David Bickford, Former UK Under Secretary of State & MI5 & MI6 Legal Director, on his novel "Katya"

Interview of Thursday, 20 July 2023 between David Bickford, Former UK Under Secretary of State & MI5 & MI6 Legal Director, on his novel "Katya", and AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer.
They discuss the plot, the use of Katya - an urchin living on the streets of Russia - and Bickford's professional insights on full display as his protagonist faces difficulties all spies are familiar with...and some they aren't. Katya finds herself in a race against time, navigating a treacherous landscape of deception, money laundering, prostitution, and terrorism. The outcome remains uncertain as she battles Cartwright's schemes and confronts her own demons. With her team at her side, Katya must rely on her training and experience to survive and succeed in her mission to retrieve Gadaifi’s stolen fortune. Bickford also closes with advice to those considering a career in the intelligence services.
“Katya combines just enough professionally informed realism with great plot and character development to hold a former intelligence officer’s attention - a great read as only the Brits can do it.”
-- Paul Redmond - Chief, CIA Counterintelligence, Retired; AFIO Member.
"Bickford is a legend from the world of espionage and counter-espionage." -- James Adams, Advisor National Security Agency
The interview runs 11 minutes and includes several Q&As.
David Bickford's books can be found here: davidbickfordcb.com/ and can be purchased in the U.S. here
www.amazon.com/KATYA-What-wou...
AFIO Chairman Stewart Baker's review is here:
www.afio.com/publications/DRA...
BIOS:
DAVID BICKFORD is a British Author and former Under Secretary of State and Legal Director to the British Intelligence Agencies, MI5 & MI6. David spent his working life diving into the cold murky seas of terrorism, espionage and organised crime. At the forefront of the battle against international terrorism he was among the first to predict its onslaught. David is recognised, both in the Agencies where he was made Companion Order of the Bath for his work, and in the business he now runs, for his ground-breaking solutions to defeat the terrorists and international organised criminals who threaten us.
As their legal director, David has nothing but admiration for the officers who do this work. Working closely with them, in the tunnels of secrecy, fighting terrorists and corruption he saw their dangers and trials and their courage and imagination as they overcame them. The qualities and sacrifices that lie behind this extraordinary work.
JAMES R. HUGHES currently serves as the 17th President of AFIO. His service began January 2015. He had a career of US Government service spanning 37 years in numerous foreign countries with a particular focus in the Middle East. He started in U.S. Military Intelligence in the late 1960s and then joined the CIA’s Clandestine Service. He served overseas as a Chief of Station several times, and at CIA Headquarters in a number of senior management positions, including as Chief of the Near East and South Asia Division, in the Directorate of Operations [today’s National Clandestine Service]. He was also named the Associate Deputy Director of Operations (ADDO) at the National Security Agency, 1998-99. Following his retirement from the government in 2005, he joined EDS in Herndon, VA, as the Client Industry Executive for the U.S. Intelligence Community. After the HP acquisition of EDS, he continued to serve in a similar capacity until his retirement in 2012. His parents were missionaries in Turkey in the 1950s, where Jim spent his formative years. He is fluent in Arabic.
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