What do you think?
Rate this book
An Affair of State: The Profumo Case and the Framing of Stephen Ward
An account of the Profumo scandal of the 1960s reveals the truth behind Stephen Ward's double-agent claim and argues that his trial was a corruption of justice
268 pages, Hardcover
First published May 7, 1987
25 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Phillip Knightley
22 books20 followersPhillip Knightley was a special correspondent for The Sunday Times for 20 years (1965-85) and one of the leaders of its Insight investigative team. He was twice named Journalist of the Year (1980 and 1988) in the British Press Awards. He and John Pilger are the only journalists ever to have won it twice.
He was also Granada Reporter of the Year (1980), Colour Magazine Writer of the Year (1982), holder of the Chef and Brewer Crime Writer’s award (1983), and the Overseas Press Club of America award for the best book on foreign affairs in 1975 (The First Casualty).
He has lectured on journalism, law, and war at the National Press Club, Canberra, ACT; the Senate, Canberra, ACT; City University, London; Manchester University, Queen Elizabeth College Oxford, Penn State, UCLA, Stanford University, California; the Inner Temple, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. He is a patron of the C.W. Bean Foundation, Canberra ACT.
His two main professional interests have been war reporting and propaganda and espionage. In more than 30 years of writing about espionage he has met most of the spy chiefs of most of the major intelligence services in the world. He dined with Sir Maurice Oldfireld, head of MI6. He lunched with Sir Dick White, head of MI5 and MI6. He corresponded with both. He lunched with Harry Rositzke, head of the CIA’s Soviet bloc division. He lunched with Lyman Kirkpatrick, the CIA’s Inspector-General. He dined with Leonid Shebarshin, head of the KGB. He lunched with Sergei Kondrashov, chief of KGB counter-intelligence. He had drinks with Markus Wolf, head of East German intelligence. He spent one week in Moscow interviewing the notorious British traitor, Kim Philby. He helped KGB general Oleg Kalugin write the outline for his book. He has met dozens of officers and agents from all sides and has written many articles on espionage. Few writers today have his depth of knowledge of the international intelligence community.
Phillip reviews non-fiction books for The Mail on Sunday, The Sunday Times, The Independent (London) and The Australian’s Review of Books and The Age (Australia). He was a judge for Canada’s Lionel Gelber Prize, the world’s biggest for the best book on international relations. He is European representative of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Washington DC.
He is involved in the the Indian literary and publishing scene and has written columns for several leading Indian newspapers and magazines.
He presented the war reporting documentary to mark the 30th anniversary of This Week; a half-hour documentary on truth for schools’ television; has reviewed the papers for BBC Breakfast TV and many What the Papers Say. He has appeared in many documentaries in Britain, Canada and Australia. He is a judge for Canada’s Lionel Gelber Prize for the year’s best book on international relations ($50,000). He is on the management committee of The Society of Authors, London.
Phillip was born in Australia but has worked most of his life in Britain. He now divides his time between Britain, Australia and India. He is married with three grown-up children and relaxes by playing tennis most days.
He was also Granada Reporter of the Year (1980), Colour Magazine Writer of the Year (1982), holder of the Chef and Brewer Crime Writer’s award (1983), and the Overseas Press Club of America award for the best book on foreign affairs in 1975 (The First Casualty).
He has lectured on journalism, law, and war at the National Press Club, Canberra, ACT; the Senate, Canberra, ACT; City University, London; Manchester University, Queen Elizabeth College Oxford, Penn State, UCLA, Stanford University, California; the Inner Temple, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. He is a patron of the C.W. Bean Foundation, Canberra ACT.
His two main professional interests have been war reporting and propaganda and espionage. In more than 30 years of writing about espionage he has met most of the spy chiefs of most of the major intelligence services in the world. He dined with Sir Maurice Oldfireld, head of MI6. He lunched with Sir Dick White, head of MI5 and MI6. He corresponded with both. He lunched with Harry Rositzke, head of the CIA’s Soviet bloc division. He lunched with Lyman Kirkpatrick, the CIA’s Inspector-General. He dined with Leonid Shebarshin, head of the KGB. He lunched with Sergei Kondrashov, chief of KGB counter-intelligence. He had drinks with Markus Wolf, head of East German intelligence. He spent one week in Moscow interviewing the notorious British traitor, Kim Philby. He helped KGB general Oleg Kalugin write the outline for his book. He has met dozens of officers and agents from all sides and has written many articles on espionage. Few writers today have his depth of knowledge of the international intelligence community.
