Article Review – The Guardian – Secrecy and firing squads: Britain’s ruthless war on Nazi spies

The Guardian - 2016 08 28 - Ian Cobain article - Secrecy and firing squads: Britain
The Guardian – 2016 08 28 – Ian Cobain article Secrecy and firing squads: Britain’s ruthless war on Nazi spies.

Article Review – The Guardian

Another great article came out on August 28, 2016 via The Guardian. This one was written by Ian Cobain, author of Cruel Britannia. The Guardian Article is entitled Secrecy and firing squads: Britain’s ruthless war on Nazi spies.

The article begins with the story of the first four spies who landed on the coast of Kent in September 1940. Cobain questions the justice of their trials, something that I have wondered as well. The article examines how MI5 wanted secrecy during trials and how this became increasingly difficult to ensure when civil trials were held at the Old Bailey. When Josef Jakobs landed in the hands of the English, claiming to be a member of the German Armed Forces, the stage was set for a secret military court martial.

The article is very good and I liked how Cobain wove in the stories of other spies. Apparently, he published a book on September 1, 2016 entitled The History Thieves, a history of official secrecy in Great Britain. According to the publisher – “The shocking new book from the author of Cruel Britannia, which uncovers the role of secrecy in the British state – and the lies, omissions and misrepresentations we’ve been fed to maintain the facade of a fair and just Britain.” Definitely on my reading list!

Rating

5/5 – Enjoyed the article very much and highly recommend it.

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