Spy High
Clandestine operatives are trained in many disciplines, the basic of which is called Trade Craft. These are the rudiments of spy work - dead drops, flap and seal work, advanced surveillance methods, disguises, wet work, how to conduct a full skate, what to do with a dangle, uses of the honeypot, a burn notice, blowback, etc. Training takes a long time and, if you get it wrong in the field, it can result in an international incident or worse. The public portrayal of spies is often silly to the point of LOLing. One favourite trope is the bookish back office guy who, of a day, is an unbelievably clever field person who speaks Farsi. The classic example is Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, whose line is always, “But I’m just an analyst!” Actual advanced training is extremely complex and demanding. Here’s an example.