Soldier Spy: The True Story of an MI5 Office Risking His Life to Save Yours Hardcover – October 6, 2016

When I finished this book all i could say was "Wow".Marcus had two faults, a brilliant one and one that brought him down.Brought up as a minimally wanted child he developed street smarts and so joined the army so that he could have a family.One of the very few recruited out of the army by MI5 (British internal security) because he was very good at what he did.His brilliance was that he remembered everything he saw and could react almost instantly in his undercover role no matter what.His fatal flaw was that his brain never had the time to sleep sufficiently to process and file away all his experiences, so eventually it just overloaded and resulted in his having PTSD resulting in the end of his career in MI5.Well written to hold ones excited attention with great descriptions of the operations in various missions.Sad in a way in that the world is so screwed up that people have to do what Marcus had to do, to keep the rest of us safe.One has to applaud him though for sacrificing himself in this way even though he loved doing it.MI5 has also to be thanked for allowing him to describe his work in sufficient detail so that the rest of can somewhat understand the danger that he lived in for many years and continues to live in if ever his real name got out. Many terrorists would love to finish him off for the work he did against them.Hopefully lots of people will buy this book so he can be financially helped in his 'retirement', which consists of menial jobs because he is not allowed by official secrets to let a potential employer know what he was doing for 10 years.Worth every cent or penny paid.

There’s an earnest, honest quality to this awkward, unschooled, and repetitive book by former M15 officer, Tom Marcus (not even his real name). The survival smarts that he learned growing up in a home with an abusive, alcoholic father and an absent, distant mother, make him an attractive recruit for Britain’s Special Operations (counter terrorism) team operating in Northern Ireland. Combining a feral kind of street savvy with a hypervigilant awareness and uncanny sixth sense about danger, Marcus later gets “tapped” for M15 undercover work in London.I loved his adrenaline-paced narrative and his revealing spy hacks – spit in an attacker’s face to throw them off balance; start your car with the doors open to dissipate the blast from an IED; clandestine meetups with targets can be communicated through normal delivery services like flowers or candy. He writes in a this-and-that manner that keeps his scenes moving. Speaking of moving, many of those scenes feature extended car surveillance operations which, despite his obvious enthusiasm for the technique, wears thin on the reader.The fight-or-flight skills so useful to him in the field, though, begin to negatively impact his personal life and wellbeing. Nightmares, a hair-trigger startle reflex, memory blackouts and profound anxiety lead him to seek mental health treatment. There are lots of books out there by former spies. What sets this one apart from others is his description of his service-related PTSD diagnosis. The very thing that made him so effective in the field – living on the edge – almost becomes his undoing. An unflinching look at the price our officers pay for keeping the world safe.

I've never written a review before so that's how bad this book is that it compelled me to do my part in saving the world from such awfulness. This book was simply awful. I find it very difficult to believe any of it. I paid €1. and I feel I was ripped off.The author has a massive ego, so much so that I imagine he'd be burned pretty quickly on a surveillance task due to his massive head and his inability to go two sentences without telling you he's former "Special Operations"It's not difficult to see why this book gets such a bad rating from the ex-military bods because it is infuriating in how he describes his career. Things just don't happen the way he describes them.There was this little gem about getting handed a bottle of bubbly in front of the whole regt by the CO for "having the biggest balls in the regiment" really??Then being SENT to Special Operations??? You don't get sent for Special Operations...you apply for Special Duties.Then you go through tests/interviews/a selection process designed to weed out those that the role isn't suitable for.With an ego as and attitude like his, I'd be surprised if he made it past the initial stages of the selection process, ego and self importance are personality traits that simply don't fit in, in that kind of work.Then we get the absolute howlers such as being undercover in a Glaswegian bar when a plain clothes cop walks in...so what does our hero do? He bottles him, urinates on him then robs him. As a way to save him.....yes, save him. It also has the benefit of gaining the confidence from the baddies. Baddies he'd previously described as intelligent and professional, yet they seem to fall for this??Now, as someone who conducts covert surveillance (as a civvie) on a day to day to basis I simply couldn't get my head around how we could be expected to believe this utter nonsense. Firstly, the bad guys would probably not just murder a cop that walked into their bar because that will probably lead to all sorts of trouble for them and their plans surprisingly enough, secondly when conducting surveillance you DON'T BRING ATTENTION TO YOURSELF!! Anyone walking in and taking any attention off you would be welcomed.Then we get the story of following the shop lifter and how our hero was seconds away from killing him. With a pen. I had to go lie down here as I'd developed an intense migraine from excessive eye rolling and groaning.The book is littered with the words, me, I, I'm, dangerous, tough, ex-special ops and he feels the need to remind us every second paragraph just how dangerous he is and how dangerous his job is. He paints the picture that it is him, and him alone that is saving everyone from the baddies. He does his best to make you believe that his every waking moment is filled with danger as he "Hunts" down the bad guys. It's covert surveillance in a relatively safe western country ffs. Even in it's worst parts it's not as dangerous as he tries to make out.There is a lack of understanding in how such things work such as the planned attack on a power station that the author claims would shut power off to London for months. It doesn't quite work that way as redundancy is a feature in such matters, he also insinuates that "we discussed" such attacks in a way that sounds like he was involved in critical infrastructure planning/protection. That's not quite his job and just a bit above his pay grade.The book is complete nonsense, the stories are terrible and fabricated and it the author has a massive chip on his shoulder that's equal in size to his ego. It's full of false modesty about how he wishes he wasn't so tough/dangerous and wishes he was "normal" yet can't seem to wait to tell you that if it wasn't for him that the terrorists would win.To sum up, this is just a walty story full of holes and self aggrandizing on a massive scale from someone with a huge ego. Spend your money on something else...