Phillip reviews non-fiction books for The Mail on Sunday, The Sunday Times, The Independent (London) and The Australian’s Review of Books and The Age (Australia). He was a judge for Canada’s Lionel Gelber Prize, the world’s biggest for the best book on international relations. He is European representative of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Washington DC.
He is involved in the the Indian literary and publishing scene and has written columns for several leading Indian newspapers and magazines.
He presented the war reporting documentary to mark the 30th anniversary of This Week; a half-hour documentary on truth for schools’ television; has reviewed the papers for BBC Breakfast TV and many What the Papers Say. He has appeared in many documentaries in Britain, Canada and Australia. He is a judge for Canada’s Lionel Gelber Prize for the year’s best book on international relations ($50,000). He is on the management committee of The Society of Authors, London.
Phillip was born in Australia but has worked most of his life in Britain. He now divides his time between Britain, Australia and India. He is married with three grown-up children and relaxes by playing tennis most days.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 5, 2010
If you're looking for an explicit expose of the sexual antics of the rich and famous in the Swinging Sixties in Great Britain this is not the book for you. This is the story of Dr. Stephen Ward, osteopath to the rich and famous in Great Britain in the early 1960s. According to the authors, he was a man who loved people from all walks of life, was recklessly generous and who fancied himself more influential than he really was. Some contend that he precipitated the Profumo Sex Scandal that toppled the Tory Party in Great Britain in the early sixties. These authors portray Ward as a man who was unafraid to tread where his hypocritical society friends desired to go and willingly acted as their emissary to the dark side. Ultimately, those same friends who so eagerly followed him into the world of marijuana and sex orgies abandoned him when they were caught in the act. The authors portray him as a scapegoat for an embarrassed government. Personally I agree.
The book seemed better than it actually was when I started reading it. Rarely does the introduction to a book pull me into a story as strongly as this one did. However, once into the story I felt as if I entered an amusement park. The lights and sounds of the park were enticing but after buying the tickets I had to stand in long lines for rides that lasted barely more than a minute. I attribute this to the fact that the book has two authors. I don't know which was which, but one definitely had a vivacious style and the other a ponderous style.
Personally I have difficulty following stories about spies and government agencies. Unfortunately they were the major characters in the tale of Stephen Ward and the British government. However, the stories of his travels throughout the US in the 1930s, his service in World War II and of his various loves were fascinating. And tales of poor girls behaving badly in order to become rich and famous are always a crowd pleaser.
The book seemed better than it actually was when I started reading it. Rarely does the introduction to a book pull me into a story as strongly as this one did. However, once into the story I felt as if I entered an amusement park. The lights and sounds of the park were enticing but after buying the tickets I had to stand in long lines for rides that lasted barely more than a minute. I attribute this to the fact that the book has two authors. I don't know which was which, but one definitely had a vivacious style and the other a ponderous style.
Personally I have difficulty following stories about spies and government agencies. Unfortunately they were the major characters in the tale of Stephen Ward and the British government. However, the stories of his travels throughout the US in the 1930s, his service in World War II and of his various loves were fascinating. And tales of poor girls behaving badly in order to become rich and famous are always a crowd pleaser.
May 29, 2014
Six months ago, I had never heard of Stephen Ward, and when I asked my parents (who were cognizant middle schoolers when Ward went to trial), they drew a blank. In general, Americans know little about the Profumo Affair. Indeed, unless the scandal has "gate" tacked onto the end of its most notorious personage or locale, we tend to ignore it. "Wardgate" just doesn't have the right ring.
This is a good thing, because it means an American 34-year-old can read "How the English Establishment Framed Stephen Ward" without any preconceptions. If you know nothing, skip the Wiki-history and start the book on page one, happily innocent. Milquetoast critics love to say that a book "reads like a thriller," but in fact "Stephen Ward" IS, essentially, a thriller, and in the most spectacular sense: There are call-girls, slimy businessmen, Russian spies, and more famous names than you can shake a Oscar at. Figuratively, the story is a tragedy of blood -- instead of pandemic death, as in a Shakespeare play, character assassination kills everyone involved. But the road to perdition is long and complex, and because it's filled with sex, fistfights, and car crashes, the elaborate plot is also titillating.
At the heart of the book is the eponymous Stephen Ward, English osteopath and general enigma. Like any good biography, Ward's personality is richly recreated, and a remarkable personality it was. Ward's life was filled with contradictions: He loved American freedom, but he became famous among English aristocrats. He thrived in the city, but he escaped to the country whenever possible. He worshiped women and constantly surrounded himself with highly erotic girls, but he wasn't himself very sexual. He was a methodical physician with an exceptional talent for art. He abhorred English class structure, but he was happy to defend its newly democratic values to a Soviet official and even provoke heated debate. He loved wild parties, but he particularly loved coffee.
For me, much of the pleasure of "Stephen Ward" was reading about an extinct zeitgeist: London in the 1960s. British culture had reached such a remarkable crossroads, where Mod fashion and sexual liberation and postwar personality crises and decayed government and predatory tabloids and Cold War gamesmanship all collided in the same city at the same time. Britons seemed unable to reconcile their gentlemanly days with their (literally) orgiastic nights. Sixty years later, it is impossible to imagine a well-dressed physician having casual sleepovers with a bevvy of teenaged girls, especially when Ward was the Dr. Oz of his day -- living publicly and befriending every celebrity in sight. Ward now seems so innocent, hanging out with exotic dancers and Communist officials, earning and spending money without a care. It's a peculiar case of Russian roulette when the player doesn't realize he's been aiming a loaded gun at his own temple for years.
On the surface, reading about the Profumo Affair anticipates our hyperactive obsession with celebrity scandal, and if it was ever revealed that Dr. Phil (to use another famous caregiver) routinely let Selena Gomez sleep at his place, all the while hanging out with a shifty Iranian "attaché," we might imagine the fallout. Yet 21st Century people have become experts in the ways of scandal. We only express shock because we follow our cultural script; in reality, bedroom shenanigans have become so routine that we mostly just snicker with schadenfreude. Ward faced charges that now sound strange ("immorality offenses"), and "the establishment" is much more complex than it once was, but the repercussions of Ward's trial nearly toppled the social order. No more group sex, no more poolside flirtations in the privacy of country homes. The party, it seems, was over.
Stylistically, "Stephen Ward" is a frank and often eloquent book. The story is interesting by nature, but Kennedy and Knightly perfectly married encyclopedic fact and colorful anecdote, and the result is burbling suspense, as if John le Carré had tried his hand at historical nonfiction. The story involves so many characters and spans so many years and locations that it feels like a TV miniseries -- any given chapter is packed with insults, lawsuits, and a Silver Screen cameo. We learn, in the end, that the backward-thinking British aristocracy was willing to do anything to save face. Twenty years after these events, it's remarkable that Kennedy and Knightly had the courage (or even the resources) to reopen an ugly wound and bleed it clean. The value of "Stephen Ward," in its reissued form, is its cautionary theme: Posh society can be exciting and fashionable, but the stakes are also high. A mild-mannered physician can threaten an entire nation, just by having the wrong friends, or sketching the wrong muse.
This is a good thing, because it means an American 34-year-old can read "How the English Establishment Framed Stephen Ward" without any preconceptions. If you know nothing, skip the Wiki-history and start the book on page one, happily innocent. Milquetoast critics love to say that a book "reads like a thriller," but in fact "Stephen Ward" IS, essentially, a thriller, and in the most spectacular sense: There are call-girls, slimy businessmen, Russian spies, and more famous names than you can shake a Oscar at. Figuratively, the story is a tragedy of blood -- instead of pandemic death, as in a Shakespeare play, character assassination kills everyone involved. But the road to perdition is long and complex, and because it's filled with sex, fistfights, and car crashes, the elaborate plot is also titillating.
