Historical espionage between Christian and Muslim worlds was extensive but poorly documented.
Evidence
Another category of travelers related to war and its preparation is spies. In the nature of things, the surviving documentation regarding espionage is scanty and ambiguous. It has been well said that a secret service that isnât secret doesnât serve. There are indications, even pieces of evidence, and they give us some kind of a picture, but it is fragmentary and tantalizing. Obviously there was espionage between the Christian and Muslim worlds. We have sufïŹcient references to in dicate that this was carried on a fairly extensive scale, but our information about it is very limited. â Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 751
Categorization
Category: Factual Claims
- SHARE: The quip âa secret service that isnât secret doesnât serveâ would amuse anyone who studies intelligence history or works in government.
- CANDY: The one-liner about secret service secrecy is a neat, self-contained observation.