To Catch a Spy
How the Spycatcher Affair Brought MI5 in from the Cold
Published on 15. August 2024
Book
Hardback
400 pages
978-1-83773-117-6 (ISBN)
Description
The Spycatcher affair remains one of the most intriguing moments in the history of British intelligence and a pivotal point in the public's relationship with the murky world of espionage and security. It lifted the lid on alleged Soviet infiltration of British institutions and revealed a culture of law-breaking, bugging and burgling. But how much do we know about the story behind the scandal?
In To Catch a Spy, Tim Tate reveals the astonishing true story of the British government's attempts to silence whistleblower Peter Wright and hide the truth about Britain's intelligence services and political elites. It's a story of state-sanctioned cover-up plots; of the government lying to Parliament and courts around the world; and of stories leaked with the intention to mislead and deceive.
This is a tale of high treason and low farce. Drawing on thousands of pages of previously unpublished court transcripts, the contents of secret British government files, and original interviews with many of the key players in the Spycatcher trials, it draws back the curtain on a hidden world. A world where spies, politicians and Britain's most senior civil servants conspired to ride roughshod over the law, prevented the public from hearing about their actions and mounted a cynical conspiracy to deceive the world. It is the story of Peter Wright's ruthless and often lawless obsession to uncover Russian spies, both real and imagined, his belated determination to reveal the truth and the lengths to which the British government would go to silence him.
In To Catch a Spy, Tim Tate reveals the astonishing true story of the British government's attempts to silence whistleblower Peter Wright and hide the truth about Britain's intelligence services and political elites. It's a story of state-sanctioned cover-up plots; of the government lying to Parliament and courts around the world; and of stories leaked with the intention to mislead and deceive.
This is a tale of high treason and low farce. Drawing on thousands of pages of previously unpublished court transcripts, the contents of secret British government files, and original interviews with many of the key players in the Spycatcher trials, it draws back the curtain on a hidden world. A world where spies, politicians and Britain's most senior civil servants conspired to ride roughshod over the law, prevented the public from hearing about their actions and mounted a cynical conspiracy to deceive the world. It is the story of Peter Wright's ruthless and often lawless obsession to uncover Russian spies, both real and imagined, his belated determination to reveal the truth and the lengths to which the British government would go to silence him.
Reviews / Votes
Tim Tate unpicks the fascinating complexity of the Spycatcher affair. In a wilderness of mirrors, the worst betrayal was in Number 10. * Honourable Malcolm Turnbull * Tim Tate reveals an extraordinary tale of spying scandals, mixed with Government skulduggery, which spiralled out of control and turned into a prolonged and very English farce. * Rt. Hon. Neil (Lord) Kinnock, former leader of Labour Party (1983-1992) * Tate lifts the lid on one of the most controversial periods of MI5's history, an era when MI5 sought to silence its very own spycatcher. * Dr Helen Fry, author of Women in Intelligence * Researched like an intelligence officer, argued like a barrister, and as engaging and intriguing as a Le Carre, Tate presents a critical and compelling analysis which makes for both a fascinating and disturbing portrayal of how a government treated truth, justice, and public accountability with disdain. * Simon Ball, International Association For Intelligence Education European Chapter * Tim Tate uses hitherto unpublished court evidence and withheld official files to charge the Thatcher government with deception * Country Life * What a story it is ... I'm grateful to Mr Tate for reminding us of this important and occasionally comic episode. * Lobster * An enthralling account of the paranoias of Cold War Britain. * Nick Cohen * Impressive and well sourced account. * Literary Review * Tate appraises this abundant material in an even way and initiates readers into the arcana of cabinet government. He writes with commanding authority and draws conclusions about state secrecy that seem irrefutable. He is inexorable. * Times Literary Supplement * Cogently and comprehensively lays out the inconsistency, duplicity, stubbornness, and shortsightedness of London's wasteful and futile effort to suppress Wright's book ....Tate's book makes easy reading, as he has the documentarian's narrative flair for clear prose and teasers and grabbers to close and open successive chapters * Studies in Intelligence *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Duxford
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 242 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 33 mm
Weight
676 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-83773-117-6 (9781837731176)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Tim Tate is a multi-award-winning documentary film-maker, investigative journalist and best-selling author. Over a career spanning 45 years he has written for most national newspapers and made more than 80 documentaries for British and international broadcasters. His films have been honoured by Amnesty International, the Royal Television Society, UNESCO, the International Documentary Association, the Association for International Broadcasting, the [US] National Academy of Cable Broadcasting and the New York Festivals.
He is the author of 18 published non-fiction books. His most recent work, The Spy Who Was Left Out In The Cold (Transworld, UK/St Martin's Press, US) uncovered the secret history of Cold War superspy Michal Goleniewski. Hitler's British Traitors (Icon Books) revealed the untold story of espionage, sabotage and treachery by pro-Nazi British fascists during the Second World War. It was selected as Book of The Week by The Times. His 2018 book Hitler's Forgotten Children (Elliott & Thompson), which told the story of the Nazi Lebensborn program through the life of one of its victims, Ingrid von Oelhafen, has been translated into twelve languages and published in 16 countries. Tim is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
He is the author of 18 published non-fiction books. His most recent work, The Spy Who Was Left Out In The Cold (Transworld, UK/St Martin's Press, US) uncovered the secret history of Cold War superspy Michal Goleniewski. Hitler's British Traitors (Icon Books) revealed the untold story of espionage, sabotage and treachery by pro-Nazi British fascists during the Second World War. It was selected as Book of The Week by The Times. His 2018 book Hitler's Forgotten Children (Elliott & Thompson), which told the story of the Nazi Lebensborn program through the life of one of its victims, Ingrid von Oelhafen, has been translated into twelve languages and published in 16 countries. Tim is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.