At the heart of the book is the eponymous Stephen Ward, English osteopath and general enigma. Like any good biography, Ward's personality is richly recreated, and a remarkable personality it was. Ward's life was filled with contradictions: He loved American freedom, but he became famous among English aristocrats. He thrived in the city, but he escaped to the country whenever possible. He worshiped women and constantly surrounded himself with highly erotic girls, but he wasn't himself very sexual. He was a methodical physician with an exceptional talent for art. He abhorred English class structure, but he was happy to defend its newly democratic values to a Soviet official and even provoke heated debate. He loved wild parties, but he particularly loved coffee.
For me, much of the pleasure of "Stephen Ward" was reading about an extinct zeitgeist: London in the 1960s. British culture had reached such a remarkable crossroads, where Mod fashion and sexual liberation and postwar personality crises and decayed government and predatory tabloids and Cold War gamesmanship all collided in the same city at the same time. Britons seemed unable to reconcile their gentlemanly days with their (literally) orgiastic nights. Sixty years later, it is impossible to imagine a well-dressed physician having casual sleepovers with a bevvy of teenaged girls, especially when Ward was the Dr. Oz of his day -- living publicly and befriending every celebrity in sight. Ward now seems so innocent, hanging out with exotic dancers and Communist officials, earning and spending money without a care. It's a peculiar case of Russian roulette when the player doesn't realize he's been aiming a loaded gun at his own temple for years.
On the surface, reading about the Profumo Affair anticipates our hyperactive obsession with celebrity scandal, and if it was ever revealed that Dr. Phil (to use another famous caregiver) routinely let Selena Gomez sleep at his place, all the while hanging out with a shifty Iranian "attaché," we might imagine the fallout. Yet 21st Century people have become experts in the ways of scandal. We only express shock because we follow our cultural script; in reality, bedroom shenanigans have become so routine that we mostly just snicker with schadenfreude. Ward faced charges that now sound strange ("immorality offenses"), and "the establishment" is much more complex than it once was, but the repercussions of Ward's trial nearly toppled the social order. No more group sex, no more poolside flirtations in the privacy of country homes. The party, it seems, was over.
Stylistically, "Stephen Ward" is a frank and often eloquent book. The story is interesting by nature, but Kennedy and Knightly perfectly married encyclopedic fact and colorful anecdote, and the result is burbling suspense, as if John le Carré had tried his hand at historical nonfiction. The story involves so many characters and spans so many years and locations that it feels like a TV miniseries -- any given chapter is packed with insults, lawsuits, and a Silver Screen cameo. We learn, in the end, that the backward-thinking British aristocracy was willing to do anything to save face. Twenty years after these events, it's remarkable that Kennedy and Knightly had the courage (or even the resources) to reopen an ugly wound and bleed it clean. The value of "Stephen Ward," in its reissued form, is its cautionary theme: Posh society can be exciting and fashionable, but the stakes are also high. A mild-mannered physician can threaten an entire nation, just by having the wrong friends, or sketching the wrong muse.
March 6, 2016
The best summing-up of Stephen Ward's trial came from the man himself. "This is a political revenge trial." he said. "Someone had to be sacrificed and that someone was me." Before the verdict was handed down, Ward had committed suicide - and once again the British Establishment had their scapegoat. Only 6 people attended his funeral and a wreath from several noted critics and writers bore the simple message: "To Stephen Ward. Victim of Hypocrisy." Ward's trial was a direct result of lies told by the former Government minister, John Profumo, Secretary of State for War in the Conservative Government of the early 1960's. His career ended after he had a sexual relationship with the 19-year--old Christine Keeler in 1963. The subsequent scandal, known as the Profumo affair, led to his resignation and withdrawal from politics. It can be argued that the Profumo affair may have helped to topple the Conservative government of Harold Macmillan. Profumo lied to the British Parliament about his relationship with Christine Keeler before being caught out in his lies and returning to Parliament to admit what he had done, before resigning. As always, the powers-that-be looked around for someone to blame and Stephen Ward fitted the bill. At the connivance of senior British political figures allied with leading lights in the British legal system and the police, senior detectives spent more than 6 months investigating Ward's lifestyle and threatening various witnesses to help bolster the very weak prosecution case. These witnesses lied in court while the prosecution - and the judge - took every opportunity to blacken Ward's name. Never needing any encouragement, the British Press had already painted Ward as the devil incarnate. Everyone involved knew that the charges that Ward had lived off the earnings of prostitutes were all lies. As this book shows, years later, almost every single witness admitted they had lied. The famous British lawyer and political advisor Lord Goodman later commented: "Stephen Ward was the historic victim of an historic injustice". This fascinating book is an attempt to give justice to the memory of Stephen Ward.
