Secrecy and the Media

'Secrecy and the Media...(a) magisterial history of censorship in Britain since the Boer War - and it goes to the heart of the awkward relationship between our Press and our Government.' - James Delingpole, The Mail on Sunday

'Thoroughly researched...surprisingly readable and packed with intriguing snippets' - James Delingpole, The Mail on Sunday

'An important and absorbing book, surprisingly amusing at times for an official history. Admiral Wilkinson charts the troubled history of the D-Notice system, that great British compromise between national security and freedom of the press, and shows how it has been tested almost to destruction in peace and war over the past century, yet somehow survived. The D-Notice system is much misunderstood, even by journalists: this book will dispel many myths and provide an indispensable reference point for future debates.' Donald Trelford, former Editor of The Observer, Emeritus Professor in Journalism Studies at Sheffield University

'This book is a 'must'-read for all journalists, espionage writers and other aficionados of the intelligence scene, historians and citizens who cherish the right to know, within the bounds of reasonable security, what is being secretly perpetrated in their name.' H. Chapman Pincher, journalist, author

'Nick Wilkinson has done us all an enormous service and at a crucial moment in history. Like all great stories, this one is fascinating, packed with information and facts, and brilliantly tells us about the struggles between Whitehall and the media. This is not just history for historians but a must for anyone who cares about our freedoms and how they are protected.'
Andre Singer, Adjunct Research Professor of Anthropology, University of Southern California

'In an open society there inevitably lies a fault-line where the guardians of national security meet the tribunes of a free press. Nick Wilkinson lived on top of that fault-line for years. It's called the D-Notice System and, in this remarkable book, he takes us deep into that fissure and mines some real gems which illuminate the hidden history of British Government and the Media.' Peter Hennessy, Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History, Queen Mary, University of London

'Thoroughly researched...surprisingly readable and packed with intriguing snippets' - James Delingpole, The Mail on Sunday

'The history, written by Rear Admiral Nicholas Wilkinson, one of the more enlightened past secretaries of the Committee, provides telling insights into the relationships between editors and Britain's defence, security and intelligence establishment.' - Richard Norton-Taylor, the Guardian