Christopher Andrew talked about his book Defend the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5 (Knopf; November 3, 2009). Mr. Andrew was the first independent historian allowed access to the archives of the British Security Service, known as MI5. In his book he reports on the establishment of the security service in 1909 to its current relations with the British government and perceived enemies and threats. Mr. Andrew showed slides throughout his presentation and then responded to questions from members of the audience.
Christopher Andrew is the former chair of the faculty of history at Cambridge University. He is the founding co-editor of Intelligence and National Security and chair of the British Intelligence Study Group. Mr. Andrew is the author of numerous books, including The Sword and the Shield: The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB.