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The Quest for C
Mansfield Cumming and the Founding of the Secret Service
Book • 1999
This book is an authorised biography of Mansfield Cumming, the first head of MI6, who signed himself 'C' in green ink, a tradition that continues to this day.
Cumming was a colorful figure known for his eccentricities, including his wooden leg and his unconventional methods of testing potential recruits.
The book delves into Cumming's early life, his role in founding the Secret Service, and the challenges and successes of the organisation during its early years.
It draws on Cumming's voluminous diaries and other classified documents to separate fact from fiction and provide a detailed account of the development of MI6 and its influence on the 20th century.
Cumming was a colorful figure known for his eccentricities, including his wooden leg and his unconventional methods of testing potential recruits.
The book delves into Cumming's early life, his role in founding the Secret Service, and the challenges and successes of the organisation during its early years.
It draws on Cumming's voluminous diaries and other classified documents to separate fact from fiction and provide a detailed account of the development of MI6 and its influence on the 20th century.
