If the success of the James Bond franchise is anything to go on, few things are more intriguing than the world of espionage. And though 007 lives in a fast-paced world of car chases, explosions and seduction, the adventures of his real-life counterparts can be just as thrilling.
“We have something we call the Bond moment because so many of us, like me, who were in espionage had certain times that something happened that was sort of Bond-like,” said Peter Earnest, executive director of the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.
A new exhibit takes a look at those moments, just in time for Bond’s 50th anniversary and the museum’s 10th. Called “Exquisitely Evil,” it explores the Bond phenomenon through the series’ ever-changing villains.
This is just one part of a museum dedicated to the world of espionage. Earnest, the director, is, appropriately, a 35-year veteran of the CIA. He was active during the Cold War in Europe and the Middle East.
“Think of spying primarily as