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Former MI6 chief Sir John Scarlett has described Bloomsbury's publication of the history of the intelligence service as "an exceptional event" which would never be repeated.
The national and international press turned out in force for the press conference for the launch of Keith Jeffery's MI6: The History of the Secret Intelligence Service 1909-1949 at the Foreign and Commonwealth office in London this morning. Professor Keith Jeffery was interviewed on BBC Radio 4's "Today" programme earlier today as part of an extensive programme of interviews and events for the book.
Scarlett said MI6 "absolutely depends on keeping its secrets secret" and that Jeffery's unfettered access to its archives up to the year 1949 was a one-off. The organisation wanted the book to help people understand the service's contribution to British history and promote "well-informed public debate" on its role, he said. "It is a serious account of the successes of the service and the failures of the service. There are plenty of both," he added.
Jeffery, a historian from Queen's University, Belfast [pictured above, right], said the offer to produce the book was "too good to refuse" despite the requirement that it be vetted by the organisation on security grounds, calling the MI6 records "the holy grail of British archives."
Bloomsbury publishing director Michael Fishwick said the book had been "almost the easiest sell there is" to retailers, with "big orders, big enthusiasm, big expectations." He added Bloomsbury hoped to emulate Penguin's 70,000 total for Christopher Andrew's comparable history of MI5, Defence of the Realm.