The first history of France's present-day foreign intelligence service to be published in English
France's foreign intelligence service for espionage, analysis, covert action, and security is the formidable Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure (DGSE). The DGSE's remit spans a wide range of threats, including foreign interference, terrorism and international crime, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the defense of French economic interests.
Through an examination of official reports, rare declassified documents, interviews, memoirs, and French secondary sources, Van Puyvelde offers an accessible short introduction to the DGSE. Thematic chapters in The DGSE provide insight into the agency's foundations, organization, leadership, activities, international partners, cultural representations, legacies, and future. The service has had a reputation for audacious operations and shadowy influence within the French state and internationally. Fiascoes like the bombing of Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior tarnished its reputation; but in recent years, the DGSE has reformed and has distanced itself from its checkered past. Van Puyvelde's innovative framework shows how the DGSE has successfully adapted to twenty-first-century security requirements.
This first history of the DGSE in English will be of great interest to general readers of spy nonfiction and to scholars and students of intelligence studies, French history, and international affairs.
Reviews
"Damien Van Puyvelde is one of the rising stars in the field of intelligence studies. The DGSE combines intellectual rigor with exceptional clarity in a superb study of the origins and evolution of this highly secretive organization. This important book will be of interest not only to experts but also to a wider audience interested in intelligence and security."—Peter Jackson, director, Scottish Council on Global Affairs, and chair in global security, University of Glasgow
"This essential addition to French intelligence history presents an engaging study of the adaptation and expansion of the DGSE since 1982. From shifting relations with policymakers to the altered cultural landscape of intelligence representation, this book offers fresh insights into how intelligence becomes a crucial tool of national security policy."—Deborah Bauer, associate professor of history, Purdue University Fort Wayne
"A comprehensive and fascinating look inside one of France's most secret intelligence services. Already a classic!"—Pauline Blistène, lecturer and assistant professor in strategic communication, Department of War Studies, King's College London
"This is one of the most important contributions to secret service history in recent times. The DGSE traces the fascinating French journey from a much-feared hidden hand to a modern intelligence community using fabulous new sources. It is a must read for anyone interested in the dark subject of espionage and security."—Richard Aldrich, professor of international security, University of Warwick, coauthor of Crown, Cloak, and Dagger
"A deeply researched study of the French DGSE intelligence service that's perfect for the classroom. Damien Van Puyvelde's The DGSE draws on never-before available documents to offer new insights into France's premier intelligence agency's organizational culture, history, and activities. I can't wait to share it with my students."—Diana Bolsinger, former CIA officer and assistant professor, The University of Texas at El Paso
About the Author
Damien Van Puyvelde is associate professor and head of the Intelligence and Security Research Group at Leiden University. He is the author of Outsourcing US Intelligence; co-author of Cybersecurity: Politics, Governance and Conflict in Cyberspace; and co-editor of Covert Action: National Approaches to Unacknowledged Intervention (2025).
