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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This is one of those books that I came to late in the game, but after perusing the first page of "Spycatcher", I couldn't put it down for three days! One of the reasons that I resisted reading it was that various espionage writers have criticized the book for its inaccuracies (So he got the date of Philby's interrogation wrong!). I am actually glad that I read the thesaurus of other espionage books including "The Second Oldest Profession," "The Crown Jewels," "My Silent War," "The Philby Files," "Anthony Blunt," (etc.) first, because by the time I read "Spycatcher," I was thoroughly familiar with the multifarious cast of characters. However, as much as I have enjoyed other espionage books, "Spycatcher" surpasses them in one respect: it gives details of tradecraft--now certainly outdated, but nevertheless fascinating--that are impossible in an account of Philby or Blunt who, by necessity, had to remain silent about the fine particulars of their work in intelligence--whether Soviet or British (In "Crown Jewels," Mr. West gives us a glimpse at such details, which the opening of the KGB archives has made accessible.).
Peter Wright lets the reader peek over his shoulder as he installs--what were at that time--sophisticated bugs behind convincing false doors at midnight. He also gives the reader a good chuckle when such operations go disastrously awry and floors collapse or cables are cut, and the work has to begin all over again.
The author writes a wry account of brazen Russian agents importuning numerous passers-by in various London parks in an effort to "turn" them into Soviet assets, until the police, at Wright's instigation, out-brazen the agents by threatening to arrest them for harassment of British subjects. He also informs us of MI5's system of Watchers, who were posted all over London and its environs, whose chief duty was to tail diplomats and cypher clerks from the Soviet embassy (A memorable moment occurs when 105 Russians are declared PNG and expelled from Britain in 1971--an event I recall seeing on television.).
The author's anecdote of Klop Ustinov (actor Peter's father), who had served British Intelligence so faithfully and effectively (at great peril) throughout World War II, and who was living in penury without a pension, is particularly poignant, probably to highlight Wright's own predicament in the pension department at the end of his career (Desmond Bristow of SIS relates a similar story of official cheese-paring in "A Game of Moles.").
The thrust of "Spycatcher" is to build a case against Roger Hollis, the former Director General of MI5, who was at the helm when so many of Wright's operations went wrong. Whether Hollis was a Soviet agent or not (Bristow, who believed that the British intelligence agencies were riddled with Soviet penetration agents, echoes Wright's suspicions in "A Game of Moles."), Peter Wright builds an intriguing circumstantial case against him, noting that the leaks to the Russians and the ruined operations stopped after Hollis had retired. As far as Wright was concerned, the case against Hollis was not proven but the suspicion remained. It was to haunt him the rest of his life.
Peter Wright lets the reader peek over his shoulder as he installs--what were at that time--sophisticated bugs behind convincing false doors at midnight. He also gives the reader a good chuckle when such operations go disastrously awry and floors collapse or cables are cut, and the work has to begin all over again.
The author writes a wry account of brazen Russian agents importuning numerous passers-by in various London parks in an effort to "turn" them into Soviet assets, until the police, at Wright's instigation, out-brazen the agents by threatening to arrest them for harassment of British subjects. He also informs us of MI5's system of Watchers, who were posted all over London and its environs, whose chief duty was to tail diplomats and cypher clerks from the Soviet embassy (A memorable moment occurs when 105 Russians are declared PNG and expelled from Britain in 1971--an event I recall seeing on television.).
The author's anecdote of Klop Ustinov (actor Peter's father), who had served British Intelligence so faithfully and effectively (at great peril) throughout World War II, and who was living in penury without a pension, is particularly poignant, probably to highlight Wright's own predicament in the pension department at the end of his career (Desmond Bristow of SIS relates a similar story of official cheese-paring in "A Game of Moles.").
The thrust of "Spycatcher" is to build a case against Roger Hollis, the former Director General of MI5, who was at the helm when so many of Wright's operations went wrong. Whether Hollis was a Soviet agent or not (Bristow, who believed that the British intelligence agencies were riddled with Soviet penetration agents, echoes Wright's suspicions in "A Game of Moles."), Peter Wright builds an intriguing circumstantial case against him, noting that the leaks to the Russians and the ruined operations stopped after Hollis had retired. As far as Wright was concerned, the case against Hollis was not proven but the suspicion remained. It was to haunt him the rest of his life.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I found the book quite interesting and entertaining to read. Although at times I was struggling to keep up with all the names of people and organizations.
I have no idea whether everything in the book is true but assuming most of it is quite close to reality the book gives a good insight into what MI5 was like 40 years ago.
I have no idea whether everything in the book is true but assuming most of it is quite close to reality the book gives a good insight into what MI5 was like 40 years ago.
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I had been meaning to read this book for years but have only just got around to it. I found the book intensely interesting and at times, when Wright is describing specific intelligence operations, quite exciting. Peter Wright it must be said is a driven man and it certainly shows in this book. Frederick Forsyth said that Wright was paranoid and bitter, apparently he only wrote the book because he was angry about his pension arrangements.
But whatever his motives may have been Wright has written a fascinating account of secret service life. The account of his meeting in Washington with J. Edgar Hoover is really gripping, Hoover hated the Brits apparently. Also intriguing is the way in which a large section of MI5 was only too happy to conspire against the Labour government of the time, proving that Harold Wilson was not being paranoid himself when he spoke of dark plots against him.
If you are in the least bit interested in the history of the British secret services then this book is surely a must-read.
But whatever his motives may have been Wright has written a fascinating account of secret service life. The account of his meeting in Washington with J. Edgar Hoover is really gripping, Hoover hated the Brits apparently. Also intriguing is the way in which a large section of MI5 was only too happy to conspire against the Labour government of the time, proving that Harold Wilson was not being paranoid himself when he spoke of dark plots against him.
If you are in the least bit interested in the history of the British secret services then this book is surely a must-read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Entertaining - yes, history -no
As a scholar of intelligence studies, I would like to point out that it is now generally accepted by all but a minority of conspiracy theorists that Peter Wright's book is not... Read more
Published on 15 Nov 2007 by Book Enthusiast
Interesting topic, shame about the book
A fairly revealing account of an engaging topic and the juicy details of high-level and high-profile national betrayal. Read more
Published on 15 Nov 2007 by Talc Demon
Catcher in the Spy.
Was this the least read best-seller after the Holy Bible? loads of people got it in the 80's just because Thatcher (see SpyThatcher) banned it. Read more
Published on 19 Jun 2007 by Andrew Moules
Spy Catcher
Senior members of government and their friends linked to the old soviat union.
A must buy for anyone who likes seeing into to murky world of espionage, through the eyes of one... Read more
Published on 22 Mar 2003 by "adrian64"
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