Reading, UK -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/05/2015 -- According to Estonia-born author and self-confessed intelligence enthusiast, Tina Tamman, the absolute secrecy of British Intelligence could in fact be counterproductive. Throughout history, many traitors have come to light to threaten the liberties and freedoms of the British people. One such example is the notorious Kim Philby, a high-ranking member of British intelligence who worked as a double agent before defecting to the Soviet Union in 1963.

Philby still remains something of an enigmatic character but, in her hugely-insightful new book, Tamman tells the life story of one man who knew him closer than most ever would.

Everything comes to light in 'Portrait of a Secret Agent', a biography of Brian Giffey. Few know who Giffey was, even though his actions are of vital pertinence to British history.

Synopsis:

This is a book about belonging, loyalty and identity – a biography of a secret agent called Brian Giffey who wrongly believed that he was Welsh, but his mother was actually Canadian and his father German. Born illegitimate as Otto Chester Kurt Brian Petersen in London in 1887, he was brought up in Germany. On his return to Britain he obtained a degree from Oxford and, with the help of an unscrupulous lawyer, a military career became possible. Brian joined the Worcestershire Regiment in 1911. His intelligence career with MI6 started in 1928; he served in Tallinn, London and Baghdad. In 1944, however, he was mysteriously dismissed from the secret service, but in post-war years he represented Britain in Berlin on the denazification committee and, back in London, worked for the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain.

Brian was a specialist in Soviet affairs who knew the notorious Kim Philby. His biography helps us to understand how the Soviets used the information obtained for them by Philby. The book is also relevant today as Russia flexes its muscles. What happened in Crimea in 2014 is reminiscent of the annexation of Estonia in 1939-40 experienced first-hand by Brian.

The book is also an unusual and moving love story. How was it possible for this middle-aged womaniser to fall in love with an inexperienced and immature Estonian girl to whom he remained faithful for the rest of his life?

"Russia's behaviour toward its neighbours hasn't changed, and we are starting to once again see something of a new Cold War emerge," admits Tamman. "Giffey's story needs to be shared; there's so much we can learn from the way the Soviets processed and used the information their spies collected. There are still bound to be many traitors out there, and our national security is under constant threat as a result."

Continuing, "I've told Giffey's story through a collection of his own prose and poetry. It's truly fascinating and has its place as everything from a personal read to a debatable education/book club text and even a tool for those directly involved in all matters related to our intelligence. I don't believe there's anything quite like it on the market."

Readers agree, leaving a slew of positive reviews. For example, one Amazon user comments, "The quality of the author's research is impeccable and the results are as close as possible to comprehending who Brian Giffey was. The scrupulous attention to time and place provides a sound base upon which the author is able to bring her protagonist to life. Giffey's own poetry and prose, as well as the photographs provided, make for an enriching experience. The title intimates that the notorious Kim Philby plays a larger role than he actually does, but it is true that Philby provides a key clue in a case of British Intelligence still submerged in a fog of secret documents. Of note is the author's common sense approach in unravelling Giffey's private and public affairs, resulting in a well-paced, informative, and delightful read. I recommend it."

'Portrait of a Secret Agent', from Thousand Eyes Publishing, is available now: http://amzn.to/1GoRAV1

About Tina Tamman
"I was aged 26 when I arrived in England from Soviet Estonia. Everything was new to me on arrival, from wrapped bread and mail-order catalogues to cheques in the post. I was, however, often asked how I got out of the Soviet Union and sometimes, when I was bored with the question, I said I was a spy. Several years later I found myself working at BBC Monitoring, amused to hear that the Soviets used to call it a spy centre. However, all we did was to listen to foreign radio and TV broadcasts (in my case Estonian Radio in both Estonian and Russian).

Intelligence began to interest me seriously when I was researching the life of an Estonian diplomat for my PhD. It appeared that this diplomat, August Torma, who found himself stranded in London in 1940 once the Soviets had overran his country, had links with intelligence. Research into Torma led me to Brian Giffey whom Torma knew and who was indeed a British intelligence officer. I was pleased to publish the biographies of both of these interesting men.

In the process I have grown to love archival research and shaping what I have learnt into chapters for a book. Not that different from my work at Monitoring where it was similarly important to distinguish between the important and unimportant."