GCHQ : the uncensored story of Britain's most secret intelligence agency

The gripping inside story of the last unknown realm of the British secret service: GCHQ (Government Communication Headquarters). GCHQ is the successor to the famous Bletchley Park wartime code-breaking organisation and is the largest and most secretive intelligence organisation in the country. During the war, it commanded more staff than MI5 and MI6 combined and has produced a number of intelligence triumphs, as well as some notable failures. Since the end of the Cold War, it has played a pivotal role in shaping Britain's secret state. Still, we know almost nothing about it. In this ground-breaking new book, Richard Aldrich traces GCHQ's evolvement from a wartime code-breaking operation based in the Bedfordshire countryside, staffed by eccentric crossword puzzlers, to one of the world leading espionage organisations. It is packed full of dramatic spy stories that shed fresh light on Britain's role in the Cold War - from the secret tunnels dug beneath Vienna and Berlin to tap Soviet phone lines, and daring submarine missions to gather intelligence from the Soviet fleet, to the notorious case of Geoffrey Pine, one of the most damaging moles ever recruited by the Soviets inside British intelligence. The book reveals for the first time how GCHQ operators based in Cheltenham affected the outcome of military confrontations in far-flung locations such as Indonesia and Malaya, and exposes the shocking case of three GGHQ workers who were killed in an infamous shootout with terrorists while working undercover in Turkey. Today's GCHQ struggles with some of the most difficult issues of our time. A leading force of the state's security efforts against militant terrorist organisations like Al-Qaeda, they are also involved in fundamental issues that will mould the future of British society. Compelling and revelatory, Aldrich's book is the crucial missing link in Britain's intelligence history. Intelligence, Signals, Computers, Spy Front Cover 1 By the same author 2 Front Page 3 Copyright Page 4 Dedication 5 CONTENTS 6 ILLUSTRATIONS 9 Note on Terminology 15 Abbreviations 17 Introduction 20 THE 1940s - BLETCHLEY PARK AND BEYOND 30 1 - Schooldays 31 2 - Friends and Allies 48 3 - Every War Must Have an End 65 4 - The KGB and the Venona Project 90 5 - UKUSA - Creating the Global Sigint Alliance 107 THE 1950s - FIGHTING THE ELECTRONIC WAR 123 6 - 'Elint' and the Soviet Nuclear Target 124 7 - The Voyages of HMS Turpin 142 8 - Sigint in the Sun - GCHQ's Overseas Empire 165 9 - Blake, Bugs and the Berlin Tunnel 186 10 - Embassy Wars 200 THE 1960s - SPACE, SPY SHIPS AND SCANDALS 216 11 - Harold Macmillan - Shootdowns, Cyphers and Spending 217 12 - Harold Wilson - Security Scandals and Spy Revelations 250 13 - Intelligence for Doomsday 268 14 - Staying Ahead - Sigint Ships and Spy Planes 283 THE 1970s - TURBULENCE AND TERROR 299 15 - Trouble with Henry 300 16 - Disaster at Kizildere 322 17 - Turmoil on Cyprus 343 18 - Unmasking GCHQ: The ABC Trial 363 THE 1980s - INTO THE THATCHER ERA 388 19 - Geoffrey Prime - The GCHQ Mole 389 20 - A Surprise Attack - The Falklands War 409 21 - Thatcher and the GCHQ Trade Union Ban 438 22 - NSA and the Zircon Project 459 AFTER 1989 - GCHQ GOES GLOBAL 492 23 - From Cold War to Hot Peace - The Gulf War and Bosnia 493 24 - The New Age of Ubiquitous Computing 514 25 - The 9/11 Attacks and the Iraq War 537 26 - From Bletchley Park to a Brave New World? 560 Appendix 1 579 Appendix 2 581 Appendix 3 - GCHQ Organisation In 1946 591 Appendix 4 - GCHQ Organisation In 1970 593 Appendix 5 - GCHQ Organisation In 1998 595 Acknowledgements 597 Notes 601 Bibliography 643 Rear Cover 665 madmaxau Gchq (government Communication Headquarters) Is The Successor To The Famous Bletchley Park Wartime Code-breaking Organisation And Is The Largest And Most Secretive Intelligence Organisation In The Country. Richard Aldrich Traces Gchq's Evolvement From A Wartime Code-breaking Operation To One Of The World's Leading Espionage Organisations. Machine Generated Contents Note: 1. Schooldays -- 2. Friends And Allies -- 3. Every War Must Have An End -- 4. Kgb And The Venona Project -- 5. Ukusa -- Creating The Global Sigint Alliance -- 6. 'elint' And The Soviet Nuclear Target -- 7. Voyages Of Hms Tiopin -- 8. Sigint In The Sun -- Gchq's Overseas Empire -- 9. Blake, Bugs And The Berlin Tunnel -- 10. Embassy Wars -- 11. Harold Macmillan -- Shootdowns, Cyphers And Spending -- 12. Harold Wilson -- Security Scandals And Spy Revelations -- 13. Intelligence For Doomsday -- 14. Staying Ahead -- Sigint Ships And Spy Planes -- 15. Trouble With Henry -- 16. Disaster At Kizildere -- 17. Turmoil On Cyprus -- 18. Unmasking Gchq: The Abc Trial -- 19. Geoffrey Prime -- The Gchq Mole -- 20. Surprise Attack -- The Falklands War -- 21. Thatcher And The Gchq Trade Union Ban -- 22. Nsa And The Zircon Project -- 23. From Cold War To Hot Peace -- The Gulf War And Bosnia -- 24. New Age Of Ubiquitous Computing -- 25. 9/11 Attacks And The Iraq War -- 26. From Bletchley Park To A Brave New World?. Richard Aldrich. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [613]-634) And Index.