Molehunt: The Hunt for the Soviet Spy Inside MI5

by Nigel West

The concept of the deep-cover agent with seemingly impeccable credentials was, according to West, almost unknown in England until the Burgess-MacLean-Philby defections rocked the British establishment, virtually paralyzing its counterintelligence apparatus, and leading to internal-security investigations of previously unthinkable suspects. In this densely packed, clarifying study, the author traces the course of the great "molehunt" that lasted several years and reached its apparent climax in the highly publicized suspicion that Sir Roger Hollis, director of the British Security Service from 1956 to '65, was a Soviet agent. He agrees with the prevailing view that, of Hollis and his deputy, Graham Mitchell, "one was certainly a traitor." In his detailed review of the evidence, West ( The Sigint Secrets ) all but proves that Hollis, though perhaps incompetent, was innocent of treason. Although less surehanded in his exploration of the evidence against Mitchell, he nevertheless exposes the remarkable series of setbacks that occurred under Mitchell's tenure as a deputy-director of M15 and his attempts to gloss over them. Photos.


Nigel West is the pseudonym of Rupert Alason, a Tory Member of Parliament.

Genres: Espionage, Nonfiction, History

Hardcover

First published March 12, 1987

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good companion book to read before/after Peter Wright's "Spycatcher" book. Covers the history of "Molehunt" searches for traitors within the ranks of the Security Service, mainly in the post-war era. The topic is addressed with the characteristic West thoroughness, so much so in fact, that it's sometimes necessary to reread a paragraph or two in order to get one's facts/understanding straight. This is also sometimes necessary due to (for me at least) West's occasionally "odd" sentence structure. Nevertheless an interesting and engaging read for espionage aficionados and students of history.