INSIDE STORY: A Documentary of the Pursuit of Power

by Chapman Pincher ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 28, 1979

A sort of British Jack Anderson with a one-track mind, Pincher holds forth in the pages of the London Daily Express, where he regularly swats at the Labor Party and other institutionalized manifestations of Britain's decline from Great-Power status. Under cover of the subtitle, over half of Pincher's quasi-memoir is devoted to Communist infiltration into the civil service, trade unions, and, of course, Labor. Much of this is vintage innuendo and Red-baiting, as when dubious ""communist front groups"" are left conveniently unidentified or condemnation is based on opposition to military spending. Pincher rehashes some of the celebrated spy cases, of course, especially those in which sex is involved--like the notorious Profumo affair, a staple of the British tabloids. He does provide an idea of the extent of British Intelligence's spying on Labor Party members, but that won't surprise very many. This disjointed work is rounded off with some speculation that Harold Wilson's precipitate resignation was an effort to head off an alliance between Labor and the Liberals--the ""Lib-Lab"" pact which did come about--and make possible his eventual return to power, and another non-sequitur chapter on right-racist Enoch Powell, whom Pincher greatly admires. A best seller in England, this excuse for an expos‚ is best ignored here.

Pub Date: June 28, 1979

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Stein & Day

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1979

Categories: NONFICTION