Compton Mackenzie was born in West Hartlepool in 1883. Educated at St Paul's School and Magdalen College, Oxford he studied for the law but abandoned this career in 1907 so that he could concentrate on his first play, The Gentleman in Grey. This was followed by several successful novels, The Passionate Elopement (1911), Carnival (1912) and Sinister Street (1913).

In the First World War Mackenzie served in the Dardanelles. After being recruited by MI6 he became director of the Aegean Intelligence Service in Syria.

After the war Mackenzie returned to writing and his prolific output included Rich Relations (1921), Vestal Fire (1927) and Extraordinary Women (1928).

In 1932 published Greek Memories, an account of his experiences as a MI6 officer. In the book he disclosed for the first time that Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) existed. He even revealed that the first Director-General of the organization was Mansfield Cumming. In one passage he referred to the organization as being "scores of under-employed generals surrounded by a dense cloud of intelligence officers sleuthing each other."

The book was immediately withdrawn and all remaining copies were destroyed. Mackenzie was fined £100 for breaching the Official Secrets Act.

Mackenzie's actions were now monitored by MI5. One agent claimed that he was overhead telling a journalist from the Daily Telegraph that MI5 was an inefficient organization and that Vernon Kell and his staff were incompetent. Mackenzie was also accused of leaking information to left-wing MPs in the House of Commons.

Other books by Mackenzie included The Four Winds of Love (1937), Whisky Galore (1947) and Thin Ice (1956). His ten volume autobiography, My Life and Times, was published between 1963 and 1971. Compton Mackenzie died in 1972.

 

 

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