December 13, 2013
This is an updated and expanded version of an earlier book published in the 1980s, by Phillip Knightley and Caroline Kennedy. For the new publication, Kennedy has uncovered previously unseen and overlooked material, including Stephen Ward's unpublished memoirs, while also talking to many more witnesses who, until now, were reticent or negligent about talking openly of their own memories or involvement in the case. What emerges in this compelling and horrifying story, is how the authorities succeeded in mounting an outrageous campaign of smears and lies against society osteopath Stephen Ward, whose hounding resulted in a massive travesty and miscarriage of justice.
The publication of this new book could not be more timely, with the recent 50th anniversary of Ward's trial and death and the West End opening in December of the musical Stephen Ward by Andrew Lloyd-Webber. Kennedy creates a vivid picture of the whole wretched early 1960s climate of social hypocrisy, and especially the malice and corruption among police, politicians and the judiciary which led to the cold-blooded framing of an innocent man.
The publication of this new book could not be more timely, with the recent 50th anniversary of Ward's trial and death and the West End opening in December of the musical Stephen Ward by Andrew Lloyd-Webber. Kennedy creates a vivid picture of the whole wretched early 1960s climate of social hypocrisy, and especially the malice and corruption among police, politicians and the judiciary which led to the cold-blooded framing of an innocent man.
February 8, 2020
This well researched book is a step by step account of how the establishment colluded to destroy Stephen Ward the society osteopath. The story of an abuse of power that ruthlessly silenced truth and diverted attention elsewhere. The use of a willing police and judiciary, witnesses prepared to lie, and the subsequent judicial cover up, makes the trial of Stephen Ward one of Britain's worst ever miscarriages of justice. To this day access to critical documents is denied on the spurious grounds of adverse public reaction. Well, I would suggest all who read this book, and believe in Justice rooted in evidenced truth, will add to that fear.
March 23, 2022
There's two sides to every story.
Christine Keeler lived long enough to tell hers.
Unfortunately, the man she was tied closest to - Dr. Stephen Ward - did not, and his suicide has left a tarnished legacy upon the British judicial system.
It should not shock nor surprise anyone how the British aristocracy will close ranks against outsiders, even outsiders whom they claim to befriend. Ward was such a man - definitely imperfect and perhaps a bit naïve. The Profumo Affair should have been just another in a seemingly endless string of Parliamentarians Behaving Badly in the 1960's, yet it became a matter for the police, MI5 and even J. Edgar Hoover.
Christine Keeler lived long enough to tell hers.
Unfortunately, the man she was tied closest to - Dr. Stephen Ward - did not, and his suicide has left a tarnished legacy upon the British judicial system.
It should not shock nor surprise anyone how the British aristocracy will close ranks against outsiders, even outsiders whom they claim to befriend. Ward was such a man - definitely imperfect and perhaps a bit naïve. The Profumo Affair should have been just another in a seemingly endless string of Parliamentarians Behaving Badly in the 1960's, yet it became a matter for the police, MI5 and even J. Edgar Hoover.
August 16, 2023
If ever there was a case of a man being used as a scapegoat by the so called ruling elite,this was it.a victim of his own self importance,left out to dry by his so called friends.goes to prove those with money will use a person till they become useful no more.his trial a farce.as for lord denning saying he was the most evil man he had ever met must have led a cloistered life and not met the likes of Peter sutcliffe's and other serial killers.these things are still happening today just that until their cover is blown they will carry on.worth a read.
