Riddle me riddle me riddle me ree

In a story like this, you can chhose your side of the fence or sit on it. I'm choosing a side and it's Miss Keeler's.Her story rings true to me, and as someone who came very close to becoming the Christine Keeler of the eighties, it was the story of what had happened to her that saved me. I came to a crossroad, and took a sharp right, but I saw the seedy side of London society and it didn't seem to have changed too much. I was a secretary to a wealthy club owner, but kept outside the gates instead of walking through, turning down endless offers of flats, cars, trips to exotic locations, until it became far too tough to keep on saying variations on a theme of 'flattered but no'. No names, most of them are dead anyway.

Measuring what didn't happen to me against what did happen to Christine, I'd have no hesitation in saying that she was groomed, used and abused. Would it happen now? Re-cast with available characters and yes. Maybe not bringing down a government, but that young girls are dazzled by rank and money? Yes. Should they know better? How?

I found this account painfully convincing and I'd recommend it to anyone.

And if a Belgium arms dealer or American property developer asks you to go to Wai kiki beach, or a Park Lane Hotel, say no.. It's a dark and destructive road to walk, run or drive down. Thank you Christine.

20 people found this helpful

Lies and spies in Swinging London

The recent BBC drama series on the Profumo Affair starred Sophie Cookson as Christine Keeler, and in this audiobook Cookson narrates Keeler's memoir. It provides much more background detail on Keeler's belief that Stephen Ward, her one-time alleged pimp, was in fact a Soviet spy, though probably closer to a double agent, who ran a network of young women with the aim of luring targets into honey-traps to compromise them, and to extract secrets from them. Society osteopath Ward was probably scapegoated by the Establishment - convicted on dubious charges of living off "immoral earnings" as a kind of high society pimp, and killing himself before the conclusion of his trial. But Keeler paints an even darker picture. She felt Ward used her for espionage (she delivered secrets to the Russian Embassy, though claims she didn't know what was in the envelope). She says Ward attempted to murder her. And she believed his case was a miscarriage of justice - not that Ward was convicted, but that he was convicted of pimping and not spying. There's an understandable bitterness that runs through the book, as Keeler ends up living in a rough London housing estate called "World's End" with her son Seymour. She loses her dinner-lady job after the headteacher discovers who she is. Keeler spent a lifetime in the shadow of a scandal often credited with bringing down a Conservative government (though ironically Keeler was a lifelong Tory voter!), and became an expert on the background, reading up on the key figures. This book appears to rest largely on Keeler "filling in the blanks" - she heard and saw a lot living with Ward, but at the time might have been in the dark about the significance of the people he spent time with. How much of the book is based on subsequent study is difficult to know, but most of it seemed plausible.
She educated herself in the years that followed, even getting hold of old FBI files on her (now online). It's the remarkably destructive effect that the Profumo Affair had on the lives of just about everyone involved - and the secrecy that still surrounds it - which continue to fascinate. The narration can be a bit grating - Cookson uses the "little girl lost" accent from the TV series - and by the end I was starting to lose sympathy a little for Keeler, and to wonder if she was quite as naive as she'd always maintained. But it does provide a great picture of what was going on behind closed doors and in exclusive clubs in London in the 1960s, and as Keeler's memoir it is unmissable for anyone with an interest in the greatest sex scandal in British political history.

6 people found this helpful

The injustice is mesmerising!

It's not often I give a book 5 stars, let alone 5 in all area but this definitely disserves it. What happened to Christine Keeler was an immense miscarriage of justice not only from the establishment but from the public also. She ended up paying for mistakes she made and a young girl (because that IS what she was) and things that (through no fault of her own) were done to her for her entire life. As always the woman is a whore, slut, loose, bitch, lier, ect and the men...well they're 'Jack the lad'. I also believe that over time with the way that Christine was viewed she started to subconscious view her self in this way too which is heart breaking and she did noting wrong. she helped her friends who she loved and cared for and some she did not and was branded as a spy, danger and sex symbol. One thing that was alive then and is now is this brand that if a woman likes sex then they're the problem, IT'S FINE TO LIKE SEX, whether you have a c*do or a c**t!
READ THIS BOOK, everyone should.

4 people found this helpful

Very disappointed

Was looking forward to this but felt it lacked all credibility. I find it hard to believe that Keeler either kept a detailed diary or had a photographic memory. Soviet agents would surely be caught if their tradecraft was as bad as portrayed. Too much ghostwriter?

13 people found this helpful

The truth at last?

We finally have the facts from the main protagonist in the 'Profumo Affair '.
Although we can't guarantee the accuracy it certainly sheds logical light on the events of the time. Sadly, due to the total mistrust I, and most others, have in the 'establishment', this definitely seems to be the most likely course of events and I'm pleased she had the urge and chance to air it before she passed away.
Narration was excellent!!

3 people found this helpful

A Very Interesting Listen

It's good. I really liked it and it balances the 'otherside of the story' beautifully. Sophie Cookson is excellent and also stars in the mini series recently released by the BBC.

2 people found this helpful

Secrets and lies......

Fantastic performance and so much more than the BBC 6 part series.
At times difficult to believe the naivety of Christine but that’s with today’s viewpoint and the sixties was a very different time.
I like to believe this is a true and accurate account but also that much has been kept secret. Men have always manipulated both women and other men so this comes as no surprise. The extent of this is truly shocking as we tend to believe people (men) in power are honest but to gain those positions they can never be.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and highly recommend it.

2 people found this helpful

More evil at every turn

Yet more evil at every turn. Christine lived it. She participated in it. She suffered for it. I would rather believe her account of the events in question than those in recent publications which try to whitewash the character of Stephen Ward. What a mess. Well written and well narrated. I listened in segments. I found it all too much for one hearing.

2 people found this helpful

THE TRUTH I THINK

I CANT BELIEVE MAIN STREAM MEDIA NOT PICKED UP ON THESE NEW REVELATIONS THAT STEPHEN WARD WAS A RUSSIAN SPY BUT NOT SURE IF THEY DEEM HER NOT CREDIBLE BUT I BELIEVE HER MORE THAN WHAT THE ESTABLISHMENT SAYS HAPPENDED.

1 person found this helpful

Eye opener

packed with information and intrigue. I always thought the elites looked after each but this proves it. Christine should've been looked after all that happened.
the narrator was perfect and brought it all to life.