'Must read stuff. Aldrich and Cormac are inexhaustible researchers, who use a wide range of archives and include striking material from off-the-record informants. 'The Black Door' is a vital, authoritative book' Richard Davenport-Hines, The Times 'Pioneering book ... a major contribution to our understanding of British prime ministers over the last century. This is one of those rare books that deserve to change the way that modern British political history is researched and written' Christopher Andrew, Literary Review 'A timely read' **** Daily Express 'This book deserves to be taken very seriously. The authors are intimately familiar with the history of the modern intelligence community' Sunday Times 'The first close study of relations between nineteen prime ministers and their secret service. Plenty of lively stories and characters' The Times

Richard Aldrich is a regular commentator on war and espionage and has written for the 'Evening Standard', the 'Guardian', 'The Times' and the 'Telegraph'. He is the author of several books, including 'The Hidden Hand: Britain, America and Cold War Secret Intelligence' which won the Donner Book Prize in 2002. Rory Cormac is a leading expert among a new generation of intelligence historians. Specialising in British covert action and secret foreign policy, perhaps the most exciting and under-researched aspect of British intelligence, he has published widely on security issues and has appeared on various news and media outlets. He studied at King's College London and now lectures at the University of Nottingham.