May 6, 2019
Essential to understand the Profumo affair
Forensic yet also outraged, the authors do am outstanding job during through the evidence of a massive injustice and am establishment conspiracy. The book starts slowly but grips by the end. It will be interesting to see how the forging BBC drama series, The Trial of Christine Keeler, matches my up and whether it concludes Christine Keeler was a victim almost as much Stephen Ward.
Forensic yet also outraged, the authors do am outstanding job during through the evidence of a massive injustice and am establishment conspiracy. The book starts slowly but grips by the end. It will be interesting to see how the forging BBC drama series, The Trial of Christine Keeler, matches my up and whether it concludes Christine Keeler was a victim almost as much Stephen Ward.
June 5, 2020
Brilliant
I couldn't put this book down. It is exceptionally well researched and more gripping than a thriller. If you want to know what really happened at the Profumo affair, then read this book.
I couldn't put this book down. It is exceptionally well researched and more gripping than a thriller. If you want to know what really happened at the Profumo affair, then read this book.
May 23, 2024
I've always been interested in the Profumo Affair and felt Stephen Ward was very much the victim here. This is a fascinating and well-researched insight, offering plausible explanations for why the British Establishment felt Ward such a threat.
June 11, 2021
Unfortunately I could not read this as it is written more like a report then a story.
July 14, 2020
I read this book after finishing Christine Keeler’s Secrets & Lies: Now Profumo is Dead, I Can Finally Reveal the Truth about the Most Shocking Scandal in British Politics which was first published in 2002, and then updated and reissued after the death of Profumo in 2006. I would recommend anyone else to follow the same route. That book is co-authored by Douglas Thompson who in the foreword says of Keeler “I count her among the most honest people I’ve met”. Anyone reading both these books and pursuing even the most minimal amount of research on the Profumo Affair would be extremely hard-pressed to understand what he means by this statement. That book is clearly not the whole truth.
The focus of this book is to get at the truth although the authors have to their great credit carefully reviewed many of the events that took place in terms of the circumstances and motivations that drove the individual people involved to act in the way they did. It is interesting to note the discrepancies that exist between the two books concerning some of the events which took place. Whilst some of these may be simply due to aging memories of those involved, it seems that Keeler in particular either plays down or omits to mention certain details in order to further her own case and character.
This book adds significant information concerning the involvement and role of the USA, and the FBI in particular, though it is clear that the Americans are still sitting on sealed files in just the same way as our establishment is in this country. Whilst I was reading the book there was an article in the press asking why the last remaining Profumo file has been buried for yet another 30 years and speculating on just exactly who it is that the establishment continues to protect after all these years.
This book does not pull any punches. Anyone looking at the evidence which has come to light must surely deem the trial of Stephen Ward to have been a complete farce and a travesty of justice. The behaviour of some of the leading players such as the police officer responsible for conducting the investigation and the judge appointed to the trial was completely appalling. Some of the people directing their actions behind the scenes still remain hidden from view, and the whole thing stinks to high heaven.
Do read this book if you have an interest in the Profumo scandal. It provided a lot of additional information and clarity for me. If you are just a regular citizen going about your business trusting in the British justice system to uphold both the law and the core standards of decency for the human race, you will be surely shocked; and woefully disappointed that the outrageous behaviour of “the establishment” orchestrated such an unfair and totally reprehensible destruction of one man’s life and reputation in order to cover up their own misdeeds. Sadly, it appears to continue to this day.
The focus of this book is to get at the truth although the authors have to their great credit carefully reviewed many of the events that took place in terms of the circumstances and motivations that drove the individual people involved to act in the way they did. It is interesting to note the discrepancies that exist between the two books concerning some of the events which took place. Whilst some of these may be simply due to aging memories of those involved, it seems that Keeler in particular either plays down or omits to mention certain details in order to further her own case and character.
This book adds significant information concerning the involvement and role of the USA, and the FBI in particular, though it is clear that the Americans are still sitting on sealed files in just the same way as our establishment is in this country. Whilst I was reading the book there was an article in the press asking why the last remaining Profumo file has been buried for yet another 30 years and speculating on just exactly who it is that the establishment continues to protect after all these years.
