Oliver's well-researched biography of Mansa Musa reads like an exotic tale of gold, glory, and adventure. During his long reign as Mali's emperor, Mansa Musa led his empire into its Golden Age, presided over a spectacular, 60,000 person, 9,000 mile pilgrimage, founded a university in Timbuktu, and helped revolutionize architecture across the Sudan. Oliver does not allow Musa's story to get bogg…
Set up under the Labour Government in 1948 and clandestinely financed from the Secret Intelligence Service budget, the Information Research Department waged a vigorous covert propaganda campaign against Communism around the world. IRD was a large organization with close links to Ml6 with whom it shared many personnel. Parliament, had it known of the true purpose of IRD's existence, may well hav…