Tim Tate

The 2014 film Pride gets a lot right about the surprising alliance between Britain’s queer population and the miners beleaguered by Margaret Thatcher’s draconian policies. There’s more to know, of course, and this book—written with both the miners’ families and surviving members of the LGSM (Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners)— gives enlightening background, as well as covering what happened after the historic march at the end of the film.
A lot had to be left out of the film and it was interesting seeing what was cut for time or changed for dramatic purposes.
One of the main things the reader can take from this is we’re stronger banding together—if the people in power can break groups into factions and set them warring against one another it’s easier to maintain control. I highly recommend this one for anyone interested in learning about queer history or how power has been wielded and can be reclaimed.… (more)

Hilda Newman with the literary assistance of Tim Tate wrote a compelling memoir of her life as lady’s maid to Lady Coventry in the period between World War I & World War II – the last gasp of lavish living by the English aristocracy. As is usually the case, her real life case bears nothing in common with either the TV shows Downton Abbey or Upstairs, Downstairs, However given how many of the lower classes lived in those days, life in service was mostly safe, respectable, with adequate food and shelter, which could not be said about other kinds of employment.
Easy to read & very informative.… (more)

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Agent Sniper: The Cold War Superagent and the Ruthless Head of the CIA by Tim Tate tells of Michał Goleniewski, a Polish agent who volunteered to spy for the CIA. Mr. Tate id a British documentary film-maker, and a bestselling author.

The subject of Agent Sniper: The Cold War Superagent and the Ruthless Head of the CIA by Tim Tate is an agent working for the Polish Intelligence services and the KGB. Michał Goleniewski has decided that he can no longer support the regime he is serving. Calling himself “Sniper”, Goleniewski started feeding the American Intelligence Services valuable information.

Over the course of three years, Sniper has passed loads of quality intelligence, identify moles in America, England, Sweden, Israel, and other countries. Once the Soviets were onto the fact that someone is passing information to the West, Goleniewski fled. Leaving his wife and three kids, he showed up at the US Embassy in Berlin with his mistress.

At first, the CIA welcomed Goleniewski, who kept on giving accurate information. However, politics, fiefdoms, egos, and incompetency got in the way. CIA director James J. Angleton had his own defector, Antoliy Golitsyn, who he considered more reliable, despite not being placed as high as Goleniewski.

Insisting that other defectors were fakes, Goleniewski fell out of favor, a vicitim to foe, and friendly, disinformation campaigns, as well as with it his status and financial support. Becoming paranoid, Agent Sniper became delusional making outrageous claims, such as being Tsarevich Aleksei, son of the last Tsar.

This is a fascinating book, trying to find the truth from a world built on lies. Question the odd choice of the CIA to cut Sniper loose despite the excellent, reliable, and truthful information he was providing.

This is one place, however, where the book falls short. There really isn’t a good answer of the CIA’s treatment of Goleniewski, for instance. Many of the files are, as per the author, are still classified, and his treatment remains a puzzle even after 350+ pages.

The book is an interesting piece of the Cold War, an espionage/cautionary tale of what happens when grey people living in a grey world start believing their own lies. Some of the book was certainly dry, but the excellent research – of available materials – is undeniably a tremendous achievement.… (more)