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Amazon.co.uk Review
You have to admire the cheek of Open Secret's author Stella Rimington. After a career spanning 25 years in MI5, during which she was more than happy for the Official Secrets Acts to be used to the government's advantage, she is now outraged that attempts should have been made to block publication of her memoirs and is calling for the act to be reformed. In an extended preface to Open Secret, Rimington writes of her encounter with Cabinet secretary, Sir Richard Wilson, "By the end of an hour or so of being threatened, bullied and cajoled in the more-in-sorrow-than-in-anger way the Establishment behaves to its recalcitrant sons and, as I now know, daughters, I was very shaken". One wonders what else she expected? The thought of any former director-general of MI5 writing his or her memoirs was bound to have disturbed the security services and, compared to many, Rimington got off lightly. But then, whatever else she might think, Rimington is still very much an Establishment woman. She submitted her manuscript for vetting, took out one or two edgy bits, and as she disarmingly points out, there are no revelations about the inner workings of the intelligence services. When she gets to any contentious issues, such as MI5's role in infiltrating CND and breaking the miners' strike, all she has to say is that MI5 never did anything wrong, that that those who say otherwise are conspiracy theorists and that we'll just have to take her word for it because she's right. The portrait that emerges of a bunch of mildly incompetent bureaucrats who wouldn't say boo to a goose does no favours to Rimington or MI5. The books does have its moments, particularly those describing a woman isolated in an almost exclusively male world, but its real significance lies in the fact it was published at all. If the director-general is allowed to go public, there's precious little to stop the MI5 foot soldiers doing likewise. And when they do, the skeletons that Rimington has kept firmly locked in the cupboard might start to come tumbling out. --John Crace
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
The memoirs of the former head of MI5 who worked from 1965 to 1996 in all the main fields of the Service's activities - counter subversion, counter-espionage and counter-terrorism and successively became Director of all three branches.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As the book progressed my disappointment grew at the content. I expect autobiographies of high achieving people who think the world revolves around them to fill the first few chapters with decidedly uninteresting personal history - although my theory that achievement arises from hardship or trauma in childhood - was born out. Stella is interesting about the fear and privations of a wartime child who lived through the blitz in Liverpool and Barrow and about the effects of the first world war injury on her father. But this book never flowered.
Some of the descriptions of the reaction of the KGB on a visit to Moscow post fall of the Berlin Wall are interesting and the difficulties of operating a Security Service in a democracy are thought provoking. Where do you draw the line between acceptable domestic protest and actions designed to undermine democracy and elected government - for example at the time of the miner's strike and Aurthur Scargill versus Maggie Thatcher? Some of the management issues of running and organisation like the MI5, I found interesting. Her complimentary comments on Whitehall and the calibre of civil servants and the difficult job they did were refreshing.
But there is so little about the IRA campaign which clearly became the major preoccupation of the MI5 post Cold War or of the growth of concern of terrorism (although she retired before Al Quaeda hit the headlines).
It is only when you read the Postcript that you realise why it is such an unsatisfactory book. For the ex head of MI5 to write an autobiography was a cause of agonising in Whitehall. The book clearly spent 6 months being circulated in government and civil service circles with everybody cutting out the bit they did not like or they regarded as compromising.
Some of the descriptions of the reaction of the KGB on a visit to Moscow post fall of the Berlin Wall are interesting and the difficulties of operating a Security Service in a democracy are thought provoking. Where do you draw the line between acceptable domestic protest and actions designed to undermine democracy and elected government - for example at the time of the miner's strike and Aurthur Scargill versus Maggie Thatcher? Some of the management issues of running and organisation like the MI5, I found interesting. Her complimentary comments on Whitehall and the calibre of civil servants and the difficult job they did were refreshing.
But there is so little about the IRA campaign which clearly became the major preoccupation of the MI5 post Cold War or of the growth of concern of terrorism (although she retired before Al Quaeda hit the headlines).
It is only when you read the Postcript that you realise why it is such an unsatisfactory book. For the ex head of MI5 to write an autobiography was a cause of agonising in Whitehall. The book clearly spent 6 months being circulated in government and civil service circles with everybody cutting out the bit they did not like or they regarded as compromising.
