The Quest for C : Mansfield Cumming and the Founding of the Secret Service

by Alan Judd

A fascinating and unique history of the launch of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service through the unusual life of its founder, Mansfield Cumming.Sir Mansfield Cumming, the founder of the British Secret Service and the original ‘C’, has until now been a shadowy figure. For this authorised biography, the Secret Intelligence Service has released to Alan Judd, Cumming’s voluminous diaries, which have never been seen outside the Service and will be put back into storage in perpetuity when Judd has used them.The result is likely to be the most sensational biography of the season, and the definitive account of how MI5 and MI6 – the models for all subsequent secret services all over the world – were set up.Cumming signed himself ‘C’, was referred to as such in Whitehall and always used green ink, traditions maintained to this day. His life not only makes riveting reading but casts fascinating light on the development of the Secret Service and its influence on the twentieth century.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Espionage

Paperback

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.