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"The successful Intelligence officer must be cool, courageous, and adroit, patient and imperturbable, discreet and trustworthy. He must understand the handling of troops and have a knowledge of the art of war. He must be able to win the confidence of his General, and to inspire confidence in his subordinates. He must have resolution to continue unceasingly his search for information, even in the most disheartening circumstances and after repeated failures. He must have endurance to submit silently to criticism, much of which may be based on ignorance or jealousy. And he must be able to deal with men, to approach his source of information with tact and skill, whether such source be a patriotic gentleman or an abandoned traitor. " Forearmed, p. 13.

"No matter how many candidates with brilliant qualifications fail the Regular Commissions Board, an officer, in the Army's eyes, must always be a leader and a soldier first .. there may be a certain number of technical posts which do not strictly require command skills. But, if they were filled with a new category of officer limited to these posts only, then they would form a ghetto and reduce the fluidity of postings as a whole. [The Royal Signals] and the Intelligence Corps, the two combat arms with the highest proportion of specialists, dislike the idea of an etiolated back-room breed." Inside the British Army, p. 93.

"He had that supreme quality - possibly one of which is essential in a first class intelligence officer - of always knowing exactly what he couldn't do and, paradoxically, taking strength from this to tackle many awkward problems which he felt he could do, even if others baulked at them." p. 114.

"In addition to being right most of the time, a good intelligence officer must also have two other qualities to help him sublimate the ugly aspects of his calling: a deep love of his country and an unshakable belief in his principles. To be a master of spies, a man must be above all a master of himself and must be convinced of the intrinsic goodness of his cause." Head of Czechoslovak Military Intelligence before, during and immediately after the Second World War.

December 1945 conference to consider the future of Army photographic interpretation: "'It is probable that qualities count more than qualifications. Of the qualities, visual memory, speed of decision, patience and attraction to detail head the list. The best interpreters have a research-type of mind and realisation of the significance of events.' The same could be extended to all in every field concerned with Strategic Intelligence." Forearmed, p. 111.

"Personally I believe in training coupled with intuition and not in luck."

"It is no use applying [a study of character] simply to others, if one doesn't apply it to oneself. Don't let us forget that it can enable us to study and guard against our own weaknesses." [p. 103]

"[An intelligence officer is] an instrument of his country, an observer and reporter of information." p. 110. Sum of all fears

Tom Clancy