This book does not pull any punches. Anyone looking at the evidence which has come to light must surely deem the trial of Stephen Ward to have been a complete farce and a travesty of justice. The behaviour of some of the leading players such as the police officer responsible for conducting the investigation and the judge appointed to the trial was completely appalling. Some of the people directing their actions behind the scenes still remain hidden from view, and the whole thing stinks to high heaven.
Do read this book if you have an interest in the Profumo scandal. It provided a lot of additional information and clarity for me. If you are just a regular citizen going about your business trusting in the British justice system to uphold both the law and the core standards of decency for the human race, you will be surely shocked; and woefully disappointed that the outrageous behaviour of “the establishment” orchestrated such an unfair and totally reprehensible destruction of one man’s life and reputation in order to cover up their own misdeeds. Sadly, it appears to continue to this day.
December 14, 2013
I was hesitant at first to write about this book: How the English Establishment Framed Stephen Ward. After all, this exposes the convergence and connivance of three governments' espionage worlds (American, British, Soviet) in destroying a reputable man, a doctor schooled in the United States, an artist who drew portraits of Sophia Loren, Prince Philip, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Dr. Stephen Ward, among others.
What if they continue to this day to destroy innocent souls, what do we shield ourselves with, to protect ourselves against runaway abuse of power? I was mostly shocked to see how a reputable man became so disreputable in the eyes of the establishment, and mostly through false innuendos and myth-making of running brothels, of pimping, of profiting from earned wages of sin of his girls.
Yet, my hesitation became quickly feelings of awe towards Caroline Kennedy and Phillip Knightley's meticulous research and thousands of hours of painstaking interviews, which included former spies of MIG and CIA, and voluminous archival work to unearth the truth, to discover and to bring out the humanity of this man, Dr. Stephen Ward, whose reputation was heaped upon by the malcreant garbage-making by then British establishment.
Bravo to these brave authors who care about truth and to see through the veneer of falsehoods and myth-making.
Not all that was seen and heard was the truth, and not all that was hidden was dark!
After reading this re-issued version of the 1980's best - seller, I now see why this has been turned into a musical and soon, anticipated overturning of the wrongful conviction of this doctor who healed many from their injuries.
By overturning his conviction, perhaps the soul of the British establishment can be restored to its once glorious self and it can once again stand for truth and justice!
Now, I can see that we can shield ourselves from abuse of power, from coercive espionage, and our shield is our relentless care to discover what is true. Truth is always uncovered, even if kept hidden and forbidden for 50 years!
Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz.
Los Angeles, CA, USA
December 13, 2013
____________________
What if they continue to this day to destroy innocent souls, what do we shield ourselves with, to protect ourselves against runaway abuse of power? I was mostly shocked to see how a reputable man became so disreputable in the eyes of the establishment, and mostly through false innuendos and myth-making of running brothels, of pimping, of profiting from earned wages of sin of his girls.
Yet, my hesitation became quickly feelings of awe towards Caroline Kennedy and Phillip Knightley's meticulous research and thousands of hours of painstaking interviews, which included former spies of MIG and CIA, and voluminous archival work to unearth the truth, to discover and to bring out the humanity of this man, Dr. Stephen Ward, whose reputation was heaped upon by the malcreant garbage-making by then British establishment.
Bravo to these brave authors who care about truth and to see through the veneer of falsehoods and myth-making.
Not all that was seen and heard was the truth, and not all that was hidden was dark!
After reading this re-issued version of the 1980's best - seller, I now see why this has been turned into a musical and soon, anticipated overturning of the wrongful conviction of this doctor who healed many from their injuries.
By overturning his conviction, perhaps the soul of the British establishment can be restored to its once glorious self and it can once again stand for truth and justice!
Now, I can see that we can shield ourselves from abuse of power, from coercive espionage, and our shield is our relentless care to discover what is true. Truth is always uncovered, even if kept hidden and forbidden for 50 years!
Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz.
