Fascinating and Free! (The Big Breach - Richard Tomlinson)

Name: davehughes44

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Product:	The Big Breach - Richard Tomlinson
Date:	07/05/01 (410 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Well written, Interesting subject, Free

Disadvantages: Difficult to get hold of?

I DOWNLOADED this book for free after receiving an e-mail from 192.com.

The book was offered in plain text, Word or PDF format, each containing the full text of the book.

I opted for the plain text version, which was handily split into 5 separate sections. I loaded each section onto my Palm organiser and read the book from there.

TeeCee informs me that the book is still available as a free download from 192.com but if you have any difficulty contact me and I shall send you the text version. My e-mail address is on my profile.

The book tells the fascinating story of ex-MI6 officer Richard Tomlinson's life to date. He claims to have been sacked unfairly from the security service. His efforts to take his case to an industrial tribunal were thwarted by MI6s claims that any tribunal would be a risk to national security.

Once you start reading the book it is very difficult to put it down! Tomlinson starts long before he joined MI6 covering what sounds like a very impressive army career in the SAS.

The chapters on the training he received after joining MI6 are a real eye-opener. Part of the training involved quite detailed surveillance of ordinary members of the general public in the Southampton area. The training facilities sound very impressive - I'm always keen to know where the money from my income tax goes!

I was pleased to learn that members of MI6 are equipped with various James Bond-like gadgets - and of course pens for invisible writing. This was a fascinating story.

If a suspected spy was captured abroad his possessions would be closely scrutinised - a pen with funny ink that faded away would be a dead give away! However when MI6 were processing a letter that had arrived from Russia with a secret message on the envelope they realised that a perfectly ordinary letter had transferred some writing onto the envelope during the journey.

The story of how they tracked down what pen
had been used to write this envelope and how every MI6 agent these days carries a Berol Rollerball is great stuff.

The story of a possible MI6 involvement in the death of Princess Diana is touched upon. I had heard the theory before. The driver of the car - Henri Paul - provided information to MI6. The theory involves agents on motorcycles dazzling the driver with bright lights whilst in a tunnel.

Tomlinson's time in prison is also covered in some detail - MI6 insisting that he became a Category A prisoner.

After release from prison Tomlinson spent time travelling around the world - with MI6 still trying to cause him as much trouble as they possibly could.

The amount of taxpayers money that has been wasted trying to silence a man who just wanted to prove that he had been unfairly dismissed must be incredible.

The overall impression I got of Tomlinson, through the book, is of a very patriotic individual and a very good and conscientious spy that any right-thinking employer would try to keep.

I would recommend this book to anyone - it is an absolutely fascinating read!

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