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GCHQ
The gripping inside story of the last unknown realm of the British secret GCHQ (Government Communication Headquarters). GCHQ is the successor to the famous Bletchley Park wartime code-breaking organisation and is the largest and most secretive intelligence organisation in the country. During the war, it commanded more staff than MI5 and MI6 combined and has produced a number of intelligence triumphs, as well as some notable failures. Since the end of the Cold War, it has played a pivotal role in shaping Britain's secret state. Still, we know almost nothing about it. In this ground-breaking new book, Richard Aldrich traces GCHQ's evolvement from a wartime code-breaking operation based in the Bedfordshire countryside, staffed by eccentric crossword puzzlers, to one of the world leading espionage organisations. It is packed full of dramatic spy stories that shed fresh light on Britain's role in the Cold War - from the secret tunnels dug beneath Vienna and Berlin to tap Soviet phone lines, and daring submarine missions to gather intelligence from the Soviet fleet, to the notorious case of Geoffrey Pine, one of the most damaging moles ever recruited by the Soviets inside British intelligence. The book reveals for the first time how GCHQ operators based in Cheltenham affected the outcome of military confrontations in far-flung locations such as Indonesia and Malaya, and exposes the shocking case of three GGHQ workers who were killed in an infamous shootout with terrorists while working undercover in Turkey. Today's GCHQ struggles with some of the most difficult issues of our time. A leading force of the state's security efforts against militant terrorist organisations like Al-Qaeda, they are also involved in fundamental issues that will mould the future of British society. Compelling and revelatory, Aldrich's book is the crucial missing link in Britain's intelligence history.
666 pages, Hardcover
First published June 10, 2010
163 people are currently reading
1031 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
November 28, 2024
I am so glad I stayed away from social media. I cannot believe how much they spy on us, their innocent, law-abiding, citizens.
They've been doing it for years and do it more and more as every years goes by.
They've been doing it for years and do it more and more as every years goes by.
August 8, 2010
A really good look in the history of the GCHQ, and actually in the presence of it and some of the similar to it organizations like the NSA in the world history. The book can give the opposite view on a lot of issues, and shows a lot of the reasons why NSA and the similar organizations oppose the public use of cryptography.
Also, it's pretty eye-opening how much stuff is actually recorded and analysed by such organisations. Although some stuff is missing, especially on the latest developments and the eavesdropping on gsm phones, it still makes you think really hard who can be listening to you and why.
Also, it's pretty eye-opening how much stuff is actually recorded and analysed by such organisations. Although some stuff is missing, especially on the latest developments and the eavesdropping on gsm phones, it still makes you think really hard who can be listening to you and why.
August 31, 2011
Even the asides in this book are packed full of interesting facts that have become public but just not well known enough. One that particularly sticks in the mind is the mention of the banker Roberto Calvi who was found hanging beneath Blackfriars Bridge in 1982. Do read what the book says about this and Argentine attempts to acquire more Exocet missiles during the Falklands war... in fact just read the whole book it’s fascinating stuff....
May 12, 2019
Very detailed, at times dense - but worth it to all who want clear information about GCHQ. I'd recommend it to those used to reading analytical history, but beware of the habit of skipping over lines or reading fast. This book doesn't allow it.
June 17, 2018
There will be a review on the blog shortly.
There's so much to talk about...
There's so much to talk about...
October 5, 2019
Meaty, comprehensive, eye-opening.
March 10, 2020
Haven't finished the whole book, as it's very dense. Most suited to those with a pre-existing base line knowledge of some of the history involved. I came to this simply from having enjoyed a few spy non fiction and fiction books, i.e. about the Cambridge 5 etc. and wanted to explore in a little more detail, but I have to confess I found myself drowning in all the detail that is offered up in each section. Thoroughly well researched, but so much is compacted into each chapter, I found it a struggle to retain the information.
I suspect a reader is best served here by selecting chapters of particular interest and coming back to others as and when they wish to complement their understanding. Useful for academic study, but tough going if you're considering reading it from start to finish if you don't have a decent knowledge base already.
I suspect a reader is best served here by selecting chapters of particular interest and coming back to others as and when they wish to complement their understanding. Useful for academic study, but tough going if you're considering reading it from start to finish if you don't have a decent knowledge base already.
July 3, 2014
Not easy to get into at first as it is a slow starter.
March 2, 2021
This was an interesting read having just finished "the age of surveillance capitalism," which focuses on surveillance by private companies as opposed to intelligence agencies.
This book provides insight into the incentives of GCHQ, and global intelligence agencies more broadly, since WW2. If you'd like to learn more about surveillance, the powers of the state, intelligence (especially signals intelligence, "sigint"), and international relations, I would recommend this book.
Some things that surprised me:
- How much counter espionage, spying and hacking activities occur(ed) without explicit consent from politicians (and often, likely most of the time, with most MPs having no idea what was going on), and the shaky legal grounds of many of these surveillance techniques
- The role embassies play in housing spies, the level of bugging that occurs in embassies, and how this spying can sometimes reduce tensions by providing each side with information on the motivations and next actions of the other side (ie are they going to imminently attack us or not)
- The UK-US special relationship, or the "UKUSA" alliance which became the five eyes alliance, and how much cooperation there has historically been between GCHQ and the NSA. Especially due to the UK's cryptographical talent and overseas bases eg on Cyprus, while the US had all the tech and money.
- That the US and UK intelligence agencies basically bought out a crypto company, ensured there were no other viable alternatives for most of the world (minus Russia and China), and then had a direct line to much of the supposedly secret comms of national leaders in Africa, the middle east, etc. (see Crypto AG).
- The amount of offensive capabilities and actions committed by organisations such as GCHQ in spreading disinformation/propoganda, and spying on basically everyone.
This book provides insight into the incentives of GCHQ, and global intelligence agencies more broadly, since WW2. If you'd like to learn more about surveillance, the powers of the state, intelligence (especially signals intelligence, "sigint"), and international relations, I would recommend this book.
Some things that surprised me:
- How much counter espionage, spying and hacking activities occur(ed) without explicit consent from politicians (and often, likely most of the time, with most MPs having no idea what was going on), and the shaky legal grounds of many of these surveillance techniques
- The role embassies play in housing spies, the level of bugging that occurs in embassies, and how this spying can sometimes reduce tensions by providing each side with information on the motivations and next actions of the other side (ie are they going to imminently attack us or not)
- The UK-US special relationship, or the "UKUSA" alliance which became the five eyes alliance, and how much cooperation there has historically been between GCHQ and the NSA. Especially due to the UK's cryptographical talent and overseas bases eg on Cyprus, while the US had all the tech and money.
- That the US and UK intelligence agencies basically bought out a crypto company, ensured there were no other viable alternatives for most of the world (minus Russia and China), and then had a direct line to much of the supposedly secret comms of national leaders in Africa, the middle east, etc. (see Crypto AG).
- The amount of offensive capabilities and actions committed by organisations such as GCHQ in spreading disinformation/propoganda, and spying on basically everyone.
May 8, 2025
The book is about how the British monitor telecommunications traffic from around the world and decode it to provide “intelligence” for military and political purposes. It is a fairly weighty tome, long on facts and short on anecdotes. It is not a particularly easy read. However, on page 400, I was wading through the description of the Falklands War when I came across this sentence: “The Argentinean Air Force’s traffic was the hardest to read, since it had recently invested in new encrypted communications made by a subsidiary of the British defence company Racal, based in South Africa.”
“Just a minute,” I said aloud to myself, “that was one of mine.” Actually, this is a bit of an exaggeration. In fact, I had designed the first prototype — the proof of concept — for the microprocessor that controlled the digital tuning of a radio to operate as a frequency-hopping device.
The facts presented in the book are a little suspect, since by that time Racal had sold the organization to a South African company, Grinaker Electronics, but perhaps Racal still held some shares or was responsible for international marketing. The book makes the point that, when it comes to arms supplies, there are some very strange bedfellows, so the fact that this system had ended up in Argentina did not surprise me too much. What did surprise me was that this system should come back into my life 38 years later. It felt really surreal, almost like I was looking at the back of my own head.
“Just a minute,” I said aloud to myself, “that was one of mine.” Actually, this is a bit of an exaggeration. In fact, I had designed the first prototype — the proof of concept — for the microprocessor that controlled the digital tuning of a radio to operate as a frequency-hopping device.
The facts presented in the book are a little suspect, since by that time Racal had sold the organization to a South African company, Grinaker Electronics, but perhaps Racal still held some shares or was responsible for international marketing. The book makes the point that, when it comes to arms supplies, there are some very strange bedfellows, so the fact that this system had ended up in Argentina did not surprise me too much. What did surprise me was that this system should come back into my life 38 years later. It felt really surreal, almost like I was looking at the back of my own head.
March 19, 2021
A most detailed account of gathering and defeating ‘Signals Intelligence’ (sigint) and ‘Communications Intelligence’ (comint) from 1904 to 1989.
700 pages of detail. Many names, positions and dates to keep mind of. Once more, I reached for the highlighter and the notebook. I did not find this easy going and did at times put it down in favour of more undemanding ventures (The Road to Station X).
Before anything, I do believe this to be a well-researched and honest account of the matters-at-hand. So, ...
First, and I remain speechless over the revelation, during the war with Nazi Germany, when Bletchley Park is doing its utmost to provide for those in need, we find there are politically minded folk in the capitol more interested in petty-jealousies, personal agendas and career advancement than ensuring the right information ends up in the right hands.
It was that little-nugget that kept me with this; was there more incredulous facts to find?
It does tell of some very dedicated people, some remarkably intelligent people and on-the-front-line cases of courage and daring.
I am glad I chose to read this. It is fascinating the lengths opposing factions must reach for to keep their traffic secure and the how far they’ll go to ‘capture’, ‘listen in’ to the other side. The other side not just being the accepted foe, but also the acknowledged friend and ally.
700 pages of detail. Many names, positions and dates to keep mind of. Once more, I reached for the highlighter and the notebook. I did not find this easy going and did at times put it down in favour of more undemanding ventures (The Road to Station X).
Before anything, I do believe this to be a well-researched and honest account of the matters-at-hand. So, ...
First, and I remain speechless over the revelation, during the war with Nazi Germany, when Bletchley Park is doing its utmost to provide for those in need, we find there are politically minded folk in the capitol more interested in petty-jealousies, personal agendas and career advancement than ensuring the right information ends up in the right hands.
It was that little-nugget that kept me with this; was there more incredulous facts to find?
It does tell of some very dedicated people, some remarkably intelligent people and on-the-front-line cases of courage and daring.
I am glad I chose to read this. It is fascinating the lengths opposing factions must reach for to keep their traffic secure and the how far they’ll go to ‘capture’, ‘listen in’ to the other side. The other side not just being the accepted foe, but also the acknowledged friend and ally.
February 17, 2020
The history of signals intelligence in the UK from the late 19th century to (almost) the present is well presented and very thought provoking.
Naturally, though the focus is primarily on SIGINT in the UK, that story cannot be told without reference to the worldwide situation, in particular with the ongoing uncomfortable sort-of alliance with 🇺🇸 and other nations of more variable status.
It is an exciting history, of war-winning code-breakers at Bletchley Park, of sometimes hilarious beginnings- like 🇺🇸 rivalry between army and navy leading to decoding being shared - army and navy working on alternate days!! - of moles and scares, scandals and concern for human rights, of politicians saying more than was wise, of 🇺🇸attempts to impose the pseudoscientific polygraph “lie detector” on UK intelligence for starters.
However the explosion of digital technology has brought new ethical and security challenges beyond those I had imagined in nightmare.
Naturally, though the focus is primarily on SIGINT in the UK, that story cannot be told without reference to the worldwide situation, in particular with the ongoing uncomfortable sort-of alliance with 🇺🇸 and other nations of more variable status.
It is an exciting history, of war-winning code-breakers at Bletchley Park, of sometimes hilarious beginnings- like 🇺🇸 rivalry between army and navy leading to decoding being shared - army and navy working on alternate days!! - of moles and scares, scandals and concern for human rights, of politicians saying more than was wise, of 🇺🇸attempts to impose the pseudoscientific polygraph “lie detector” on UK intelligence for starters.
However the explosion of digital technology has brought new ethical and security challenges beyond those I had imagined in nightmare.
Read
December 2, 2021I don’t usually read this genre of book for pleasure. There is a great deal of factual information contained within its pages and as such you often have to reread passages to gain an understanding.
The history of intelligence gathering and processing is well explained using global or often British political influences.
The development of cypher machines since World War 2 is fascinating. Up until I read this book I was under the the impression that there was only the ones developed at Bletchley Park. British and American influences on later development and distribution of these cypher machines is a revelation!
I have reached 66% into the book and have held off. There is a lot to take in. In the meantime I’ll return to fiction and pick it up later.
The history of intelligence gathering and processing is well explained using global or often British political influences.
The development of cypher machines since World War 2 is fascinating. Up until I read this book I was under the the impression that there was only the ones developed at Bletchley Park. British and American influences on later development and distribution of these cypher machines is a revelation!
I have reached 66% into the book and have held off. There is a lot to take in. In the meantime I’ll return to fiction and pick it up later.
September 6, 2020
Fascinating detail, and worth a read especially alongside the Edward Snowden revelations, which came out after this book yet this book goes into much the same detail.
This book appears to make the point that services like GCHQ had their highlight in the 1950s and 1960s, and are now increasingly irrelevant: finding it hard to deal with the sheer amount of electronic communication. Unlike Snowden, the author here is sympathetic to the eavesdropping services, rather than critical: and is an interesting counterpoint.
With interesting tales of derring-do in history, this is certainly worth a read.
This book appears to make the point that services like GCHQ had their highlight in the 1950s and 1960s, and are now increasingly irrelevant: finding it hard to deal with the sheer amount of electronic communication. Unlike Snowden, the author here is sympathetic to the eavesdropping services, rather than critical: and is an interesting counterpoint.
With interesting tales of derring-do in history, this is certainly worth a read.
June 2, 2024
Takes a while to read this. Maybe because:
there's a great deal to read, there's pages and pages of it,
at some point on a good many pages, I drew breath and mouth open, jaw hanging, I held it - disbelieving of what I was reading,
the detail given forced me to re-read plenty, wanting to be sure of the facts before I moved on.
First, I found it so interesting - the history, the political battles, the obstacles.
Second, I found the bungling, the ineptitude, the deceit and treachery, appalling.
A school friend of mine lost her father in the Falklands war. His loss hurt her for a long time - I hope she never gets to read this.
there's a great deal to read, there's pages and pages of it,
at some point on a good many pages, I drew breath and mouth open, jaw hanging, I held it - disbelieving of what I was reading,
the detail given forced me to re-read plenty, wanting to be sure of the facts before I moved on.
First, I found it so interesting - the history, the political battles, the obstacles.
Second, I found the bungling, the ineptitude, the deceit and treachery, appalling.
A school friend of mine lost her father in the Falklands war. His loss hurt her for a long time - I hope she never gets to read this.
May 15, 2021
Easy read and nicely detailed with plenty of references.
Pretty neutral throughout except at the end where he talks about the contemporary situation.
This last section feels tacked on and rushed. Moreover, he starts making negative judgements about government surveillance but did not do so at any other point in the book (even when he talks often about the interception of commercial messages); and really doesn't have anything to say about tech companies who are doing much the same thing, which makes the judgements feel very inconsistent.
Pretty neutral throughout except at the end where he talks about the contemporary situation.
This last section feels tacked on and rushed. Moreover, he starts making negative judgements about government surveillance but did not do so at any other point in the book (even when he talks often about the interception of commercial messages); and really doesn't have anything to say about tech companies who are doing much the same thing, which makes the judgements feel very inconsistent.
January 20, 2023
A comprehensive, in depth download of the full history of GCHQ up to 2008. It would be great to see a new version to bring it up to date. I found it a fascinating as well as educational read. It is a factually dense read, but nonetheless has some gripping tales of spying and espionage. A lot of the more recent stories readers will be aware of from news articles, so this text gives some unbiased context to those incidents. A great read I would recommend to anyone interested in modern military or political history.
December 17, 2024
Absolutely fascinating and illuminating. Thought provoking and a well balanced history. The stories were very relevant and new to me, and the analysis great. I can really recommend it and will re- read it too! The choices that our government makes/ made and how informed they are (or not) at the time. Which politicians were involved at the time of the decisions, and how well ( or otherwise) the armed forces and “allies” were at critical moments of military history. There is so much to think about!
