rowan (the author's surname was also spelled Rowan and Rohan) " The History of the Secret Service" was first published in the United States in 1937, although its original version, "The Spy and the Counterintelligence Officer," was published by the author almost ten years earlier. At the end of the 30s, excerpts from it were published in the Soviet press. In 1946, an abridged translation was published in the USSR under the title “Essays on the Secret Service.” Since then, this book has been republished in Russia under various titles, although a complete translation of the original text has not yet been published. (@militera.lib.ru)