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GCHQ

Centenary Edition

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GCHQ

By: Richard Aldrich
Narrated by: Peter Noble
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FULLY UPDATED CENTENARY EDITION

‘An important book’ Max Hastings, Sunday Times

‘An intriguing history of covert surveillance … thoroughly engaging’ Daily Telegraph

GCHQ is the largest and most secretive intelligence organisation in the UK, and has existed for 100 years – but we still know next to nothing about it.

In this ground-breaking book – the first and most definitive history of the organisation ever published – intelligence expert Richard Aldrich traces GCHQ’s development from a wartime code-breaking operation based in the Bedfordshire countryside into one of the world leading espionage organisations.

Packed with dramatic spy stories, GCHQ also explores the organisation’s role behind the most alarming headlines of our time, from fighting ISIS to cyberterrorism, from the surveillance state to Russian hacking. Revelatory, brilliantly written and fully updated, this is the crucial missing link in Britain’s intelligence history.

 20th Century Espionage Freedom & Security Military Military & War Modern Politics & Government True Crime War Russia Imperialism United Kingdom Middle Ages Iran Soviet Union Middle East Surveillance
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Critic reviews

‘Richard J. Aldrich is an outstanding analyst and historian of intelligence and he tells this story well…an important book, which will make readers think uncomfortably not only about the state’s power to monitor our lives, but also the appalling vulnerability of every society in thrall to communications technology as we are.’ Max Hastings, Sunday Times
‘An intriguing history of covert surveillance … thoroughly engaging’ Daily Telegraph
‘Skilfully weaves together the personal, political, military and technological dimensions of electronic espionage’ Economist
‘Aldrich packs in vast amounts of information, while managing to remain very readable. He paints the broad picture, but also introduces fascinating detail’ Literary Review
‘This is a sober and valuable work of scholarship, which is as reliable as anything ever is in the twilight world of intelligence-gathering. Yet there is nothing dry about it. Aldrich knows how to write for a wider audience, while avoiding the speculations, inventions, sensationalism and sheer silliness of so much modern work on the subject’ Spectator
‘Aldrich has taken a decade to produce the first substantial account of the agency's history, and this superlative book packs in vast amounts of information, yet remains wonderfully readable. He has dug up a massive amount of fascinating detail’ The Week, Book of the Week
‘Richard Aldrich, an accomplished cold war intelligence historian, has taken a decade to produce the first substantial account of what is known about the agency, and what can be gleaned from the recently released official archive’ Duncan Campbell, New Statesman
All stars
Most relevant
What an insight, this history of how the state craves and manages knowledge is fascinating. The overall expense of running the gathering of information via governmental and complicit non-governmental organisations is mind-boggling. A thoroughly enjoyable listen to a well crafted history of a constantly evolving organ of the state. Thank goodness it was not written with grudges and opinions.

We’re all doomed….

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Many surprising facts about the goings-on in the British secret services. It was another of those books which you're keen to get back to for the next part of the story. Well written and well read. I enjoyed every chapter.

Very interesting

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I would recommend this subtle and proud history of GCHQ to anyone looking to appreciate what different intelligence services do and what they value which may not be what you were expecting…

As close as you will get to the truth

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this required proper concentration not a book you could do other things alongside. fascinating though.

interesting

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I was hoping for something geeky but this a very detailed history book that has almost no technological detail

Well written, deep, but lacks technical detail

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