He's lucky! I think his past and what he did with it helped him balance out his life. He has had PTSD his whole life and working in that environment helped by giving him structure but over time makes it multiply at a accelerated rate. Sometimes hitting bottom gives you a platform for rebuilding ones life. Take your time as i know you will and don't get caught slipping.Thanks, TF

Just awful. Total fiction on the level of Bravo Two Zero.

Every cliche from every Bourne (and all the other similar) films and books produced. I am sure it will make to the big screen, but that doesn't make it a good book. Started promisingly but quickly dissolved into contrived nonsense.

This guy is superman...or thinks he is. I don't believe a single word of it.

I’m sorry but this is fiction with maybe a tad of truth hidden somewhere deep inside...I’m in the military myself an nothing he says makes sense, it’s a shame because I was looking forward to reading this it literally can’t finish it. It’s like he looked on the British army website and found some really basic information then states it to make it seem legit.Getting given a bottle of champagne and being told he’s going on special forces selection?He then turned up knowing nothing about it?? You have to jump through hoops for that stuff. Briefings, medicals, kit lists, pre selection blah blah blah.I’m about sad I gave this guy £5

Did not enjoy the book it was way to far fetched and felt the author went too far in his imagination.

I really enjoyed this book. Some reviews complaining about the authors bravado almost put me off but I didn’t find this to be the case. It was a very honest account. The author bravely detailed his struggle with PTSD and confidently admitted that he was very good at his job.This was a really intriguing insight into the MI5 and the work they do and how they do it. I particularly enjoyed learning about the training

One of the best books that I have read - it’s abit clunky at times and his dismission of any authority wears abit thin (police are useless, Mi5 desk officers are not great, pysychiatrists are posh pricks etc etc) but what a book!TC skims through his early life and time in the Army and then you are gripped moving from one high adrenaline situation to another - it’s like Bond & Bourne rolled into one. There is enough detail in there without compromising security or importantly the story. The danger that TC and his team go through is amazing leading to several deaths.Would like to think he reads and takes comfort from these reviews as the country owes a debt to him and all our security services.Without spoiling the book it ends on a sad note - but clearly with this book he is moving on succcessfully to a new chapter his life.Will definitely be buying his next book, a fictional story about spies.It does make your assumptions change - that hunched up homeless person outside the tube station or the elderly ‘grandad’ pootling round in a battered old car...well they may just be Mi5 watching you 🤣

A really interesting, exciting account of life as a MI5 surveillance officer as told by Tom Marcus (code name TC). The book is not a story as such but rather a description of various operations that TC/MI5 was/are involved in, from gathering intelligence through surveillance of members of the provisional IRA (and splinter groups), Russian and Chinese intelligence operatives through to Islamic jihadists although they all tie in to TC's life and his career in the army and MI5 to give the book a good flow.For someone who hasn't read a book about spies and the intelligence agencies, it is a really good read and will highlight some of the various threats that exist within the UK and how secret services such as MI5 go about their important business with very little publicity and fanfare as well as informing the reader of some of the methods they employ to track their targets.TC does a good job in explaining the operations as best as he is allowed and there is a human angle to the story as TC struggles with debt and PTSD as well as balancing service and civilian family life.All in all, a thrilling, fast paced and informative book, that gives the reader a first hand account and understanding of MI5 operations although I'm sure there are many things that cannot be disclosed due to the nature of this type of work. An enjoyable read.

If you want to know about how great Tom Marcus is then this is the right book for you. I was hoping to read more about spies and various operations. There was too much content about how great TC is and what a great job he is doing or trying to do. It got a bit boring after a while.

This blokes a Liar Pure and simple and an extreamly big headed one at that, he should be sued for being such a big headed fibber.Even if all his tosh was true then he should be sued for being such a Norbert. Got to page 52 and threw the book in the back garden I cant read the ramblings of someone who loves themselves so much.Hes probably never even crossed the line or even know what it means-Bloody Boy Scout wannabe. Rambo is more believeable.

The book started well and went downhill fast. The fanciful stories seem embroidered for no other reason than titillating the reader. I found the book hard going in places and wonder whether or not this is the biggest work of fiction since Shakespeare. Found myself rolling my eyes and tutting loudly as the next close shave emerged on the horixon.Disappointed overall and, although I can accept a dissenting viewpoint, can't understand the positive repsonses thus far.

Guff.

I found this book totally riveting, and went on to purchase Tom’s second book, I Spy, followed by Capture Or Kill. I’ve read them all in a very short space of time, as I couldn’t put them down! It is absolutely fascinating to read about the life of an MI5 surveillance agent, and I really felt the tension as he drew me along with him on the assignments he describes. Since reading this book, the undercover world “in the shadows” has been much more on my mind, and I’ve also found myself more aware of my own surroundings, people and places. While I admit that as a doctor I am unlikely to be tailed as I drive through my local streets, still, white Ford Escort three cars behind me, I’ve clocked you and I know your game... ;) One thing that shocked me though, was that MI5 agents don’t seem to earn wads of cash. Given the hours they pull and the danger they put themselves in to keep our nation safe, I really feel they deserve a whopping pay rise. And better after-care if they have to leave their profession due to something like PTSD. Thank you, TC, for your service to our country.

Utter nonsense. Didn't complete this book. If you believe this story you are very gullible indeed.

My father found this an addictive page-turner and read it three times in quick succession just so he could take in all the details properly. He said it was simultaneously an easy read, but also a fact-filled read which meant he had to go back again just so he could really make proper sense of it.