Christopher Andrew
Spies Like Us
The reappearance, almost eighty years after it was banned, of the uncensored version of Greek Memories, Compton Mackenzie’s memoir of his time as MI6 – then MI1(c) – head of station in Athens in the middle of the First World War, is something of a literary event. Its original publication in 1932 led to Mackenzie's conviction under the Official Secrets Act.
Among Mackenzie’s alleged offences was to have revealed the identity of the first Chief of MI6, Sir Mansfield Cumming. When Mackenzie was posted to Athens, even he did not know Cumming’s identity and was told to refer to the Chief simply as ‘C’ (a designation still used by today’s
Sign Up to our newsletter
Receive free articles, highlights from the archive, news, details of prizes, and much more.@Lit_Review
Follow Literary Review on Twitter
Delighted to take up the challenge of a whistle stop tour of that most, er, appropriate topic for a cleric- the history of bad language for @Lit_Review all without doing a swear. https://literaryreview.co.uk/fornicating-under-consent-of-king
‘The Secret Powers of a Swagger Stick’ - my review of Giles Milton’s (@GilesMilton1) masterful narrative ‘Checkmate in Berlin’ has just been published in Literary Review (@Lit_Review). Hope you enjoy it. Read the incredible story of Brit stick V Red Army! https://literaryreview.co.uk/the-secret-powers-of-a-swagger-stick
'We women are peculiar creatures,' says Briseis in Pat Barker's new #TheWomenofTroy. 'We tend not to love those who murder our families.' The novel – less plot- than character-driven – has the atmosphere of a short story https://literaryreview.co.uk/sufferings-of-helen @Lit_Review @PenguinUKBooks