Alan Williams (3) (1935–2020)

Gentleman Traitor by Alan Williams is a spy novel mixing the styles of Ian Fleming and John le Carre. Always a sucker for this type of book, I was intrigued and looking forward to the read. I was not disappointed. Mr Williams creates an explosive opening to the book with a massacre in South Africa. However, the reader has to keep reading to find out the relevance of this attack within the plot.
The story centres around the legendary spy Kim Philby, in exile in Russia and wanting to come in show more out of the cold, as it were. The book examines Philby’s relationship with journalist Barry Cayle who wants to write a book about Philby. But Philby is more interested in using Cayle to explain to the British public his thoughts and reasoning behind his defection. Philby’s ace card is that he knows the names of high ranking officials within the British establishment who are also Russian spies. Philby is described in somewhat sympathetic terms so much so that the reader actually begins to feel sorry for the old spy. It examines his daily life in Russia, the things he misses from England and the power he has in Russia, being a high ranking officer in the KGB.
Throughout the story is the additional thread of the British Intelligence contingent who are more than a little jittery about Cayle’s involvement with Philby. There is a great deal of politics in the book, but that doesn’t make it a dry read. If anything the examination of the figures in MI5 and MI6 help build an understanding of the attitudes and ideas of the day, greatly enhancing the plot.
There are many twists and turns, with the pace in keeping with the setting, the 1970’s. This is not a high octane read, but a complex plot, with the emphasis on strategy rather than violence, with character always at its heart.
Mr Williams has done a fine job with this novel and clearly writes from a position of knowledge and firsthand experience, making it a powerful read. show less

Sometimes I have to ask myself why I even own a certain book. This is one of those books!
The publishing date reads 1986, and I've probably owned it that long, but I don't recall the memory of how or why I bought it, except that there may have been contributing alcohol involvement connected with the purchase?
What you read in the title of the book however is pretty representative of what you get. Aimed at children? well, shall we say 'young adults' anyway; with contents ranging from: show more Crucifixion, Foot-binding and Exhumation to Copraphilia, Bestiality and Vomit!
At least half the book is sexual in nature with a good percentage of that relating to STDs and the rest to sexual perversions.
The information is told in a light-hearted manor akin to the way school children trade so called 'facts' with one another in the playground; and there lays the main flaw with this book. No attempt has been made to provide documented evidence for any of the so called 'facts'; so, all the so-called 'true' stories should probably be taken with reasonable scepticism. Needless to say, I wouldn't use this book for serious research; but, that probably isn't why someone would be reading this type of literature anyway I suppose?
Ill give it 3.5 stars out of 5 because it doesn't purport to being anything more than a fun read - which it is. show less

To anyone who has seen the recent film on the death of Stalin, the character of Lavrenty Beria, played by Simon Russell Beale, may now be familiar. Though the film was a comedy (of sorts), there was nothing funny about the real Beria. A sadistic murderer, he rose steadily in the ranks of the Soviet secret police, first in his native Georgia, and later promoted by Stalin to head up the nation-wide force. Imagine if Beria had recorded all his crimes, including the very personal ones against show more young girls, in a private diary. That is not the premise of this book, which is a fictional account of how three adventurers come up with a plan to fake Beria's diaries to make money. A decade after The Beria Papers was published, the Hitler Diaries appeared and one is forced to wonder if the forger in that case was inspired by this one. As I have taken an interest recently in Soviet and Russian forgeries, I was interested to read this novel, and found it quite appealing, and as regards Beria, well-informed. show less

An exciting fictional account of the diaries of Lavrenti Beria who was head of the Soviet secret police as well as being a sadistic mass murderer.
When published there is disquiet from various factions who didn't believe the diaries are genuine or are feared that things best known to certain people get out.
Great read.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Endeavour via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.