November 9, 2009 (RALEIGH, NC) -- In an unprecedented gesture, Christopher Andrew was allowed full access to all secret files of Britain’s security and spy agency MI5. In recognition of the agency’s 100th birthday, the celebrated intelligence scholar has penned Defend the Realm, a monumental compendium of politics, war and significant world events from 1909 to 2009.
Andrew will appear in Raleigh on November 14, 2009 at a book signing hosted by Quail Ridge Books from noon to 2 p.m.
The British press has raved over Defend the Realm:
The book is: “a feast for students of politics” (Sunday Times); “essential reading” (The Observer); “gripping as any thriller” (Financial Times); “meticulous and extensive scholarship” (Daly Telegraph); “a ripping read” (The Guardian); and a “striking experiment in openness” (The Economist).
Andrew will also be available to area media Friday evening, November 13; Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon November 14 before and after the book signing; and mid-day Sunday November 15. He can be contacted over the weekend at 919-787-1944.
(Publishers Alfred A. Knopf have agreed to allow interviews prior to Andrew’s arrival. Contact Errin Hartmann at ehartman@randomhouse.com or call 212-572-2345.)
Andrew, author of seminal books on KGB activity, is the acknowledged top expert on intelligence matters. According to Raleigh Metro Magazine editor and publisher Bernie Reeves, the founder of the Raleigh Spy Conference: “Chris is knowledgeable, charming and a walking security risk. He now knows all, based on his access to MI5 secret files. We are indeed fortunate he is visiting us here in Raleigh.”
Quail Ridge Books is located in Ridgewood Shopping Center, at 3524 Wade Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27607. For information and directions go to: www.quailridgebooks.com or call 919-828-1588.
For more information on Chris Andrew, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Andrew_(historian) and visit www.raleighspyconference.com.
About Chris Andrew:
Cambridge University professor Chris Andrew co-authored KGB:The Inside Story with KGB double agent Oleg Gordievsky, and the two-volume Mitrokhin Archive with former KGB officer Vasili Mitrokhin. These works are considered advanced texts for intelligence scholars. Since 1980, Professor Andrew has been a regular presenter on BBC Radio and TV documentaries on modern history and international relations. He was also the keynote speaker for the first Raleigh Spy Conference in 2003.
