BEWARE THE MANDARINS

In her revelatory memoir as an employee of the British Civil Service, Hogg lifts the veil on the corruption that took place in British government in the 1960s and ’70s.

After gaining degrees from both the London School of Economics and Imperial College, Hogg pursued a career in the British Civil Service. She held a position as a scientific officer at the Fire Research Station, where she planned to implement procedures to prevent fires and improve the fire brigade’s response. Much to her frustration, her labor didn’t produce results. It’s not until she began working at the Home Office—a ministerial department that has a critical role in law enforcement in the U.K.—that she learned why her efforts had been futile. The administrators regularly destroyed or falsified reports for their own personal gain or political agenda, a conspiracy that many British citizens believe is still taking place to this day. This discovery was just the beginning, as it led Hogg to uncover a shocking, dangerous world. Hogg writes from the perspective of a disillusioned government employee, hoping for retribution or, at the very least, catharsis. She applies the same attention to detail in her book that she used in her career to reveal the corruption that took place within the British government. Though her writing is factual and straightforward, Hogg was so deeply immersed in the inner workings of British government that her acronym-laden language may leave noncitizens confused. Hogg’s matter-of-fact tone works well when reporting the facts of what took place at the Home Office, but it renders her own story somewhat impersonal.

Though rich in detail and packed with factual, historical details, Hogg’s memoir is best suited for British audiences, history buffs or conspiracy theorists.