Empire of Secrets: British Intelligence, the Cold War, and the Twilight of Empire
In Walton’s gripping book, which contains more than enough fodder for a dozen new Hollywood spy thrillers, the darkest secrets of British espionage are brought to light. A seemingly normal South London residence, for instance, is in fact a black site where German spies are psychologically tortured. Extraordinary measures are taken to intercept and deceive the Axis Powers during WWII: training falcons to hunt and kill German carrier pigeons, hiring an illusionist to create decoy planes and tanks, and even building a fake city in North Africa. Taken straight from official records that were only recently declassified regarding British intelligence both at home and abroad in Palestine, India, South Africa, and Malaya, Walton introduces scores of previously unsung heroes and villains of the spy world while setting the record straight on the ones already made legendary by Ondaatje’s The English Patient (1992), Lawrence of Arabia, and John le Carré. If the history of the twentieth century found in textbooks is the onstage drama, this exposé is a startling peek behind the curtain. --Adam Morgan