Unity: Peace for All, Freedom for None

by Mike Bodnar

London, 1967. The Cold War continues, and Britain must remain vigilant as the super powers struggle for supremacy. For the British intelligence services it is a time of suspicion, mistrust... and a need for innovation in strategies and tactics. For the military it is a time for new weaponry. But the discovery by a top intelligence operative of unethical secret warfare experiments leads him to resign, and starts a race against time as over a million lives are threatened.

378 pages, Hardcover

Published April 5, 2023

Reviews

[Melissa Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Unity. Its twists and turns as I got into it kept me reading long after I should have put it down and done something productive!

In some ways it felt very current day, but you are hauled back into the 1960's by a landline phone call etc. It poses a question though, where do agents and operatives go when they leave the Services? Are there Villages out there somewhere? Or do they live next door.

A great read.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, witty, with good characterisation. I’ve only a rudimentary knowledge of the Prisoner series, I’ve never watched it, but I love a good spy novel. This did not lean too heavily on pre-knowledge of the Prisoner and therefore stood on its own feet as a compelling story set in the 1960s British intelligence agencies.

[Pat Whitaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Bodnar's 'Unity' is, for any fan of 'The Prisoner' Television series, a fascinating reversal of the original series where the story is told from the viewpoint of the perpetrators rather than the prisoner. That is not to say a knowledge of the original is in any way important - the book stands on its own as an exciting and intricate spy thriller.

Bodnar's writing is well constructed and avoids the mistake of using a complicated writing style when dealing with a complicated plot. The characters are well-drawn but often very different from the way that they first appear, as befits such a work.

An excellent read and one I thoroughly recommend.

[Louise Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spy novel set in the 1960s. I found it a little hard to get into at the beginning, the deliberately awkward conversations in Century House also made for hard reading, and I felt these could have been pruned. That said, it was worth the effort to push through, with an exciting plot with many unexpected twists and a cast of interesting characters (I feel it was no accident that I heard Judi Dench's voice in my head when the character Judith Tench from MI5 was speaking). The author did a good job of staying true to the 1960s. The plot is based around the Prisoner Series, but I have almost no memory of this, so it isn't a precursor for enjoying the book.

[Rachel Elizabeth Prendergast · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it not knowing anything about the Prisoner TV series and really enjoyed being transported back to the late 60s and the spy craft of the times.

So for those of you who haven't watched the TV programme it doesn't matter, it is well crafted tale that doesn't assume you know anything about the Village and its characters.

I have since talked to others who did watch the series and they loved Unity too because it provides a very plausible theory about the whole affair.

[Craig Walter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must for any Prisoner fan. A unique perspective on the original story that provides fresh new insight and alternative theory surrounding No.6's incarceration. The book not only centres on the strange and surreal world of 'The Village' but also how the web of government departments and security services play their parts in influencing the ultimate goal of 'Unity'.

[Martin Baylis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed it, highly recommend it

[Madi Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

going to mind control village you guys want anything