Thatcher's Spy cover art

Thatcher's Spy

My Life as an MI5 Agent Inside Sinn Féin

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Thatcher's Spy

By: Willie Carlin
Narrated by: Matthew Forsythe
Try Premium Plus free

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $25.99

Buy Now for $25.99

About this listen

In Thatcher's Spy, the Cold War meets Northern Ireland's Dirty War in the remarkable real-life story of a deep under-cover British intelligence agent, a man now doomed forever to look over his shoulder.

In March 1985, as he climbed the six steps of Margaret Thatcher's prime-ministerial jet on the runway of RAF Aldergrove, little did Willie Carlin know the role Freddie Scappaticci played in saving his life.

So began the dramatic extraction of Margaret Thatcher's key undercover agent in Sinn Féin. For 11 years, Willie Carlin worked alongside IRA commander Martin McGuinness in the republican movement's political wing in Derry.

He was MI5's man at McGuinness' side and gave the British State unprecedented insight into the IRA leader's strategic thinking. When Carlin's cover was blown in 1985, Thatcher authorised the use of her jet to whisk him to safety. Incredibly, it was another British spy inside the IRA's secretive counter-intelligence unit, the 'nuttin' squad', who saved Carlin's life. This is his story.

©2019 Willie Carlin (P)2019 W. F. Howes Espionage Politicians Politics & Activism True Crime
All stars
Most relevant  
I approached this book with some apprehension,but,thankfully continued to listen, It got better,and,better. Absolutely excellent listening,and,I would definitely recommend it to anyone. The narration is superb.

Excellent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
He did a lot of good and was rewarded with a lot of sorrow.
My only problem with the overall story is the storyteller speaks very quietly unfortunately

An interesting story about the IRA

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A good read. Interesting insight to a hard-to-like character and the underbelly of British government involvement in Ireland.

Carlin puts himself on a pedestal but ultimately his betrayal of others cost him a high personal price.

Like everything in this space each book gives a different perspective on a complex web which will probably never be fully exposed to light.

Interesting insight with a touch of the Walter Mitty about it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This was my first Audible experience & i thoroughly enjoyed it. The story was engaging & entertaining,a surprise given the subject matter. I'd recommend this to anyone with an Irish background or indeed a passing interest in the (at times) turbulent history of N.I.

An alternative take on The Troubles

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
An outstanding book which kept me enthralled from start to finish. An amazing insight into what was really happening in Northern Ireland during their most troubling times.

Thatcher Spy

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.