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Out of the shadows for ‘Desmond Morton – Churchill's man of mystery’

Today sees the publication of Gill Bennett's unique biography of Desmond Morton, a former officer of the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), who became Churchill's personal intelligence adviser throughout the crucial stages of the Second World War.

Through her exceptional access to archives, including SIS material, Gill Bennett has been able to assemble the first accurate account of Desmond Morton's distinguished, albeit at times chequered past.

In addition to throwing fresh light on Desmond Morton's role during the War, his pre–war activities during Churchill's “wilderness years” are revealed, together with details of his SIS career and his varied and previously unrecorded post–war work, where he achieved considerable success, often to the chagrin of the bureaucrats of the day.

The book also casts light on some remarkable SIS successes during the pre–war period, especially in the area of counter–intelligence.

The first biography to be commissioned in the government's official histories programme was welcomed by the Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell, he said:

‘By exposing the myths, Gill Bennett's book will improve our understanding of the considerations and imperatives involved in policy making, as well as showing that the truth can often be far more straightforward than conspiracy theories would suggest’.

Notes to editors

1. The book's full title is Churchill's Man of Mystery: Desmond Morton and the World of Intelligence (Hb: 978-0-415-39430-7) and is an official history published in the Whitehall History Publishing series by Routledge (http://www.routledge.com/securitystudies [External website]) at £49.95p.
2. Gill Bennett has had a distinguished public service and academic career, the former culminating as FCO Chief Historian, a position she held from 1995 to 2005. She was also Senior Editor of the FCO's Documents on British Policy Overseas. Her publications include “The Zinoviev Memorandum of 1924” and a number of other FCO research memoranda.
3. The Government's official history programme is run by the Cabinet Office Histories, Openness and Records Unit. For more information you can visit the Cabinet Office website at www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Tel: 020 7276 0311 Fax: 020 7276 0618

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