Revealing Secrets

Revealing Secrets tell the remarkable but little-known story of how a small, back-room military office grew into a major Australian government agency. Deeply researched, authoritative and accessible, it is a valuable and timely contribution to understanding issues that have never been more important to national security.“” - Emeritus Professor David Horner, author of The Spy Catchers”“A meticulous compilation of the largely unsung past achievements of our most consistently productive intelligence source. And a thoughtful analysis of how to approach the extraordinary challenges posed by the new cyber universe. Blaxland and Birgin make an important contribution to our understanding of issues needing much more open debate than our own and allied governments have traditionally allowed or encouraged.”” - Gareth Evans, Former Australian Foreign Minister

John Blaxland is Professor of International Security and Intelligence Studies in the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre (SDSC), Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University (ANU). He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales. He was also formerly a military intelligence officer, Head of SDSC and Director of the ANU Southeast Asia Institute. He is the author and editor of several publications on military history, intelligence and international security affairs.

Clare Birgin’s career in DFAT spanned 30 years, with a focus on national security and intelligence. She had postings in Warsaw, Moscow, Geneva, and Washington DC as the Liaison Officer of the Office of National Assessments, followed by postings as Ambassador in Hungary, Serbia, Kosovo, Romania, North Macedonia and Montenegro. Subsequently she was a Visiting Fellow at the ANU before joining John Blaxland’s history writing team. She has been awarded the Polish Government’s Knight’s Cross Medal and the Bene Merito Medal by the former Polish Foreign Minister.