The Spy Who Tried to Stop a War

by Marcia Mitchell, Thomas Mitchell

In January 2003, 28-year-old GCHQ translator Katharine Gun received an email from the US National Security Agency that would turn her world upside down. The message requested Katharine’s assistance in co-ordinating an illegal US-UK spy operation which would secure UN authorisation for the Iraq invasion. Horrified, she decided to leak the information to the British press.

Katharine’s decision would change her life forever, as she was arrested under the Official Secrets Act whilst becoming a cause célèbre for political activists. The Spy Who Tried to Stop a War is the definitive account of a whistleblower case that reads like a thriller, and will ask you the same question that was asked of Katharine that cold January day — where do your true loyalties lie?

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Politics, Biography, Espionage, Current Affairs, British Literature

210 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2008

Reviews

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is quite a mind-blowing story!

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-rounded, fascinating, and inspiring. The authors go beyond relating the story of Katharine Gun's whistle-blower leak of an NSA message to their counterpart organization in the UK, the GCHQ, asking Britain to collaborate in illegally bugging the delegates of other UN Security Council members to get leverage to manipulate or coerce them into supporting a resolution to back the Iraq invasion in 2003. Gun worked at GCHQ as a Mandarin translator, and was horrified when she saw the message - she almost instantly thought that if the public knew about the action, their disapproval could prevent an illegal and disastrous war with huge loss of life, and although the idea of leaking it terrified her, she decided she had to.

The book also tells Gun's life story and the factors that shaped her character, describes the aftermath of her action (including the UK government's heavy-handed effort to retaliate by deporting her husband, who is from Turkey), looks at the experiences of other whistle-blowers in the UK and US, looks at the possible motivations of George Bush and Tony Blair in pushing illegal action to support a war based on false premises (they had agreed far in advance on regime change in Iraq as their goal, but that is not a legal basis for war, so they came up with the WMD story), and does a good job of exploring the pros and cons of whistle-blowing by government employees who release secret information.

I was struck by the wrongness of an American executive and former Marine officer the authors quote as saying "When you are under orders, you follow those orders no matter what, no matter how you feel about what's happening." As a retired Marine officer myself, I remember extensive training on the bedrock principle that you do NOT obey an unlawful order, and if you do, you are morally and legally responsible for your actions - a principle that's been taught in our military system since the Nuremberg trials and the failed Nazi defense of "I was only following orders."

All in all, an excellent book and, I think, a necessary one for anyone interested in civics and the balance of power and conscience.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arm Chair Generals ... those in the US Congress and Executive office anyway, needed to be stopped! I'm glad that Katharine had the guts to say, "Wait a minute ... that's a bald-faced lie." As those were the very same words I was uttering during the whole lead-up to the invasion, although I didn't have the proof sitting in my hands. If I knew then (or knew that I knew) what I know now about the stupidity of the whole fiasco, I would have done the same thing! Although the book is basically built on the sensationalism of the British press, if you are any kind of writer, you know that there are very fine lines that can be crossed without being put on the block yourself. The authors did a fantastic job of pointing out just how creepy government can be (British or American) when the attack is on them. The authors took information that was made available (at the time of the writing, many things were still under wraps, not to be divulged), conducted background research with others who were involved in some way, and pulled the information together so that the average reader could see the nuances that were swirling around the whole debacle, and read about things that were not otherwise available to the general public outside of the UK.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was fascinated by this book. Normally I don't read current events books until they've faded into distant memory; but when Katherine Gun was charged and she in turn accused the US and Blair of conspiring to spy on UN members and pressuring them to align with their goal of war against Iraq, I remember thinking it was going to be a real sh- - storm, and then nothing. I couldn't understand how or why it could be dropped so quickly by the US mainstream media (they're all supposed to be conservative bashing liberals, right?). Although this book still left me with some unanswered questions, it was interesting to see how an ordinary person dealt with the pressure of the media and good to know that there are still people who will withstand the pressure for their moral convictions.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

From IMDb:
The true story of a British whistleblower who leaked information to the press about an illegal NSA spy operation designed to push the UN Security Council into sanctioning the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

[Dan Dundon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a great deal of admiration for Katherine Gun and what she did in leaking classified information regarding the U.S. secret effort to blackmail other nations to secure authorization from the United Nations for the Iraq War. However, I was very disappointed in the biased way in which the authors Marcia and Thomas Mitchell went about telling the story. It's very obvious that they were not neutral observers who presented a balanced presentation of the case. Rather, they portrayed themselves as friends of Ms. Gun as if this explained their complete loss of objectivity.
It's true that the authors did a good job of explaining the background about Ms. Gun and her role in the British spy agency GCHQ, however, the loss of objectivity about other individuals compromised the book, in my opinion. In some cases they simply presented information that they admitted was "rumored." Yes, Katherine Gun did a courageous thing but these two authors missed the boat when it came to an accurate presentation of the events. They may have been well intentioned, but their loss of objectivity affects their credibility and is a major weakness in this book.

