The Walls Have Ears - Dr Helen Fry

 


Who does not like to read stories of spying, intrigue, deception and of intelligence operations so subtle that those being spied upon didn’t even know it was happening?

In The Walls Have Ears, the author, Dr Helen Fry uncovers the fascinating world of MI6 operations during 2 World War and how “bugging operations” and “interrogation techniques” glean information from prisoners that it could be argued shortened the war.

This book concentrates on the leadership of one man, Thomas Kendrick, whose story itself is fascinating and the impact on the work he did setting up the listening and bugging M-Rooms.   It is full of detailed analysis of the operations, the individuals involved and the conversations that were heard.

The British war time intelligence operations were remarkable in many ways and there is still much that is not known about what, when why and how and the impact it had. 

Dr Helen Fry has undertaken meticulous research into released files and information, to piece together this fascinating story.  There is a lot of information in this book, and it takes time to read.   You have to concentrate.  That is not a criticism BTW that is a fact.  Some books you can breeze through, and you do not have to think.  Others like The Walls Have Ears have to be worked through, understood, and studied, questions asked, and the jigsaw put together.

I liked this book a lot, it is an area of  World War 2 that we all think we know about because of Bletchley Park and Enigma yet there is far more to it than that.  Much more that has to be recognised as a contributing factor to the war ending.   The subtly of operations and the information that was used from it.  That is why I like this book it takes you to places and things that we know little about and it gives you really brilliant descriptions with the right balance of detail.

The author does a fantastic job with a subject that could be dry and yet she brings to life the characters and the operations involved. I particularly like the last chapters because it give you a clear conclusion not just of the work but also what happened to the individuals involved.   It is a good and very satisfying way to close a book. 

This book is a must read for those interested in the intrigue of spying operations and MI6 in World War 2.




Location: Doncaster, UK

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