The Silent Conspiracy

This study of the reorganization of MI5 and MI6 following the end of the Cold War explores what the security services got up to in the 1980s, and whether they carry out assassinations in the '90s. It examines how spies are trained and recruited, how mail is steamed open in a department of the Royal Mail, and how British Telecom tap what the author claims is a total of 35,000 calls a year. He also asks whether, as the 21st century approaches, the security services still have a role to play, provides a full list of officers operational in MI5 in the 1980s, and exposes the secret services' role in Northern Ireland, Germany and the Gulf. Stephen Dorril's other books include "Honey Trap", about the Profumo Affair, and "Smear! Wilson and the Secret State".