Dr Christopher Murphy's Outputs (14)

Beyond Ideological Warfare? A study of the Information Research Department (IRD) in South America 1948-77 (2024)
Thesis

The creation of the Information Research Department (IRD) by the Foreign Office in January 1948 symbolised a new era of ideological warfare through the use of soft power to forward political and economic goals through the collection and dissemination... Read More about Beyond Ideological Warfare? A study of the Information Research Department (IRD) in South America 1948-77.

‘The painful aftermath’: reactions to the publication of SOE in France (2023)
Journal Article
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

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... Read More about ‘The painful aftermath’: reactions to the publication of SOE in France.

The Emergence of the British ‘Security State’? An Evaluation of the Security Executive, 1940 – 1953 (2023)
Thesis

This thesis explores the origins and development of the Home Defence (Security) Executive (HD(S)E), a body set up in 1940 to address the supposed ‘Fifth Column’ threat present in Britain. Through a detailed examination of this organisation, hitherto... Read More about The Emergence of the British ‘Security State’? An Evaluation of the Security Executive, 1940 – 1953.

The Foreign Office ‘Thought Police’: Foreign Office Security, the Security Department and the ‘Missing Diplomats’, 1940 – 1952 (2023)
Journal Article
Murphy, C. J., & Lomas, D. (2023). The Foreign Office ‘Thought Police’: Foreign Office Security, the Security Department and the ‘Missing Diplomats’, 1940 – 1952. Diplomacy and Statecraft, 34(3), 433-463. https://doi.org/10.1080/09592296.2023.2239638

The protection of diplomats, embassies and sensitive information has always been
an important aspect of diplomacy. Today, security is an accepted norm of day-to-day diplomatic work,
yet the importance of security in the UK Foreign Office was not al... Read More about The Foreign Office ‘Thought Police’: Foreign Office Security, the Security Department and the ‘Missing Diplomats’, 1940 – 1952.

Protecting the family spirit of the diplomatic service : the Foreign Office, security, and homosexuality, 1945–53 (2021)
Book Chapter

Dramatising intelligence history on the BBC : the Camp 020 affair (2019)
Journal Article
Murphy, C. (2019). Dramatising intelligence history on the BBC : the Camp 020 affair. Intelligence and National Security, 34(5), 668-702. https://doi.org/10.1080/02684527.2019.1595466

While there is a considerable literature that considers post-1945 British intelligence
historiography, little attention has been given to non-print media, such as factual
depictions of intelligence affairs broadcast on television or radio. Using pr... Read More about Dramatising intelligence history on the BBC : the Camp 020 affair.

Intelligence and espionage : secrets and spies (2019)
Book
Lomas, D., & Murphy, C. (2019). Intelligence and espionage : secrets and spies. Routledge

Intelligence and Espionage: Secrets and Spies provides a global introduction to the role of intelligence – a key, but sometimes controversial, aspect of ensuring national security. Separating fact from fiction, the book draws on past examples to expl... Read More about Intelligence and espionage : secrets and spies.

‘Constituting a problem in themselves’ : countering covert Chinese activity in India : the life and death of the Chinese Intelligence Section, 1944-1946 (2016)
Journal Article

This article explores the actions taken to address the issue of covert Chinese activities in India during the Second World War identified by Force 136, the Far East incarnation of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), which resulted in the creation... Read More about ‘Constituting a problem in themselves’ : countering covert Chinese activity in India : the life and death of the Chinese Intelligence Section, 1944-1946.

Return to Neverland? Freedom of information and the history of British intelligence (2014)
Journal Article
Murphy, C., & Lomas, D. (2014). Return to Neverland? Freedom of information and the history of British intelligence. Historical Journal, 57(01), 273-287. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0018246X13000423

This article considers the use of the UK Freedom of Information (FOI) Act in order to explore the history of British intelligence. While the intelligence and security agencies are themselves exempt from the Act, releasing only such archival material... Read More about Return to Neverland? Freedom of information and the history of British intelligence.

A tale of torture? Alexander Scotland, the London Cage and post-war British secrecy (2013)
Book Chapter
Lomas, D. (2013). A tale of torture? Alexander Scotland, the London Cage and post-war British secrecy. In C. Moran, & C. Murphy (Eds.), Intelligence Studies in Britain and the US : historiography since 1945 (251-262). Edinburgh University Press

The immediate post-war period saw the publication of a number of secret service accounts recounting wartime exploits, giving the impression that, with the end of hostilities, these could now be revealed. In fact, as has been clearly demonstrated by R... Read More about A tale of torture? Alexander Scotland, the London Cage and post-war British secrecy.

Security and special operations: SOE and M15 during the Second World War (2006)
Book
Murphy, C. (2006). Security and special operations: SOE and M15 during the Second World War. Palgrave Macmillan

SOE's foreign currency transactions (2005)
Journal Article
Murphy, C. (2005). SOE's foreign currency transactions. Intelligence and National Security, 20(1), 191-208. https://doi.org/10.1080/0266684520500059528

This article provides an account of the work of the Finance (D/Fin) Directorate of the Special Operations Executive in acquiring foreign currency for use by the British intelligence community and the service departments during the Second World War. T... Read More about SOE's foreign currency transactions.

The origins of SOE in France (2003)
Journal Article
Murphy, C. (2003). The origins of SOE in France. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0018246X03003376

This article explores the official motivation behind the authorization in 1960 of research into the activities of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the Second World War by M. R. D. Foot, leading to the publication of SOE in France in 1966... Read More about The origins of SOE in France.

SOE and repatriation (2001)
Journal Article
Murphy, C. (2001). SOE and repatriation. Journal of Contemporary History, 36(2), 309-323