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Uniquely among modern British statesmen, Churchill believed passionately in the value of secret intelligence both in peace and war. Shaped by his experiences as a war correspondent and soldier, he helped ensure the passing of the Official Secrets Act of 1911, and was the first Home Secretary to authorise general warrants for the secret interception of mail. As wartime Prime Minister he built a centralised intelligence community, created the Special Operations Executive to work behind enemy lines, and with Roosevelt built the transatlantic intelligence alliance that endures to this day. Based on wide-ranging sources, many never explored or only recently released, the book offers an intriguing insight into both modern intelligence and the mind and character of Churchill himself.
book reviews
- Andrew Lycett, Sunday Times
‘A fascinating narrative and a scholarly exegesis of the development of modern British intelligence.’ - Bernard Porter, Times Literary Supplement
‘Its originality lies in its perspective… this is a tremendously well-written book. David Stafford really has added a new dimension to our understanding of the man.' - Zara Steiner, New York Times Book Review
‘Well told and solidly grounded in archival and secondary sources…the sum total is original and enlightening.’ - Kirkus Reviews
‘A first-rate and, what is more remarkable, an original contribution to Churchilliana, of sure interest to students of Churchill, modern history, or military intelligence.’
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