Greek Memories

By Compton Mackenzie

Price: £14.99

'There is scarcely a page of Greek Memories that does not damage the foundation of secrecy upon which the Secret Service is built up.' - Secret Intelligence Service memo, November 1932

Compton Mackenzie was already a celebrated writer at the start of the First World War, commissioned into the Royal Marines, He soon found himself recruited by the British Secret Service, becoming ‘our man in Greece’. After the war, Mackenzie cashed in on the experience, writing a series of memoirs. Greek Memories, due to be published in November 1932, was the third and by far the most revealing. Breaking every rule in the book, Mackenzie included secret letters and documents, named serving SIS officers, exposed the cover used by agents in foreign capitals and revealed the real name of the wartime chief of the British Secret Service – Mansfield Cumming. This was a step too far for the authorities. Mackenzie was hauled before the courts and Greek Memories was banned – not a single copy went on sale.

Greek Memories was eventually re-published in 1939, stripped of all controversial material, but the original remained banned. Now, for the first time, here is Mackenzie’s memoir as it should have been told – uncensored, unrestricted and with no holds barred.

Compton Mackenzie (1883–1972) was the author of over ninety book including Sinister Street, Carnival, Vestal Fire, Extraordinary Women and Whisky Galore. During the First World War he became Director of
the Aegean Intelligence Service part of the British Special Intelligence Service (later MI6).

Customer rating

Average rating:

Sign in or sign up to rate this book

Customer reviews

Sign in or sign up to review this book