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The Blurb On The Back:
”This book uncovers the inner workings of one of the most powerful companies in the world: how it came to exert a poisonous, secretive influence on public life in Britain, how it used its huge power to bully, intimidate and cover up, and how its exposure has changed the way we look at our politicians, our police service and our press.”
Rupert Murdoch’s newspapers had been hacking phones, blagging information and casually destroying people’s lives for years, but it was only after a trivial report about Prince William’s knee in 2005 that detectives stumbled on a criminal conspiracy. A five-year cover-up concealed and muddied the truth. Dial M For Murdoch gives the first connected account of the extraordinary lengths to which the Murdochs’ News Corporation went to “put the problem in a box” (in James Murdoch’s words), how its efforts to maintain and extend its power were aided by its political and police friends, and how it was finally exposed.
This book is full of details which have never been disclosed before, including the smears and threats against politicians, journalists and lawyers. It reveals the existence of brave insiders who pointed those pursuing the investigation towards pieces of secret information that cracked open the case.
By contrast, many of the main players in the book are unsavoury, but by the end of it you have a clear idea of what they did. Seeing the story whole, as it is presented here for the first time, allows the character of the organisation it portrays to emerge unmistakeably. You will hardly believe it.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
Labour MP Tom Watson and The Independent’s journalist Martin Hickman’s book sets out the background to the phone hacking scandal perpetrated by News International and covers the process of exposure up until the end of the Leveson Enquiry. Published before Lord Leveson’s report was issued, this isn’t a complete guide to events but is a comprehensive timeline of events before and during the inquiry, and draws on a lot of the testimony made to Leveson. There is a lot of interesting information here though on the links between Murdoch’s papers, the police and Britain’s politicians and although I think the authors overstress some areas and underplay others, it’s a page-turning read that digests the complex facts in an easy-to-understand manner and as such worth a read if you’re interested in the subject.
Thanks to Amazon Vine for the free copy of this book.
Rupert Murdoch’s newspapers had been hacking phones, blagging information and casually destroying people’s lives for years, but it was only after a trivial report about Prince William’s knee in 2005 that detectives stumbled on a criminal conspiracy. A five-year cover-up concealed and muddied the truth. Dial M For Murdoch gives the first connected account of the extraordinary lengths to which the Murdochs’ News Corporation went to “put the problem in a box” (in James Murdoch’s words), how its efforts to maintain and extend its power were aided by its political and police friends, and how it was finally exposed.
This book is full of details which have never been disclosed before, including the smears and threats against politicians, journalists and lawyers. It reveals the existence of brave insiders who pointed those pursuing the investigation towards pieces of secret information that cracked open the case.
By contrast, many of the main players in the book are unsavoury, but by the end of it you have a clear idea of what they did. Seeing the story whole, as it is presented here for the first time, allows the character of the organisation it portrays to emerge unmistakeably. You will hardly believe it.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
Labour MP Tom Watson and The Independent’s journalist Martin Hickman’s book sets out the background to the phone hacking scandal perpetrated by News International and covers the process of exposure up until the end of the Leveson Enquiry. Published before Lord Leveson’s report was issued, this isn’t a complete guide to events but is a comprehensive timeline of events before and during the inquiry, and draws on a lot of the testimony made to Leveson. There is a lot of interesting information here though on the links between Murdoch’s papers, the police and Britain’s politicians and although I think the authors overstress some areas and underplay others, it’s a page-turning read that digests the complex facts in an easy-to-understand manner and as such worth a read if you’re interested in the subject.
Thanks to Amazon Vine for the free copy of this book.
