SISies: MI6, and, A Life: A. J. Ayer (Book reviews)

John Burnes

MI6: Fifty Years of Special Operations Stephen Dorril Fourth Estate, London, 2000, £25 A Life: A. J. Ayer Ben Rogers Chatto and Windus, London, 1999, £20 Many books on intelligence matters simply rehash old ‘facts’, adding a new twist to – a slightly different interpretation of – well-known, if not necessarily well-understood, events. If ... Read more

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21 Mar

"In the widely conspiratorial US response to Covid, Kendzior sees an 'epidemic of disillusionment and distrust that stretches into paralysis'."

John Newsinger reviews Sarah Kendzior's "THEY KNEW: How a culture of conspiracy keeps America complacent."

🦞 https://www.lobster-magazine.co.uk/article/issue/88/they-knew-how-a-culture-of-conspiracy-keep-america-complacent-by-sarah-kendzior/

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21 Mar

"MacShane is obsessed with Blair, waxing lyrical about his hands, which are 'handsome and expressive, splaying his fingers out and sometimes working them into a fist to make a point'."

John Newsinger reviews the 1997-2001 diaries of Dennis MacShane.

🦞 https://www.lobster-magazine.co.uk/article/issue/88/labour-takes-power-the-denis-macshane-diaries/

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21 Mar

"Very good, nicely written, and gripping. What's really interesting is Sharman's comments about the 'Londongrad laundromat' for Russian money and consequent Russian influence on British political life"

Robin Ramsay, on Charles Beamonts's "A Spy Alone"

🦞 https://www.lobster-magazine.co.uk/article/issue/88/a-spy-alone-by-charles-beaumont/

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22 Jan

"The trail goes from Common Cause, with CIA money, into IRIS, with anti-communists and information from IRD and MI5. IRIS runs through to the mid-1970s and ends up working with Brian Crozier."

Robin Ramsay, in "The Clandestine Caucus: A minor update"

🦞 https://www.lobster-magazine.co.uk/article/issue/88/the-clandestine-caucus-a-minor-update/