John Blake snares 'brilliant' first account of Five Eyes spy group from Kerbaj

John Blake has snared The Secret History of The Five Eyes: The untold story of the shadowy international spy network, through its targets, traitors, and spies from investigative journalist and filmmaker Richard Kerbaj. 

Executive editor Toby Buchan acquired world all-language rights from Richard Pike at C&W Agency. It will be published in hardback, audio and e-book on 1st September and has been optioned for television by Fremantle and Passenger via Luke Speed at Curtis Brown. 

"Richard’s gripping book reveals the critical hidden role all members of the Five Eyes, not just US and UK security services, played in events that have come to define our recent history," said Pike, 

The Five Eyes is a spy network established by Britain and the United States in 1956. Canada, Australia and New Zealand make up the rest of the members. The Secret History of The Five Eyes is the first account of the network whose existence was only acknowledged in 2010. 

The publisher wrote: "At the heart of the alliance are complex individuals whose achievements and failures have helped cement the Five Eyes legacy and it is through these personalities that this book is written. They include a Scotland Yard detective who became a spymaster and helped inspire the first exchanges between MI5 and the FBI; an American home economics teacher who helped create one of the most effective counter-Soviet programmes; the CIA’s lone officer in Budapest during the Hungarian Revolution; right through to GCHQ’s chief during the Snowden Affair and the Australian politician-turned-diplomat whose tip-off to the FBI instigated an inquiry into Russia’s meddling in the US presidential contest between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016." 

Buchan said: "The Secret History of The Five Eyes is not only a brilliant book but an important one of wide international appeal. After all, this once-secret, decades-old security and intelligence collaboration is central to the defence of the free world in a dangerously uncertain time. Richard’s research, impeccable credentials and astounding contacts in the intelligence community add to the fact that there is no other book on this shadowy alliance." 

Kerbaj added: "I have long been obsessed with understanding the motives, myths and missions of the Five Eyes and, in particular, the personalities who helped shape its legacy. I feel privileged for the trust given to me by intelligence insiders to tell this story—and I am especially grateful to Bonnier and my editor Toby Buchan for sharing my enthusiasm for this project and giving me their unreserved support."