In the Service

Shrouded in secrecy, the work of intelligence services – and the people who carry it out – are largely hidden from public view. After being recruited into the first civilian class of intelligence officers, Daniel Stanton worked inside Canada's intelligence service for over thirty years. From the Cold War through 9/11 and into the digital age, his position carried him across Canada and abroad. Part insider account, part reflection on a life in intelligence, In the Service explores how this world and work shaped Stanton – even long after his career ended. Through engaging and powerful writing, Stanton demystifies the world of intelligence, revealing the human side of the profession and the ordinary people who carry it out. Long before joining the Service, Stanton had developed an instinct for keeping secrets and an ability to earn the confidence of others – skills expertly sharpened by his years in intelligence. In recent years, he has drawn on those same skills to speak out on behalf of communities targeted by Chinese, Russian, Iranian, and Indian state actors through monitoring, intimidation, blackmail, and even murder. Against this backdrop, he examines how foreign states target diaspora communities and exposes the growing threat of transnational repression in Canada. In the Service offers a rare view of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service – its origins steeped in scandal, its growing pains, and its enduring value to a society that cherishes its sovereignty and democratic institutions. This revelatory memoir is a must-read for anyone interested in espionage, terrorism, and the ways foreign states project their power beyond their borders.