Los Angeles, CA, USA
December 13, 2013
____________________
December 14, 2013
In the social and political history of twentieth century Britain, the so-called Profumo affair stands out as a hinge moment, where the values of the old order collided with an emerging new morality. Mandy Rice Davies, one of the main actors in this drama, perfectly summed up this confrontation when she questioned the evidence of a key witness in the immoral earnings trial of Stephen Ward 'Well, he would say that, wouldn't he?'
In this re-issue of their 1980's best seller, Caroline Kennedy and Philip Knightley capture the drama, the personalities and the tragedy of this episode which brought down the Conservative government in 1963. Combining detailed research from original source material with interviews with many of the major players, they show how the English establishment closed ranks and sought to look after its own by framing Stephen Ward and, subsequently, killing him. It's a story of hypocrisy, betrayal, class, sex and privilege, of country houses and Russian spies, of MI5 and the FBI. No wonder the story that's brilliantly told in this book forms the basis for Andrew Lloyd Weber's new musical which opens in London later this month.
In this re-issue of their 1980's best seller, Caroline Kennedy and Philip Knightley capture the drama, the personalities and the tragedy of this episode which brought down the Conservative government in 1963. Combining detailed research from original source material with interviews with many of the major players, they show how the English establishment closed ranks and sought to look after its own by framing Stephen Ward and, subsequently, killing him. It's a story of hypocrisy, betrayal, class, sex and privilege, of country houses and Russian spies, of MI5 and the FBI. No wonder the story that's brilliantly told in this book forms the basis for Andrew Lloyd Weber's new musical which opens in London later this month.
January 22, 2014
I love to watch shows where there was a conspiracy. I also think that area 51 was and is one big conspiracy. With that being said, this book was scary to read. The authors did so much research. They read memoirs, fought courts and uncovered the truth. I can not believe how many people stood by and knew what was happening, however they did nothing to stop it. What scared me about this book was that it could be happening every day. It can also happen too anyone. Our government is strong, I would not be strong enough to fight for the answers. However somebody has too. This was a great book that talked a lot about the past and about relations between countries. I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy to review from Orange Berry Book Tours. However all opinions are my own.
August 10, 2016
James Bond meets Austin Powers except this is the adult reality show version with no hollywood happy ending.
This could well be a story of what happened when Bond was passed out drunk on the sofa. That may be when the group sex and spliffs got rolling. The result rocked the British Establishment, and seems to have given John F. Kennedy the confidence he needed to avert a nuclear end of the world. Big names, big parties, world wide intrigue, bombshells and spooks, all meticulously researched. A must read if this sort of thing interests you. This book is the long overdue triumph of justice at the end of a tragic tale. by Shawn Larkin
This could well be a story of what happened when Bond was passed out drunk on the sofa. That may be when the group sex and spliffs got rolling. The result rocked the British Establishment, and seems to have given John F. Kennedy the confidence he needed to avert a nuclear end of the world. Big names, big parties, world wide intrigue, bombshells and spooks, all meticulously researched. A must read if this sort of thing interests you. This book is the long overdue triumph of justice at the end of a tragic tale. by Shawn Larkin
February 6, 2014
I really wanted to like this book. I kept reading on in the hopes that I was coming up on the interesting parts. But about halfway through, I figured it wasn't getting interesting. The book spent too much time conveying facts without addressing how the relevant too the story. It felt a little like a research paper instead of a book.
February 17, 2014
Kudos to authors who are interested enough to research for the truth. This book has clearly shown that Stephen Ward was made a scapegoat to shield people, maybe those who had something to hide. I highly recommend this book. Scary when the truth starts coming out - not so good for Mr. Ward.
S.Gillett
S.Gillett
March 20, 2016
An excellent, thoroughly researched book. Despite its publication some 30 years ago there has still been no reexamination of the case of Stephen Ward. A sad indictment on the British 'justice' system and the political establishment - who should both hang their heads in shame.
May 3, 2019
This is a fascinating book, meticulously researched, informative, entertaining and riveting.
Now available as an audiobook, please check the links on my website: https://dsbaudio.com
Now available as an audiobook, please check the links on my website: https://dsbaudio.com
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews