Soldier Spy by Tom Marcus
Author : Tom Marcus
Title : Soldier Spy
Published : 23/03/2017
Pages : 336
Genre : Biography
Publisher : Penguin
Tom Marcus is the first MI5 officer to tell the true story of British counter-terrorism operations on our streets. Recruited after the 7/7 attacks on London, Tom quickly found himself immersed in the tense world of watching, following and infiltrating networks of terrorists, spies, and foreign agents. It was a job that took over his life for months at a time and cost him, dear, taking him to the limit of physical and mental endurance. Filled with extraordinary, searing accounts of operations that saved countless lives, Soldier Spy is the only authentic account by an ex-MI5 officer of the round-the-clock battle to keep this country's streets safe.
Over the course of my reading I have from time to time found myself diving into the fictional world of my countries spy's, They have been stories I have enjoyed greatly, but each time I have been left wondering how close to the real world they get. So while looking for something new to read I came across Tom Marcus's book in the nonfiction section, I felt the time was right to answer this question.
It doesn't take long with this book to realize that the harsh realities of the intelligence world are a far cry from there fictional counterparts. This is a hard life for anyone to live never really knowing what you will walk into next. Be it having to go undercover in an IRA pub or dealing with extremists that would happily kill thousands of people in the name of there course. What the author delivers is a very honest account of his time working for MI5. He doesn't shy away from much even parts that don't show them in their best light. At times it can be hard to imagine what these men and women put themselves through protecting our countries. There is a reason the fail rate for getting a job with them is so high. And the toll it takes on these very few who make it is a heavy one to carry.
The book is split between the author talking about various operations he undertook, and the training it took to be able to do it. Each of these brought me interest for a different reason. With each of the sections on training I became more convinced there was no chance I would have made it through the selection process. But when every decision you will make out in the field could lead to yours or innocent victims being killed only the best will do. When it comes to the actual field work I felt I learned a lot as to what MI5 do on a daily bases. For some, this will be a realization that the threats that are out there are a lot closer than we ever thought they would be. Which is a testimony to how well they do there job, it allows us to live our lives without a second thought towards the job they do.
I have spoken before about the toll it takes on these people, this is also another area the author take head-on as he talks about the effects it had on him both mentally and physically. It is brutal enough reading about his break down let alone living it. I was glad to see that at least he did get help from the service when everything started to go sideways for him. And also shed some light on his life after he moved on.
This book opened my eyes to the world in which MI5 operate at the threats they deal with on a daily bases. If you are looking to get a glimpse into there world this will be the right book for you. Too often we only hear about the time's things go wrong and people slip through the cracks. With the publication of this book, it gives you a chance to realize that more times than not the actually get it right and stop the people who are trying to do harm to us. They deserve the respect and gratitude of us the general public by allowing us to live in relative peace.
Over the course of my reading I have from time to time found myself diving into the fictional world of my countries spy's, They have been stories I have enjoyed greatly, but each time I have been left wondering how close to the real world they get. So while looking for something new to read I came across Tom Marcus's book in the nonfiction section, I felt the time was right to answer this question.
It doesn't take long with this book to realize that the harsh realities of the intelligence world are a far cry from there fictional counterparts. This is a hard life for anyone to live never really knowing what you will walk into next. Be it having to go undercover in an IRA pub or dealing with extremists that would happily kill thousands of people in the name of there course. What the author delivers is a very honest account of his time working for MI5. He doesn't shy away from much even parts that don't show them in their best light. At times it can be hard to imagine what these men and women put themselves through protecting our countries. There is a reason the fail rate for getting a job with them is so high. And the toll it takes on these very few who make it is a heavy one to carry.
The book is split between the author talking about various operations he undertook, and the training it took to be able to do it. Each of these brought me interest for a different reason. With each of the sections on training I became more convinced there was no chance I would have made it through the selection process. But when every decision you will make out in the field could lead to yours or innocent victims being killed only the best will do. When it comes to the actual field work I felt I learned a lot as to what MI5 do on a daily bases. For some, this will be a realization that the threats that are out there are a lot closer than we ever thought they would be. Which is a testimony to how well they do there job, it allows us to live our lives without a second thought towards the job they do.
I have spoken before about the toll it takes on these people, this is also another area the author take head-on as he talks about the effects it had on him both mentally and physically. It is brutal enough reading about his break down let alone living it. I was glad to see that at least he did get help from the service when everything started to go sideways for him. And also shed some light on his life after he moved on.
This book opened my eyes to the world in which MI5 operate at the threats they deal with on a daily bases. If you are looking to get a glimpse into there world this will be the right book for you. Too often we only hear about the time's things go wrong and people slip through the cracks. With the publication of this book, it gives you a chance to realize that more times than not the actually get it right and stop the people who are trying to do harm to us. They deserve the respect and gratitude of us the general public by allowing us to live in relative peace.
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