Her Majesty's Spymaster

　　Queen Elizabeth I and England’s First Spymaster　　Sir Francis Walsingham’s official title was principal secretaryto Queen Elizabeth I, but in fact this pious, tight-lipped Puritanwas England’s first spymaster. A ruthless, fiercely loyal civilservant, Walsingham worked brilliantly behind the scenes to foilElizabeth’s rival Mary Queen of Scots and outwit Catholic Spain andFrance, which had arrayed their forces behind her. Though he cut anincongruous figure in Elizabeth’s worldly court, Walsingham managedto win the trust of key players like William Cecil and the Earl ofLeicester before launching his own secret campaign against thequeen’s enemies. Covert operations were Walsingham’s genius; hepioneered techniques for exploiting double agents, spreadingdisinformation, and deciphering codes with the latest code-breakingscience that remain staples of international espionage.