An unprecedented publishing event: to mark the centenary of its foundation, the British Security Service, MI5, has for the first time opened its archives to an independent historian. The book reveals the precise role of the Security Service in twentieth-century British history, from its foundation by Captain Kell of the British Army in October 1909, through two world wars, up to and including its present roles in counterespionage and counterterrorism. The book describes how MI5 has been managed, what its relationship has been with government, where it has triumphed, and where it has failed. In all of this no restriction has been placed on the judgments made by the author. Defend the Realm also adds significantly to our knowledge of many celebrated events and notorious individuals and definitively lays to rest a number of persistent myths. Above all, it shows the place of this previously extremely secretive organization within the United Kingdom. Few books could make such an immediate and extraordinary increase to our understanding of British history over the past century.
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"Excellent history of MI5. Particularly interesting are the chapters of post-war activities and the mention of names which those of us over 60 remember - Jck Jones, Kagan, Harold Wilson etc. Good to see that the British CP was completely penetrated by the spooks!" — Ian (5 out of 5 stars)
"Excellent history of MI5. Particularly interesting are the chapters of post-war activities and the mention of names which those of us over 60 remember - Jck Jones, Kagan, Harold Wilson etc. Good to see that the British CP was completely penetrated by the spooks!"
" I wish "Defend the Realm" had been twice as long & even more detailed. I could not get enough & I can't want to read some of Professor Andrew's other works. "
" Incredibly detailed to the point where it becomes difficult to wade through it all. "
" A biblical-length examination of the secret service that leaves NO stone unturned. But its extraordinary page count does mean that it isn't an easy or light read. Be warned: this will take considerable stamina. "
" The research was very well done. I found it transfixing. "
" Germans, and French, and Americans, and Italians, and Irish, and Indians, and Malaysians, and more Irish, and, and, and English!! "
" Interesting read but occasionally a little heavy on the organisational details. "
" Brilliant man and amazing professor!! Easy read, informative, and a major plus it has funny anecdotes because this stuff can be very dry. "
" More of a administrative history rather than an operational history. Those parts that described their operations were really interesting - particularly the operations during WWII, the Cold War, and against the IRA. "
" It started in such a way I thought of keystone cops. Then every spy film had elements that were mentioned. I enjoyed Christopher Andrews amusing style of writing, he certainly helped to keep what could have become extremely dry from becoming so. "
" This is a fascinating insight into areas I did not know about. It colours in areas of history I knew about but gives a different perspective. Its more a project to get through. I dip in and out. "
" Heavy going but interesting in parts. "
" Looks daunting... it's a big book.... "
" Hard work but interesting. I originally started to read it to see how many people I knew were mentioned in it. 4 so far. Its not the sort of book you read at one go. I keep picking it up and putting it down. Still not actually finished it. "
" Very interesting history of MI5, Britain's internal security service. Can be a bit draggy at times for us yanks who are not familiar with all of the political players, but there is a lot of good stuff here. "
" Just looked at the pics! "
" This took an awful lot of work, but it certainly seemed complete. There were mentions of failures as well as successes, which leads me to trust in its accuracy. "
" This is a bulky book. More like a doorstop but readable. I'd have given it more stars but it was authorised by the organisation (MI5) that it discusses so I guess you have to ask whether it's really independent or a puff job. "
" A fascinating insight into MI5 and the history of intel. "
" Very interesting study of the history of MI5--definitely a work that students of either British history or intelligence should read. "
" An excellent review, covering the entire history of the Security Service. Definitely worth the read for those who want a well developed perspective of MI5. "
Christopher Andrew is professor of modern and contemporary history and chair of the History Department at Cambridge University, a former visiting professor of national security at Harvard, a frequent guest lecturer at other US universities and a regular host of BBC radio and TV programs. His books—which include Her Majesty’s Secret Service; KGB: The Inside Story (with Oleg Gordievsky); and For the President’s Eyes Only—have established him as one of the world’s leading authorities on intelligence history.
Robin Sachs (1951–2013), actor and narrator, was raised in London and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His audiobook narrations earned ten Earphones Awards. His acting credits include Alias, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dynasty, Nowhere Man, Babylon 5, Diagnosis Murder, Galaxy Quest, Northfork, Ocean’s 11, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, and Megalodon.
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