The Big Breach : From Top Secret to Maximum Security

by Richard Tomlinson

Book Overview

Richard Tomlinson was recruited initially by MI6, the British foreign intelligence service, during his senior year at Cambridge University. In these memoirs, he claims to have quickly gained the trust... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1903813018
• ISBN13: 9781903813010
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Cutting Edge
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.1" x 1.1" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

MI6: A Story of No Accountability to the Government

Richard Tomlinson is a former MI6 (the British equivalent to the CIA) operative who ran afoul of poor management and subsequently found out just how little accountability there is for MI6 to the British government as they illegally pursued him throughout Europe and exerted influence with forein intelligence services to make his life miserable.The first half or so of the book concerns his recruitment, training, and service with MI6. Though Tomlinson never reveals any true national secrets, the tale is still an enjoyable read and casts an interesting light on the less-than-glamorous life of a spy (sorry, James Bond is complete fiction!) Unfortunately, due to his reluctance to discuss secret issues and the brevity of his career, this fascinating portion of the book soon comes to a close.Following a clash of personality with a superior, Tomlinson is summarily dismissed from MI6 and immediately put under watch, his life controlled and manipulated by his former coworkers. He spends time in prison for supposedly violating the secrets act in Britian, then leaves the country to try to make a life that won't be constantly monitored and manipulated. The tale is one of injustice and frightening lack of government accountability and worth every minute spent reading it.

Tomlinson tells it like it is - A great read!

I came across Tomlinson's name doing research for a new book I'm writing. As a great fan of LeCarre, Deighton, and Forsyth, I was immediately interested in the subject matter, namely an insider's take on MI6. I doubted Tomlinson would reveal any national secrets - he doesn't and its clear he still very much a patriot - but I hoped he would shed light on the fascinating day to day procedure of how one of the world's most famous spy agency's is run. He did and then some. The Big Breach is fast paced, eminently readable, chock full of interesting details and as it races to its conclusion, a true page turner. While I empathize with Tomlinson, I still can't quite understand his naivete that MI6 would play by the rules - Christ, man they're spies. Even you derided their bureaucratic leanings. I'm still enough of a believer in the system to think that he must have done something wrong to be let go besides refusing to wear a tie in to meet Radavan Karadzic. He never quite explains why the wonderfully named "Fowlecrook" or "Poison Dwarf" had it in for him. MI6 is afterall pretty good at what they do. They can't go around sacking men as talented as Mr. Tomlinson seems to be. Still, I tend to side with Tomlinson. I've interviewed enough people to be able to smell the truth. This book reeks of it! In the end, MI6 has only itself to blame. All Tomlinson wanted was a fair shake.Good luck to you, Mr. Tomlinson. Chin up!

All those "a readers" are spooks...read this book

Having been intimately associated with the workings of intelligence agencies and military ops, Tomlinson's book has the total ring of truth... the vindictive pettiness and unrelenting pursuit of him shows the depths that bureaucrats will go to to not admit a mistake... since one would have to be sacrificed in the retraction... He captures very well the arrogance and cowboy attitude of the secret services who consider themselves above the law... Read this book! It even happens to be well written... (I love reading the negative reviews, you can get a great taste of the MI6 spy headspace by what they reveal...)

a rebuttal worth reading

Before I read Tomlinson's book I almost believed everything I read about him in the newspapers, even up until MI6 accused him of consorting with FSB to get the book published. Now I have both sides of the story, and I must say that his side is more convincing and undoubtedly entertaining.The book is well written, rather light-hearted at times but serious when Tomlinson describes the inefficient management structure of MI6's personnel department. I really enjoyed parts where he describes his experiences while still at the service. Tomlinson truly demystifies MI6. He shows certain simply ways in which the organization operates. This does not however mean that it is not powerful. In deed, his writing shows that MI6's tentacles of influence spread wide across the western world. This influence has been abused in Tomlinson's case, and probably at certain other times too.In my view Tomlinson deserved to write the book. The service he loved so much screwed him over many times. He deserves a good apology. At worst, they should simply leave him alone now.A final insight. Tomlinson has started what may eventually lead to an ammendment of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) of the United Kingdom. If you read his book, you will realize why this Act is so important in the first place. MI6 uses it to gag its victims, to shut them up - yes, the less powerful ones, who don't know where the bodies are buried.It is not over yet! MI6 should not have messed with Tomlinson the way they did. Now they shall pay the price.READ THIS BOOK!

MI6 under threat

At first I would be averse to the sound of Richard Tomlinson. Words such as traitor or idiot would come to mind. However, this is his own side of the story. I urge people to read it and see for themselves. It is not a stuffy read and has been very well written to read easily for civilians. It is an interesting insight into "a life less ordinary".