[storytime-reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the true story that the Keira Knightley film, Official Secrets, is based on. When Katharine Gun reads a memo detailing efforts to spy on and blackmail key members of the UN into voting to invade Iraq, she barely hesitates to leak it. Unfortunately, Gun’s leak doesn’t stop the war, however, this leak does place the spotlight on government ‘dirty tricks’ and allows for the invasion of Iraq to be viewed in a different context by the public.

The Spy Who Tried To Stop A War provides important political context to Gun’s actions; this background helps to explain Katharine’s motivations, as well as the impact her actions had on the government and the public. The authors have used endnotes to keep track of their various sources. These include publicly available interviews and articles from journalists, as well as interviews that the authors personally conducted with those involved in Katharine’s case, as well as others who had strong opinions regarding her actions.

I have so much respect for what Katharine Gun did, and everything she went through. Her story is an important lens to view the invasion of Iraq through, because she was motivated to follow her conscience rather than simply do her job. Her conscience, and human lives, were much more important to her, and it’s why her actions were received so positively by so many. In fact, her actions have inspired others, including other women in government positions who chose to tell the truth rather than follow blindly. The Spy Who Tried To Stop A War makes clear how unpopular the invasion was.

But poor Katharine’s troubles do not stop with the harassment she received over this issue. I did enjoy the focus on some of Katharine’s personal context that demonstrated the construction of her conscience and beliefs, but the pain her and her husband suffered throughout this and afterwards was particularly heartbreaking.

Everyone should read this book and/or watch Official Secrets. The film does bring out more from the side of the journalists that broke the leak story as well, which I think worked really well. I would also suggest that Official Secrets would be easier to engage with for most, whilst The Spy Who Tried To Stop A War then provides some more political context for those interested. My suggestion would be to watch the film, and if you want a bit more information, to then read this book after that.

[James F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting part of history and a brave woman who held onto her principles even with the treat of imprisonment

[Marion · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could have been a newspaper article. The writing is not particularly engaging nor interesting, and the whole affair was a very bland retelling of the story.

[Neil Gregory · Rating 2 out of 5]

A really important and pivotal factual tale of a simple act and the huge consequences afterwards. It’s a hard read as there is a lot of detail. You’ll need to concentrate on this one. Maybe the film version will be enlightening.

[Janet Wertman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sigh. This would have made a fantastic article. Interesting stuff, compelling, important. But in the effort to fill pages it kept repeating itself and giving details that had absolutely nothing to do with the story....

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this because I admired the bravery of the British intelligence worker who stood up against the war. But the book was boring, and prone to silly digressions.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating story. Something I never knew about.

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads more like an extended news article, but I had no idea about this case.

[Nurul Badriah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well-written, thoughtful. It is an exceptional read. Hopefully, it will provoke more informed thought about the actions of Katharine Gun. Personally, I think she did absolutely the right thing.

A well-rounded account of Ms. Katharine Gun who once worked as a spy at the Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ) in Cheltenham, UK. When, in January of 2003, she realized both the UK govt. headed by Tony Blair and the United States (US) govt. (headed by Pres. George W. Bush with Rumsfeld, Rice, Cheney & George Tenet) were digging up dirt to threaten members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to vote in favor of the invasion of Iraq. We now know that Bush and Blair lead Western Forces into the Iraqi War that was illegal because there were no weapons of mass destruction (WMD), Gaddafi wasn't a 45-minute threat to either Great Britain (GB) or to the US and it was a complete lie. Let this reader be clear, the US went to war without UNSC approval, it was contrary to international law, it was an illegal war and, given the gravity of the event, it was a crime against humanity.

The story, itself, focused on Katharine Gun and her response from reading Frank Koza's email. It asked the intelligent services in GB and the US (and probably other countries too) to find information that could extort, coercion, blackmail or manipulate delegates from the UNSC to support the US is going to war with Iraq. It was more than 'dirty tricks' because the US govt. wanted an all-out war with Iraq. It was a geopolitical collision for a military slaughter in Iraq.

Those involved in the lie and coverup, Bush/Cheney, et.al., and Tony Blair, to name but a few, should have been tried for War Crimes at the World Court at the Hague.
Fortunately, the reader was spared any gory details of the war and it only focused on what Ms. Gun tried to do and that was to try to stop an illegal war.

GIRL POWER!

