Closely Guarded is written by a man who was privy to some of the most closely guarded state secrets in Canada. From 1942 to 1973, John Starnes was engaged in such areas as communications intelligence and, during his tenure as the first civilian director-general of the RCMP Security Service, in counter-espionage and counter-subversion. His recollection of these confidential activities and the part he played in them is supported by a wealth of formerly classified official documentation recently released under the Access to Information Act.

This is a highly personal narrative,...