Click Here To Purchase NOC: Non-Official Cover: British Secret Operations

Author: Nicholas Anderson

ISBN-10: 1929631855

ISBN-13: 978-1929631858

In the concluding paragraphs of his life story, Nicholas Anderson describes his book as a “documentary thriller” in which the author explores his longtime duels between “deeds and conscience.” A British undercover agent in the Secret Intelligence Service from 1971 to 1983, then recalled to duty after the collapse of Russian Communism, Anderson found himself evolving into a “citizen of the world.” Part one of his NOC trilogy explains why.

Anderson described his job thusly:

“We were institutional killers in disruptive actions on the black, that is to say we made illegal entries across borders to perform dirty work then returned

home mostly without the knowledge or connection to the local British embassy’s staff assigned to other covert affairs. The main job description was called

deep cover within SIS—NOC or non-official cover. I served in various SIS divisions in charge of different continents, often living like a mole. It should

be known that any unprocessed SIS, CIA or NATO file has no number assigned to it, therefore officially it does not exist.”

Discovering Anderson’s vivid international tableau, 007 fans will see obvious parallels. For one matter, the hot spots Anderson infiltrated ranged from intrigue in Moscow to crossing African deserts and icy wildernesses to dealing with IRA terrorists to tracking Carlos “The Jackal.” Anderson has sex with exotic women. However, while presented ostensibly as fiction, Anderson’s descriptive detail provides more than Flemingesque globetrotting verisimilitude. As Anderson goes back and forth in time, connecting events from his early years with his later missions, the one constant is one man sharing what shaped his, well, world view. There’s no central plot, the story is told episodically, and Anderson clearly wants to do more than offer a personal autobiography. After establishing his bona fides, Anderson has much to say about how the workings of secret intelligence function, their effects and consequences, and what each of us should be aware of in our complex and murky “global community.” In particular, Anderson believes we need see our world as a whole and not limit ourselves by national boundaries, economic interests, or political ideology.  

This is a memoir that shows intelligence on every page, demonstrated in the observations, conversations, and reflections on what Anderson participated in and learned from. In equal measure, it is a well-paced narrative making it indeed a “documentary thriller.” So NOC should appeal to a wide variety of readers—those enjoying modern history, non-fiction espionage, and the more realistic breed of spy novels. Part two is coming in 2012.

    Click Here To Purchase NOC: Non-Official Cover: British Secret Operations