‘The painful aftermath’: reactions to the publication of SOE in France

Murphy, Christopher J.

Abstract

This article considers the aftermath of the publication of SOE in France. A groundbreaking official account of a secret wartime organisation, publication was followed by complaints and legal action. It examines how Whitehall responded to the negative fallout, and the tensions with the author, Professor MRD Foot, as officials refused to accept responsibility for the lack of personal testimony in the work, and prioritised settling legal cases and the avoidance of any further legal action as changes to the text were made for a revised first edition. The article also reflects upon whether the experience had any impact upon subsequent intelligence-related official histories.

Citation

Murphy, C. J. (in press). ‘The painful aftermath’: reactions to the publication of SOE in France. Intelligence and National Security, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/02684527.2023.2291873

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 30, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Dec 22, 2023
• Deposit Date: Jan 4, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 4, 2024
• Journal: Intelligence and National Security
• Print ISSN: 0268-4527
• Electronic ISSN: 1743-9019
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Pages: 1-15
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02684527.2023.2291873
• Keywords: Political Science and International Relations; History