Spycatcher

Spycatcher
AuthorPeter Wright (with Paul Greengrass)
LanguageEnglish
SubjectEspionage
PublisherHeinemann (Australia)
Publication date
31 July 1987
Pages392
ISBN0-670-82055-5
OCLC17234291
327.1/2/0924 B 19

Spycatcher: The Candid Autobiography of a Senior Intelligence Officer (1987) is a memoir written by Peter Wright, former MI5 officer and Assistant Director, and co-author Paul Greengrass. He drew on his own experiences and research into the history of the British intelligence community. Published first in Australia, the book was banned in England (but not Scotland) due to its allegations about government policy and incidents. These efforts ensured the book's notoriety, and it earned considerable profit for Wright.[1]

In 2021 and 2023, the Cabinet Office was still blocking or redacting freedom of information requests for files on the Spycatcher affair despite the rule that documents should be released after 30 years.[2][3] Information belonging to the security services is absolutely exempted from the Freedom of Information Act.

  1. ^ Zuckerman, Laurence (17 August 1987). "How Not to Silence a Spy". Time. Time Warner. Archived from the original on 8 February 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2008.
  2. ^ Ungoed-Thomas, Jon (27 November 2021). "UK officials still blocking Peter Wright's 'embarrassing' Spycatcher files". The Guardian.
  3. ^ Norton-Taylor, Richard (29 December 2023). "I've worked for decades to reveal the truth about the 'Wilson plot'. But the cover-up continues". The Guardian.