Official Review: An Ordinary Guy, An Unknown Spy

[Mai Tran]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "An Ordinary Guy, An Unknown Spy" by Andrew Gilbrook.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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From an early age, Andrew Gilbrook, who goes by Andy, has demonstrated a remarkable ability to get around unnoticed and the ability to talk himself out of troubles whenever he fails to do the former. There was, however, one occasion where words alone couldn’t save him, as is usually the case for spies who were identified and captured.

Coming from the most unusual background, Andy was the youngest recruit at seventeen-year-old and the only one who didn’t belong to the old-boy network, yet he’d managed to impress his colleagues in many ways with his quick wit and unorthodox approach. His service to Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6, had been recognized as top-notch for 17 years. How did he get from there to the firing squad?

The first scene of this autobiography could have come from a James Bond movie with Andy helplessly expecting certain death. While he obviously must have escaped with his life to tell the story, it doesn’t make the book any less suspenseful. Quite the contrary, I found that it sparked even more questions. As does any good storyteller, Gilbrook decides to explain from the very beginning and let his readers speculate. I can only say that it was very satisfying when the much-anticipated escape finally happened, and the root of his plight revealed.

While the author has a very engaging style with plenty of humor where it’s appropriate, the flow could be improved. Since Gilbrook must be careful not to reveal any government secrets, he only shares details that are crucial to his story. Consequentially, I found it difficult to keep track of the timeline because of a few gaps during his time at MI6. Some issues in the book are left unresolved due to the same reason.

Various grammar mistakes also prevent me from awarding this captivating book full marks. Although I didn’t have any trouble understanding the writing, there were simply too many punctuation mistakes and run-on sentences, along with some other issues. I’m giving this book 3 out of 4 stars for now, but I’m confident it can easily become a 4-star book after further editing.

From childhood to adulthood, An Ordinary Guy, An Unknown Spy is a riveting true story of espionage written by a former MI6 officer. Despite his restriction, the author was able to confirm and dispel a few myths, even sharing some parts of the training process that he personally went through. Readers who are curious about the real world of espionage would find this book very interesting. Though it may not be as glamorous as Hollywood make it out to be, it’s no less fascinating.

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An Ordinary Guy, An Unknown Spy
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[Julius_]

A very humorous story with an engaging style. I hope the author improves the flow and gives the book another round of editing. Thanks for the review.

[Nerea]

Sounds like a promising espionage story. I'll add the book to my want to read story. Thank you for the review.