Oyster: The story of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service

This book is an unofficial history from 1949 to 1989 of ASIS - the Australian Secret Intelligence Service - also known by its code name of MO9.

The authors are experienced investigative journalists but not sensationalists; this is a very sober account. They had (unauthorised) access to the secret evidence and findings of the Royal Commission into the intelligence services of Justice Hope and to the secret history of ASIS prepared for the Royal Commission as well as numerous interviews with past and serving ASIS staff. When they learned of plans to publish the book the government of the day obtained an injunction against the authors and the book was only allowed to be published after numerous sections that related to operational matters were removed.

What remains is a history of ASIS in chronological order from its foundation to 1989, with all major operations explained and numerous insights into its activities. This is a valuable book because although today ASIS openly advertises for staff and has its own web page, it is still a very secretive organisation, even more so in the past when even newly elected prime ministers did not know of its existence until they took office.