Empire of Secrets:British Intelligence, the Cold War and the Twilight of Empire by: Calder Walton
Hardcover. NY, Overlook Press, 1st US, 2013, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. Against the background of the Cold War, and the looming spectre of Soviet-sponsored subversion in Britain's dwindling colonial possessions, the imperial intelligence service MI5 played a crucial but top secret role in passing power to newly independent national states across the globe. Walton reveals this `missing link' in Britain's post-war history. He sheds light on everything from violent counter-insurgencies fought by British forces in the jungles of Malaya and Kenya, to urban warfare campaigns conducted in Palestine and the Arabian Peninsula. Draws on (among other sources) records from the Foreign Office's secret archive at Hanslope Park, which contains some of the darkest and most shameful secrets from the last days of Britain's empire. 411 pages, b&w illustrations. Clean copy.