The State of Secrecy: Spies and the Media in Britain

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Richard Norton-Taylor reveals the secrets of his forty-year career as a journalist covering the world of spies and their masters in Whitehall. Early in his career, Norton-Taylor successfully campaigned against official secrecy, gaining a reputation inside the Whitehall establishment and the outside world alike for his relentless determination to expose wrongdoing and incompetence. His special targets have always been the security and intelligence agencies and the Ministry of Defence, institutions that often hide behind the cloak of national security to protect themselves from embarrassment and being held to account. Encouraged by his trusted contacts in intelligence agencies and Whitehall departments, Norton-Taylor was among the first of the few journalists consistently to attack the planned invasion of Iraq in 2003 and subsequently covered for the Guardian the devastating evidence of every witness to the Chilcot inquiry. He also enjoyed unique access to a wide array of defence sources, giving him a rare insight into the disputes among top military commanders as they struggled to fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with under-resourced and ill-equipped troops. Described by a former senior Intelligence official as a long-term thorn in the side of the intelligence establishment, and winner of numerous awards for his journalism, Norton-Taylor is one of the most respected defence and security journalists of his generation. Provocative, and rich in anecdotes, The State of Secrecy is an illuminating, critical and, at times, provocative account of the authors experiences investigating the secret world.

Reviews

An entertaining and timely book, written by a fine reporter who has made a habit of speaking unwelcome truth to power. * The Observer *
Fans of Norton-Taylors reporting will enjoy The State of Secrecy, which reprises and updates his admirably determined efforts on these and other topics. Vivid vignettes depict the blunders and quirks of the secret world. He excoriates attempts to suborn friendly journalists with thrills and scoops, and to smear or bully those who write unhelpful articles. * Financial Times *
A lifetime of experience in why, when and how officials prevaricate or lie has trained [Norton-Taylor] to make proper use of an investigative journalists best source: the leak. * London Review of Books *
When it comes to matters of defence and security Norton-Taylor is probably Britains most perceptive, persistent and best informed commentator He has succeeded (in exposing the mindset which encourages the fetishisation of official secrecy) brilliantly. * The Irish Times *
Readable, well-structured ... [A] well-timed book. * Standpoint Magazine *
Lively and revealing. * CHOICE *
A hugely welcome contribution from Richard Norton-Taylor providing a richly informed discussion of the relationship between the British security system and the press. * openDemocracy *
In a finely written memoir that every student and observer of British politics and journalism must read, Norton-Taylor rightly identifies secrecy as the British disease which stifles and undermines democracy in this country. It's a classic of telling truth to power from a formidable journalist of real integrity. Uniquely, among British journalists, Norton-Taylor had access to sources at the highest levels of the civil service and the intelligence services but didn't fall for their blandishments and lies. Often faced with deliberate official obstruction and, sometimes, employer indifference, he doggedly pursued stories when the media circus had moved on. In forensic detail and with controlled anger Norton-Taylor revisits the stories, scandals and events which have now drifted back into history but which illustrate the enduring power of secrecy to deny citizens access to truth. * Dr Stephen Dorril, author of MI6: Fifty Years of Special Operations *

Author Bio

Richard Norton-Taylor writes for the Guardian on defence and security and the paper's Security Editor. He joined the Guardian in 1973 as the newspaper's first European correspondent based in Brussels and returned to Britain in 1975 to report on issues of intelligence and security. He won the Freedom of Information Campaign Award in 1986 and in 1994, and Liberty's Human Rights Award for journalism in 2010. He currently co-edits the Guardian Defence and Security blog and is a regular broadcaster.