The Quest for C: Sir Mansfield Cumming and the Founding of the British Secret Service by Alan Judd

by Alan Judd

The British security and intelligence services have for decades been respected as the best in the world. The Quest for C is the story of the origins of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and the Security Service (MI5) in their immediate precursor, the Secret Service Bureau. The head of MI6 is known as "C"--not for Chief as often thought, but for Mansfield Cumming (1859-- 1923), its first head, and this book is as much a biography of Cumming as an account of the early years of MI6, the two being inextricably linked. MI6 staff today still tend to use green ink, an affectation of their first boss. Other strange habits have passed into MI6 folklore; after hacking off his own leg with a penknife after a road crash in which his only son was killed, Cumming would get around the corridors of Whitehall on a scooter--and would startle visitors by stabbing his(artificial) leg with the points of compass dividers. Cumming had to deal with bureaucratic and financial problems, and of course with political deniability; he had to find unorthodox ways for his Service to perform its job efficiently. According to Judd, "The image of MI6 affairs being arranged behind the polished doors of London clubs, beloved of spy books and films was, from the earliest days, always at least partly true." Cumming's connections with the establishment are sometimes unexpected; it was his widow who provided the money for the setting up of Gordonstoun School in the 1930s. Though probably not a book for the general reader, for anyone interested in the history of Britain's intelligence and security services, this detailed biography of the first "C" will be of immense interest. - -David VBarrett

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Espionage

501 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 1999

About the author

Alan Judd is a pseudonym used by Alan Edwin Petty.

Born in 1946, he graduated from Oxford University and served as a British Army officer in Northern Ireland during 'The Troubles', before later joining the Foreign Office; he currently works as a security analyst. He regularly contributes articles to a number of publications, including The Daily Telegraph, and The Spectator as its motoring correspondent. His books include both fiction and non-fiction titles, with his novels often drawing on his military background.

He lives in Sussex with his wife and daughter.

Reviews

[Derek Nudd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Largely based on Cumming's diaries, this book gives a valuable insight into the man himself and the early years of Britain's foreign intelligence service. Pulled from active retirement by the head of the Naval Intelligence Division (NID) Cumming was constantly defending his nascent operation from tight-fisted paymasters in the Foreign Office, NID perception that his was the deniable face of their own business, and takeover bids from the army's much better resourced counter-intelligence department.
Inevitably, given the secret environment, the story is hedged in speculation and inference. Nonetheless there is valuable material in here - for example a whole chapter on the remarkable agent TR16 (Karl Kruger) who produced detailed material on German dockyards during the First World War and much of the inter-war period. It is a bit disappointing, though, that material from outside the diaries which should be referenced, isn't.
This is already a big book focussed on one individual, so I hesitate to suggest loose ends which could have been followed up more thoroughly.
Overall then, a worthwhile read whose value comes and goes a bit with the garrulousness of the subject's diaries.

[FiveBooks]

Dr Michael S Goodman has chosen to discuss The Quest for C: Mansfield Cumming and the Secret Service by Alan Judd on FiveBooks as one of the top five on his subject - Pioneers of Intelligence Gathering, saying that:

"...Mansfield Cumming was the first head of MI6 and he signed himself off as ‘C’ in green ink. Since then they have all signed off as ‘C’ in green ink. He had a wooden leg and had to hobble around, but whenever a potential recruit came in he would stab himself in the leg with a paper knife and gauge their reaction...."

The full interview is available here: http://fivebooks.com/interviews/dr-mi...

[Iain Gardener · Rating 5 out of 5]

an excellent biography, expecially considering the slim resources available, I would highly recommend this tale of the founder of the SIS (secret intellignece service), and his life.