false 6598946 1 An unprecedented publishing event: to mark the centenary of its foundation, the British Security Service, MI5, has for the first time opened its archives to an independent historian. The book reveals the precise role of the Security Service in twentieth-century British history, from its foundation by Captain Kell of the British Army in October 1909, through two world wars, up to and including its present roles in counterespionage and counterterrorism. The book describes how MI5 has been managed, what its relationship has been with government, where it has triumphed, and where it has failed. In all of this no restriction has been placed on the judgments made by the author.<br><br><i>Defend the Realm </i>also reveals the identities of previously unknown enemies of the United Kingdom whose activities have been uncovered by the Service, adds significantly to our knowledge of many celebrated events and notorious individuals, and definitively lays to rest a number of persistent myths. Above all, it shows the place of this previously extremely secretive organization within the United Kingdom. Few books could make such an immediate and extraordinary increase to our understanding of British history over the past century. 6792771 20 10 2009 Defend the Realm: The Official History of MI5 0 0 30 0 0 0 false false Thu Nov 26 17:48:38 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 26 17:48:38 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Wed Nov 25 16:04:50 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 25 16:04:50 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Wed Nov 25 06:40:07 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 25 06:40:07 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Sat Nov 21 12:29:10 -0800 2009 Sat Nov 21 12:29:10 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Nov 19 11:36:43 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 19 11:36:43 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Wed Nov 18 11:48:04 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 18 11:48:04 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Wed Nov 18 11:45:08 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 18 11:45:11 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Sun Nov 15 17:17:46 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 15 17:17:46 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Sun Nov 15 14:36:00 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 15 14:36:00 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Nov 12 21:57:19 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 12 21:57:19 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Nov 12 14:34:30 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 12 14:34:44 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Nov 12 05:56:04 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 12 05:56:04 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Wed Nov 11 19:29:16 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 11 19:29:16 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Wed Nov 11 09:43:40 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 11 09:43:40 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Tue Nov 10 17:11:04 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 10 17:11:04 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Tue Nov 10 16:28:07 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 10 16:28:07 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Tue Nov 10 11:24:16 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 10 11:24:16 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Tue Nov 10 09:32:18 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 10 09:32:18 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Tue Nov 10 08:38:45 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 10 08:38:45 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Tue Nov 10 08:14:01 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 10 08:14:01 -0800 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=6598946