Q&A w/ Rory Cormac
Rory Cormac, Professor of International Relations and Director of Research at the University of Nottingham’s School of Politics and International Relations, joins us for a brief exchange. He authored Disrupt and Deny: Spies, Special Forces, and the Secret Pursuit of British Foreign Policy (Book of the Month: March 2021).
Are there one or two authors that have had an outsized influence on your work overall?
Peter Hennessy has had a huge influence on my work. I first read The Secret State as an undergraduate and found the secret side of Whitehall politics absolutely fascinating. What I love about Hennessy's work is his ability to combine archival work with great anecdotes and somehow make studies of bureaucracy page turners.
Do you have a favorite novel or novelist or fiction genre?
To be honest, I don't really read many novels. I do, however, love poetry and am currently enjoying Louis Macneice and Matthew Dickman. Two very different poets but both see apt for current climes.
Can we expect more books from you in the future?
My next book, co-authored with Richard Aldrich, will be out in Autumn. It's a history of the relationship between spies and the royal family. It was great fun to write, but incredibly difficult. The royals are more secretive than secret intelligence agencies. Expect lots of intrigue!
