The Secret History of the Five Eyes

The first published account of the Five Eyes, the elite spy network created by Britain and the United States that industrialised espionage operations.

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'Gripping and shocking' - Tim Shipman, author of All Out War
'An extraordinary development' - The Times
'An impressively detailed account of a remarkable alliance' - Jeremy Bowen, The New Statesman



The Times best political books of 2022


Despite being one of the world's most powerful intelligence networks, the Five Eyes has been steeped in secrecy since its formation in 1956. The international intelligence collaboration between Britain, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, has shaped global events since its inception - and continues to do so to this day.

Over eight decades, the alliance's agencies, including the CIA, FBI, MI5, MI6, GCHQ, and ASIO, have swapped secrets and tradecraft, and pooled resources. From Nazi hunters and World War II codebreakers, to spymasters and political leaders embroiled in the recent security crisis around Russia and Ukraine, they have shared a common purpose and common enemy, in spite of a mutual mistrust.

In this revised and updated edition, Richard Kerbaj expertly weaves together stories of this extraordinary alliance and the unlikely cast of characters who have played a crucial role in its history. Impeccably researched and including interviews with world leaders and intelligence officials, The Secret History of the Five Eyes is a major contribution to the literature of international intelligence.

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'This thought-provoking and informative book suggests that the era of globetrotting lone agents such as James Bond is long gone.' - Sydney Morning Herald

'The stories Kerbaj tells reveal ... a story of failure - of missing warnings that could have prevented atrocities, of misusing intelligence to start a war' - Observer

'Scintillating ... full of scoops ... by focusing on the human relationships which are the beating heart of the Five Eyes, Kerbaj has made a singular contribution to the intelligence discourse. It's a service to democracy.' - The Australian

'Kerbaj ... has chronicled the history of the Fives Eyes spy network. His list of interviewees speaks for itself - several former heads of MI5, MI6, GCHQ, the CIA, four former British and Australian prime ministers, and myriad other current and former spooks. But this account is unencumbered by any sense of an agreed or official narrative (the usual price for this level of journalistic access).' - Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall Editor, The Sunday Times

'Sensational' - Nigel Nelson, Political Editor, The Mirror

'An impressively detailed account of a remarkable alliance' - Jeremy Bowen, The New Statesman

'Examines decades of intelligence sharing' - The Telegraph

'Reopen[s] the debate' - The Times

'Explosive' - The World News