The Secret War Against the Arts by Richard Knott

The Secret War Against the Arts by Richard Knott

During the 1930s, the British Intelligence agencies became increasingly concerned about Communist influence in the country. They reacted by spying on thousands of ordinary British citizens. Amongst them were many artists and writers who, in tune with the spirit of the times', had become sympathetic to left-wing causes, most notably the Spanish Civil War. Telephones were bugged, post opened, homes searched and people encouraged to report suspicious behaviour - all reminiscent of the East German Stasi. This book has been written in the light of previously secret files, now available in The National Archives, which indicate the extent of the surveillance and the consequences for those being watched. It focuses on a significant number of writers and artists who were either members of the Communist Party of Great Britain or were suspected of being fellow travellers'. They include: George Orwell, Stephen Spender, Olivia Manning, Storm Jameson, W.H. Auden, Sylvia Townsend Warner, J.B. Priestley, Doris Lessing, Julian Trevelyan, Randall Swingler, Paul Hogarth, Clive Branson and James Boswell. _The Secret War Against the Arts_ is a unique account of a dramatic period of modern history, from the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War to the Hungarian uprising in 1956, revealing how MI5 was systematic, unrelenting and uncompromising in its pursuit of artists and writers throughout the period, while failing to see the much more disturbing treachery of others - Anthony Blunt, Guy Burgess and Kim Philby, for example.

Richard Knott has a degree in History from the University of London. He has worked as an actor (with the Royal Shakespeare Company), teacher and management consultant. His previous books include: _Posted in Wartime: Letters Home from Abroad_ (Pen & Sword, 2017); _Black Night for Bomber Command_ (Pen & Sword, 2007 & 2014); _Flying Boats of the Empire_ (Robert Hale, 2011); _The Sketchbook War_ (The History Press, 2013 & 2014); and _The Trio_ (The History Press, 2015). Previously he has written two books on the teaching of English, a poetry anthology (Wordlife, Nelson, 1988), and a book of cricket quotations (_Cricket: Wit, Wickets and Wisdom_, Running Press, 1996). He lives near Bristol.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781526770318
ISBN 10	1526770318
Title	The Secret War Against the Arts
Author	Richard Knott
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Pen & Sword Books Ltd
Year published	2020-09-14
Number of pages	208
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.