For King and Kaiser: On His Majesty’s Secret Service

 What are the origins of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service? Who are the key characters who may have directly or indirectly influenced Ian Fleming and his 007 novels? A new book published by The National Archives in south west London delves into the early years of both the Secret Service (MI6), which is responsible for intelligence operations abroad, and its sister organisation the Security Service (MI5), which is responsible for domestic counter-espionage.

The new hardback, ‘Spies of the First World War: Under cover For King and Kaiser’, by best-selling crime author James Morton (The National Archives, 2010), tells the story of how spying was carried out across Europe during the First World War and the colourful characters and underhand methods involved. It explores the formation of MI5 and MI6, the pre-War German spy networks in England, and the pre-war and wartime intelligence operations of England, Germany, Belgium and France. There is also information on the key spymasters, the main female spies, the codes and code-breaking, and fresh research on the German spies who operated in America and in the British colony of India. Ranging from the famous spies, such as Sidney Reilly (a highly successful proto-Bond type figure until he was shot by the Russians) through to lesser known professionals and amateur adventurers, Morton’s book tries to pin down why such a diverse range of people came to risk their lives – for money, romance, love of danger, patriotism and so on.

According to the publisher’s blurb: ‘The first English officer amateur spies are featured along with their frequently flamboyant French, Belgian and German counterparts – from the hunchback dentist Wilhelm Klauer to the Grande (and lesser) horizontals such as Mata Hari. So too are their controllers such as authors John Buchan and Somerset Maugham and men like Richard Tinsley who oversaw a network of some 2000 spies from Holland’.

For those who were fascinated by the similar work of Dr. Andrew Cook (revealed in July, 2009, in the documentary ‘The Real Goldfinger’, narrated by Honor Blackman), Morton’s book also offers information on the Secret Service Bureau (the forerunner of both MI5 and MI6). This was run by former Special Branch chief Sir William Melville who, interestingly, always signed himself as ‘M’.

‘Spies of the First World War: Under cover for King and Kaiser’, by James Morton (May, 2010), is published by The National Archives (ISBN: 9781905615469, Hardback). James Morton, a former defence lawyer, is also the author of numerous books on crime and organised crime.