Defend the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5 [Paperback]

For over 100 years, the agents of MI5 have defended Britain against enemy subversion. Their work has remained shrouded in secrecy—until now. This first-ever authorized account reveals the British Security Service as never before: its inner workings, its clandestine operations, its failures and its triumphs.

“Penetrating. . . . Inestimably valuable. . . . Fills in a chapter of history that has been unjustly neglected.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“Fascinating and instructive. . . . As complete and thorough as such a history may be and as engrossing as any spy novel.”
—Los Angeles Times

“Unprecedented. . . . Weighty, measured and compelling. . . . With this book, the author has done a formidably good job for both the service and the public interest.”
—Max Hastings,The Sunday Times(London)

“As gripping as any thriller. . . . Throws new light on an important area of the running of the country, analysing the changing threats to national security over the 100 years and discussing the appropriateness or otherwise of the service’s response. . . . It will be enthusiastically scrutinised by historians, intelligence buffs and conspiracy theorists.”
—Stella Rimington,Financial Times

“Tantalizing. . . . Meticulous and extensive. . . . This book is unlikely to be surpassed for another 100 years, and until then will be the necessary starting point for anyone who wants to know what, exactly, MI5 is.”
—The Daily Telegraph(London)

“A tour de force: a dazzlingly detailed account. . . . Andrew [is] remarkably candid.”
—Tulsa World

“Andrew has demonstrated why he is considered by most of his peers to be the world’s leading intelligence scholar. His mastery of sources and ability to write so clearly is second to none.”
—The RallC-