[Tobias · Rating 3 out of 5]

Katherine Gun broke the Official Secrets Act. She should have been tried in court, and she should have gone to prison. Her case was the very definition of open-and-shut. This book spends much of its time trying to persuade the reader that she was, in fact, a noble and courageous whistleblower, and who was trying to do the right thing. What it is, in reality, is a bit confused.

Where this book is strong is its exposition of events leading up to, and around, the Iraq war. It offers a very good and detailed look at the road to war, the decisions that were taken, by whom, and when. Reading this, there is no question that, as an absolute minimum, Blair and Bush lied to their respective countries and parliaments, and a reasonable case can be made against both that they are guilty of war crimes. This, of course, will never come to pass. However, it is also circular, and repetitive, and keeps saying the same things as it tries to make its point, both literally and metaphorically.

It also uses the benefit of hindsight to make its defence for Gun's actions. She made her decision to commit treason because of a moral viewpoint regarding one aspect of her role; the repeated assertions that follow imply that she knew all the other details that are now available, and was making her decision because of that. Of course, this isn't - cannot be - the case, so it loses some of its efficacy in the telling.

But, whilst I don't agree with some of the arguments, they are both objective and fairly compelling, and there are certainly some elements that give pause for thought. Mostly, though, it simply reveals someone who was either staggeringly naive or willfully malicious. On balance, I am inclined to go with the former, but a small part of me still wonders.

[Nigel Pinkus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well rounded account of Ms Katharine Gun who once worked as a spy at the Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ) in Cheltenham, UK. When, in January of 2003, she realized both the UK govt. headed by Tony Blair and the United States (US) govt. (headed by Pres. George W. Bush with Rumsfeld, Rice, Cheney & George Tenet) were digging up dirt to threaten members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to vote in favor of invasion of Iraq. We now know that that Bush and Blair lead Western Forces into the Iraqi War that was illegal because there were no weapons of mass destruction (WMD), Gaddafi wasn't a 45 minute threat to either Great Britain (GB) or to the US and it was a complete lie. Let this reader be clear, the US went to war without UNSC approval, it was contrary to international law, it was an illegal war and, given the gravity of the event, it was a crime against humanity.

The story, itself, focused on Katharine Gun and her response from reading Frank Koza's email. It asked the intelligent services in GB and the US (and probably other countries too) to find information that could extort, coercion, blackmail or manipulate delegates from the UNSC to support the US in going to war with Iraq. Delegates from Angola, Cameroon, Chile and Pakistan were particularly targeted. It was more than 'dirty tricks' because the US govt. wanted an all out war with Iraq rather than any diplomatic peaceful solution. It was geo-politcal collusion for a military slaughter in Iraq. Fortunately, the reader was spared any gory details of the war and it only focused on what Ms. Gun tried to do and that was to try to stop an illegal war. You go girl! 4 STARS

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title was misleading, Katherine should and will be applauded for whistle-blowing. However this book is rambling repetitive and overwhelmingly "hagiographic". On the Gun side of things it felt like an elongated Christmas Card round robin. Annoying was the application of adjectives "beautiful husband" for Yassir and it appeared that everyone in her family were quite amazing and the envy of everyone around them.

Then the artificial shoe-horning.... ahem or should I say crow-barring of Katherine into the fall out from the whole debacle (in which there was not just a "spy" trying to stop a war), was embarrassing...

Sentences such as meanwhile Katherine celebrated her 28th birthday.... meanwhile Katherine was on a holiday in Brighton are a literal waste of ink.

Don't get your best buddies to write their opinion of you. Precious little was learned about Katherine and the narrative could be summed up as

GCHQ worker forwards an official secret to an authorised audience. GCHQ worker gives herself up and is interview by the police, spends anxious 8 months wondering what will happen. Then has a court case which is dropped.

However there is so much padding before and after which is poorly, written, subjectively explained and will covered more objectively by other books. The authors could have simply written a newspaper article making the relevant points on the Iraq war fall out and Katherine's contribution and then written another article on her upbringing, life and family for another magazine.

This book is doing no favours to Katherine, even with her "best buddies" good intentions. Avoid.

[Reds_reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells the story of Katharine Gun, a worker at GCHQ, who leaked an email to the press that implicated the US (with the UK's assistance) in spying on, and pressurising, UN Security Council members in order to gain their votes in favour of a resolution sanctioning military action against Iraq.

I was aware of the story, but not of the details, so learnt much from the book. What has cost the book a higher rating was the quality of the writing however. To be blunt, I am surprised that this was co-written by a former journalist, now an author. The book at times repeated itself and some explanations seemed muddled - I usually associate journalists with clear and concise writing on factual subjects. The authors also clearly had immense admiration for Gun, but I could have done with less of the gushing prose and a bit more information on certain areas - they kept telling us about her husband's precarious immigration status without ever explaining where the problem lay. Also, it's never good when you spot a factual inaccuracy in the first few pages - Cheltenham (where GCHQ is located) is a town, not a city. Yes, yes I know that's pedantic of me, but it's my hometown.