February 15, 2020
Brilliant history of this national asset. Great to get an understanding of how this organisation developed and the many challenges it has faced and the invaluable contribution it has made in so many areas over many years. Helps you to understand what is meant by the Special Relationship that exists between the UK and USA. The challenges GCHQ faces now to help protect us from terrorism and organised crime are immense.
Well worth reading
Well worth reading
November 2, 2020
Eye-opening and thought-provoking, this highly readable history of signals intelligence brings a secretive world to light almost as if it were merely part of a gripping novel - not actual facts.
Many events from news as I was growing up were put into perspective while I read this most excellent book.
A huge subject, but readers should not be put off but its length - this is a fascinating and completely absorbing read.
Many events from news as I was growing up were put into perspective while I read this most excellent book.
A huge subject, but readers should not be put off but its length - this is a fascinating and completely absorbing read.
April 29, 2024
Its a puzzle book. Why buy it if youre not going to solve the puzzles...why rate it any less. Why act suprised when you realise that your just helping yourself develop (weakly) some pattern recognition skills. Great way to practice for IQ test if youve deluded yourself into thinking IQ is a test for intelligence
July 4, 2018
Balanced and thought provoking
Immensely detained but readable account of surveillance from the world wars to the internet era, from a British perspective, with analysis of the special relationship, and tensions, between British GCHQ and US NSA.
Immensely detained but readable account of surveillance from the world wars to the internet era, from a British perspective, with analysis of the special relationship, and tensions, between British GCHQ and US NSA.
May 31, 2020
Well researched and contains a lot of interesting info, however, the editing could have been improved. There is quite a lot repetition and it doesn't feel like it is well integrated into a "story" in places.
July 8, 2024
Scary stuff
An excellent and incredibly in depth look at one of the planet's most prestigious spy agencies. A look at the good, bad and down right ugly side of Commsec and Sigint collection techniques past and present. An incredibly important read.
An excellent and incredibly in depth look at one of the planet's most prestigious spy agencies. A look at the good, bad and down right ugly side of Commsec and Sigint collection techniques past and present. An incredibly important read.
Read
December 12, 2022DFN. Not because it’s a poorly written but because I’ve read a book on the history of MI5 about a year ago and this book covers a lot of the same ground albeit from a different perspective.
February 13, 2023
A very interesting history of GCHQ, from its inception and development to the present day. Would have liked more technical details, but I guess that is secret! Recommended.
July 28, 2019
This is a book based on public documents, which means that is a sanitised history of GCHQ. Nonetheless, it is a gripping read and provides a good view of the several challenges this intelligence service faced throughout its history. What I found most interesting is how ruthless the UK government is, striving to collect intelligence on allied countries and of course to obtain commercial advantages. Also new for me was the great support the US gave the UK during the Falklands /Malvinas war.
August 25, 2024
Given to me by my physio. He said, "That'll keep you in your chair if anything will." I struggle to stay in one spot: all those years of racing around. My knee is still in its recovery phase!
It worked. Although I'm convinced it gave me a few restless nights knowing how hard GCHQ work to spy on our enemies AND US.
Crikey - it's a shocker.
It worked. Although I'm convinced it gave me a few restless nights knowing how hard GCHQ work to spy on our enemies AND US.
Crikey - it's a shocker.
November 30, 2020
Excellent. Very detailed.
December 20, 2021
The pleasure of this magnificent book lies not only in the stream of fascinating stories and facts, but in the way that these are woven into political history and occurrences around the world at the time. One might have been tempted to suspect that comint, sigint and elint were natural followers of Parkinson’s Law, but constant references in the book to both failures and successes illustrate well the need to be ahead of the curve in our permanently troubled times. The book is littered with stories of inter-service rivalry, here and abroad. Awareness of others’ intelligence gathering capabilities and endless horse-trading appear to have greatly contributed to the maintenance of balance of power. The ever-changing relationship between the UK and US intelligence communities and the so-called ‘special relationship’ is covered to the extent that the book’s title could well have integrated this aspect. We all know how often information we were not supposed to learn is usually more important than that which we are told; this book explains why.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews