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Operation Chiffon

The Secret Story of MI5 and MI6 and the Road to Peace in Ireland

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Operation Chiffon

By: Peter Taylor
Narrated by: Peter Taylor
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About this listen

Bloomsbury presents Operation Chiffon written and read by Peter Taylor.

On the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, Peter Taylor tells for the first time the gripping story of Operation Chiffon, the top-secret intelligence operation that helped bring peace to Ireland.

‘A gripping exploration of how MI5 and MI6 worked for a ceasefire with the IRA – and how one meeting changed everything’ Telegraph

'An extraordinary story . . . A true tale of espionage' The Times

April 1998: the Good Friday Agreement is signed, ending decades of violence and bloodshed in Northern Ireland. The process of getting the IRA to end its so-called ‘armed struggle’ was always the prerequisite of the search for peace. It was Operation Chiffon that finally helped make it possible.

Operation Chiffon takes us inside the top-secret intelligence operation whose roots go back to the bloodiest years of the conflict in the early 1970s, involving officers from MI6 and, later in the 1990s, MI5. The remarkable story, which has remained hidden for forty years, is now revealed by legendary BBC journalist Peter Taylor with unique access to the officers involved. Drawing on exclusive interviews and Taylor’s fifty years of covering the conflict, the book narrates in first-hand detail how those involved risked their careers – and their lives – to help secure the fragile peace that exists today.

Taylor vividly brings this covert operation to life and in the process chronicles the history of Sinn Féin, rising from obscurity in the early days of the Troubles to becoming the largest political party in Ireland today. It is a story fraught with uncertainty and danger that, as Brexit risks destabilising what was achieved in the Good Friday Agreement twenty-five years ago, is more important than ever to remember.

©2023 Peter Taylor (P)2023 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Europe Great Britain Military Politics & Government Ireland Thought-Provoking
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A reliable source

A great recount of the troubles and an insight into the people that helped bring peace from one of few Journalists that you can trust on this matter .

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Amazing detail

loved it , a true and honest account by honourable men . especially Peter Taylor himself

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Excellent

As a history student I find this a very balanced, yet very informative listen. Truly excellent.

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intelligence role

incorrect date of Shankill bomb as narrator said 23rd August 1993 it was 23rd October 1993

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Great historical piece

This is well structured, read and informative. Highly recommend reading for anybody interested in the subject. More interesting is reading it with the knowledge that we know the outcome and how it could hand been different.

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Unbiased

excellent to have the background detail presented without bias and with total comprehension of the circumstances of the era

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Very informative

This is a book that should be read by all the youth of NI. It relays the struggles we, as the people of N Ireland, suffered on both sides of the community. It also shows how fragile peace is, and we need to work harder to galvanise this peace in light of brexit.

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As good as it gets

The best summary with depth of a chronological story of events throughout the entirety of the troubles

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Outstanding

Riveting, informative thriller of a book about the mystery men and women’s determination and tenacity for peace led to the leading figures getting together off and on over twenty years eventually leading to the Northern Ireland peace agreement. Peter Taylor give yourself a pat on the back to a tour de force.

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Absorbing insight into the Quest for peace in Northern Ireland

I have always loved to read Peter Taylors books on The Troubles as they are informative, educational and done in a fair and unbiased way. Frankly the Audible version of Operation Chiffon is just as good as any of his written work and unlike some authors Peter narrates his book himself. I thoroughly enjoyed this Audible version and would highly recommend it.

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