Book review [Spooked: The Secret Rise of Private Spies, by Barry Meier, published by Spectre, (London, 2021)]

Abstract

This is a book review of the book by Barry Meier (2021) Spooked: The Secret Rise of Private Spies, Sceptre.\n\nPublished - 27 April 2021\nPublished by - Spectre (London, 2021)\nFormat - Paper back\nISBN - 9781529365917\n292 pages\n\nReviewed by Dr John Battersby\n\nThis book is not the easiest of reads, not the author’s fault – the topic is labyrinthian. This book does not provide a single lineal narrative – it shines a light on a range of private intelligence organisations and their activities for wealthy, often up-to-no good, clients. A central theme running through the book is the infamous Christopher Steele dossier which supposedly exposed lewd, illegal and untoward activity by Donald Trump and others associated with his campaign and their connections to Moscow. The book traces the life span of the dossier, discusses its shadowy source(s), exposes its fundamental flaws, but leaves the possibility – like all great myths – that perhaps something of the Steele dossier is true. This book reinforces an ancient tenet – do not believe anything anyone tells you, unless you have checked it, verified it and applied the common-sense test to it. This includes what you read in the mainstream media.