Wikipedia:WikiProject Military history/News/May 2016/Book reviews
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The Spy Catchers. Volume Two: The Protest Years 1963–1975 |
- By Hawkeye7
The official history of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation continues in this volume, written by John Blaxland. Like David Horner, he is a Duntroon graduate and a former regular Australian Regular Army officer. He served as an intelligence officer with the International Force for East Timor during the Australian-led intervention in 1999, and the US Defense Intelligence Agency during the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks. Like Horner, he then became a historian, writing his PhD at the Royal Military College of Canada on the military relationship between Australia and Canada.
The change in author is seamless, and it reads exactly the same as the previous volume. It also inherits the main flaw of its predecessor, the lack of context. The reader is expected to know who, for example, Joan Coxsedge is (and unfortunately, her Wikipedia article won't be much help). Indeed, for most military historians, the Second World War and the early Cold War are probably more familiar than the Vietnam War and the early 1970s.
This volume covers the most turbulent period in ASIO's history, and one that saw the organisation fail to respond to challenges both from without and within. Like many other government bodies, it had difficulty adapting to a change of government after 23 years under the Liberal Party, whom Blaxland frankly characterises as unscrupulous. Failure to establish proper training and development programs led to an erosion of professionalism as the old hands retired. It continued to track the Communist Party of Australia long after any threat posed by it had passed, and confusion over its mission led to to embarrassing 1973 Murphy raids by its own minister, the Attorney-General. Overconfidence resulted in it being penetrated by the KGB.
Explosive topics are handled with the professionalism of a member of the Army Bomb Disposal Squad. But while ASIO's role is detailed, the reader will have to seek more information elsewhere. Nor is this the last word on these subjects. And Blaxland has to deal with some highly contentious and controversial issues, including ASIO surveillance of ordinary citizens, particularly those involved in the anti-Vietnam War movement; ASIO operations exceeding its authority; Liberal ministers, including Prime Minister Robert Menzies deliberately misleading the parliament; international terrorist organisations basing themselves in Australia; and the role of US intelligence agencies in the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis.
Publishing details: Blaxland, John (2015). Volume Two: The Protest Years 1963-1975. The Official History of ASIO. Crows Nest, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-92526-693-1. OCLC 914326007.
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