22 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I expected more insight into the workings of MI5 than this book provides. You have to remember when buying this book that this woman has lived a life that is far longer than the time spent in MI5, and well over half of the book is dedicated to that life. Whilst I found it a pleasant read, it wasn't the gripping tale of machinations within MI5 that I'd hoped. I suppose it was only to be expected, as it would never have found it's way to the publishing house if it contained anything meaty about MI5.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I purchased this book after hearing an interview with Ms. Rimington on BBC 4, and I must say, I found her engaging both on the radio and in print. She is a talented writer, whose eventful life--from childhood during the blitz, through her days as a diplomatic wife in India; her experiences as an archivist; and her almost accidental career in MI5 [the old-school-tie male bastion which she penetrated with panache]--is related with considerable charm and humor (essential requirements for being an effective spy).
On the back of the book, under a series of rave blurbs is a negative one by an individual of the male persuasion, whose non-endorsement guaranteed my determination to read the book. And I quote: "The most effective Secret Service is the one which is secret. She should shut up."
Well, that horse was stolen from the barn years ago, and the service that once dared not speak its name has long since--thanks to ex-intelligence officers writing their memoirs right and left--become the service that will not shut up!
Stella Rimington, the intelligent woman who made it to the director-generalship of MI5, adds a refreshing perspective to the male-dominated literature of British intelligence.
On the back of the book, under a series of rave blurbs is a negative one by an individual of the male persuasion, whose non-endorsement guaranteed my determination to read the book. And I quote: "The most effective Secret Service is the one which is secret. She should shut up."
Well, that horse was stolen from the barn years ago, and the service that once dared not speak its name has long since--thanks to ex-intelligence officers writing their memoirs right and left--become the service that will not shut up!
Stella Rimington, the intelligent woman who made it to the director-generalship of MI5, adds a refreshing perspective to the male-dominated literature of British intelligence.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
another very interesting read.
The title of the book stimulated me sufficiently to want to read it. I was not disappointed.
Published 22 months ago by gilbert
Very interesting and refreshingly conspiracy-free
A well written and very interesting insider's account of working at all levels in the Security Service during a period of huge change within and outside the Service. Read more
Published on 15 May 2010 by John Hopper
Woman's Hour Meets James Bond?
There are, broadly, two types of "secret state" or intelligence and security memoir. The first type contains lots of details of actual operations and of the workings of their... Read more
Published on 28 May 2009 by Ian Millard
Slow start but very worthwhile
Despite the headline I have given, this book is interesting throughout. The reason I have said it starts slowly is that the first part of the book does not deal with Ms... Read more
Published on 21 Dec 2007 by Mr X
avoid
I would recommend you purchase 'Spies, Lies and Whistleblowers' instead for a more realistic and earthy view of MI5.
Published on 18 Nov 2007 by Tre Mendous
Less threat-analysis, more biographical
The preface to the paperback edition of Open Secret talks of the challenges the security forces face combatting global terrorism. Read more
Published on 16 Jun 2003 by Curns
No hesitation in recommending as a biography
This is a biography of the woman who ran MI5. It isn't a novel by Tom Clancy and it isn't a full analysis of the structure and methods of the Security Services. Read more
Published on 11 Oct 2002 by Mike
Can the controversy really have been all spin and hype?
...I too found this book rather inane. So much of it deals with sexism within MI5, babysitter problems, housing troubles etc, that one neither gets to know the author particularly... Read more
Published on 2 Sep 2002 by Alnista Capital Management Ltd
If you're expecting James Bond - dont bother.
Unlike several reviewers buying this book I didn't expect the inner secrets of MI5 to be revealed.... Read more
Published on 3 Feb 2002 by "rachellmccann"
Easy to read - not much given away
I awaited this book but was a little disappointed. I don't know whether it was to do with the editing or Mrs Rimington's writing style but for an autobiography, interesting... Read more
Published on 8 Jan 2002 by fi_paine@hotmail.com
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