Queen Mary lecture lifts lid on the world of spooks

26 October 2009

THE SECURITY Service's official historian will shine a light on the murky world of spooks at a public lecture at Queen Mary College to mark the 100th birthday of MI5.

Professor Christopher Andrew will share some secrets of the security services in the Mile End Group Lecture at the university on Tuesday November 3.

He had access to 400,000 secret files from the security services and archives to write the authorised history of spies The Defence of the Realm published this year.

Dr Jon Davis who is the director of the university's Mile End Group of historical researchers said: "Professor Andrew is Britain's leading intelligence historian and we are incredibly pleased to welcome him to Queen Mary.

"As the first person to gain exclusive access to MI5 records, he has been able to lift the veil of secrecy which has surrounded the Security Service since it was founded 100 years ago. His lecture will offer a fascinating insight into this world-famous intelligence agency."

Tickets for the evening lecture in the People's Palace in Mile End are available by emailing meg@qmul.ac.uk