Penguin to unveil MI5 secrets in October

20 March 2009

Publisher Penguin has revealed some of the launch plans of what it calls an authorised history of Britain's internal security and counter-intelligence service, the famed MI5. It has described the access granted to its writer, Prof Christopher Andrew, as being ''unprecedented.''

The authorized history has been written by noted writer on intelligence affairs, and expert, the Cambridge historian, Professor Christopher Andrew. His effort on MI5, ''Defence of the Realm'' (Allen Lane, £30) will be published on Monday, 5 October 2009 with a press conference. Copies of the book will be made available at bookshops on the same day.

The initials MI stand for Military Intelligence and the numerical 5 distinguishes it from its sister service, MI6, which is charged with intelligence gathering and general hanky-panky overseas.

The book on MI5 borrows its title from the service's motto ''Regnum Defende,'' which translates as "Defend the Realm."

Two books have been commissioned on both the services for release in their centennial year as the services were founded in 1909. 

In MI5's case it came into existence in October 1909 as the "Home Section of the Secret Service Bureau". It has undergone a change in nomenclature on a number of occasions since, and has been referred to as the ''Security Service'' since 1931.