On the plus side, being written by Americans, I felt that the book had an informed perspective on the US's involvement that added much to the understanding of the story and made this a better read than had it focused on the UK alone.

[Laura Liddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting yet deeply sad account of how institutions can betray the very people who act with integrity. The Spy Who Tried to Stop a War tells the true story of Katharine Gun, the British intelligence officer who exposed a secret U.S. request for British help in spying on UN diplomats to secure support for the Iraq War. Her courage and moral conviction stand in stark contrast to the cynical political manoeuvring around her.

The book highlights how the system failed her - punishing honesty while rewarding deception. It’s a sobering exploration of the personal cost of doing what’s right when governments lose their moral compass.

The story’s power is amplified in the film adaptation Official Secrets, which brings to life the tension, fear, and quiet heroism behind Gun’s decision. Together, the book and the film remind us that truth-telling can come at a heavy price, especially when the truth exposes institutional wrongdoing.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't remember ever hearing of Katharine Gun back in 2003 (though I admittedly didn't spend all that much time reading the news at 16, so that's hardly surprising) and only became aware of her story when the Official Secrets movie came out - which reminds me that I really need to get around to watching that...
It's a fascinating story, told in a brisk, engaging fashion. I'd have liked a little more depth at times, but the book did provide a good look at her actions, her motives, and the consequences she faced.

[Ralph Tattersall · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good read outlining with some sensitivity and balance, the story behind whistle blower's Katherine Gun exposure of the illegal and illegitimate war against the Saddam Hussein regime, championed by an over zealous George Bush and a sycophantic Tony Blair.

I have a modicum of ambivalence about admiring her actions, but she seemed courageous in her conscience albeit a little naive. Enjoy the book and then Keira Knightley's portrayal in the movie, Official Secrets

[Elan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s hard to like this book.

The story is a fascinating look at international law, local law, politics and espionage tactics and is ruined by the sickly sweet sentimentality and righteous handshaking anger directed at the wrongdoers.

Unless you want to read a romance novel with real world issues, I would avoid this book and if interested do your own research into this fascinating event and topic.

[Jimbo · Rating 2 out of 5]

The facts of this case deserve to be better known, so this book is welcome. But the writing lacks rigour, lapses too often into unexplained partiality and only belatedly attempts to paint a more-rounded picture. It also fails to breathe life into the events, which the film adaptation does much better. The film also has Keira Knightley, who(m)* I really like :)
* NOBODY really says whom though surely**
**apart from Jacob Rees-Mogg

[Harry Harman]

2.6 million words, the inquiry report concluded that the Iraq War was unnecessary

action taken by then-US President George Bush and then-UK Prime Minister Tony Blair was questionable and never satisfactorily determined.

Katharine Gun enthusiastically marched against the invasion

people would see that their intention was not to disarm Saddam, but in fact to go to war.– Katharine Gun

And he was convincing, this highly respected member of the Bush administration. Handsome, charismatic, articulate, respected – no one else in the Bush administration could have done the job so masterfully.

the Official Secrets Act makes it a criminal offence for all members, or former members, of the security services to disclose official information about their work.

[Jázmin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is well-researched, but overromaticises the protagonist. It helps to know more about the prelude to the Iraq war in 2003 but doesn't always read well.The word awkward is overused which is annoying after the first 100 pages.
Overall enjoyable, the characters are well-built but there are some dry bits in the book. I'll be curious to read on other topics from the author as she seems to do her research well.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

The account being told here is fascinating and Katharine Gun's story deserved to be told so that she could be recognised for the immensely brave thing she did. However, as much as I enjoyed reading about her, the book was, at times, quite boring. I would have enjoyed I more, I think, if it had focussed more on the narrative of Katharine and less on the wider political narrative.

[Maeve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the way this was written, encouraging the reader to consider all angles of the case. It was fascinating to learn about what happened, and the way things were handled with regards to the public. I watched the film before reading the book, but I think I will have a new perspective next time I watch it.

[Csenge Pintér · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you thinking about reading it? Do it!! It's truly an inspiring story about a woman who had a lot to lose but chose to stand up for her principles. The book delves into the moral dilemmas, personal sacrifices, and courage it takes to go against powerful systems in the pursuit of justice. It's a gripping and emotional read that will leave you reflecting on the cost of doing what’s right.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, but this wasn't nearly as exciting as I had hoped. It felt more like an article that had been stretched into a book. I understand this was the basis for the movie Official Secrets and I would be interested to see that.