image of person or book cover 9195628348023615625.jpg
This image has been sourced from Amazon
Issue Details: First known date: 2023... 2023 My Mother, The Spy : The Daring and Tragic Double Life of ASIO Agent Mercia Masson
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'The true story of an undercover ASIO agent who was hung out to dry in the Cold War.

''I have lost everything in coming here. I have lost my friends... I have probably lost my position; I shall probably have to remove my child from the school and my mother from the house in which she lives. I do not think there is anything else I can possibly lose.'

'Mercia Masson dressed stylishly and loved to host a party. She was a journalist in an era when there were few female journalists, she always wanted to be in the thick of things, and she knew people in very high places. She also led a dangerous double life.

'This is the remarkable story of an ASIO agent who was hung out to dry. She was exposed at a royal commission that was partly intended to undermine public confidence in the ALP and its leader, Doc Evatt. Written in association with her daughter Cindy, this story brings to life a determined woman at the centre of dramatic events in Australian politics during the Cold War.' (Publication summary)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • Crows Nest, North Sydney - Lane Cove area, Sydney Northern Suburbs, Sydney, New South Wales,: Allen and Unwin , 2023 .
      image of person or book cover 9195628348023615625.jpg
      This image has been sourced from Amazon
      Extent: 320p.
      Note/s:
      •  Published 1 August 2023

      ISBN: 9781761067280

Other Formats

  • Large print.
  • Braille.

Works about this Work

Of Spies and Lies : Two Books about the Dangers of Deception Michael Sexton , 2023 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , October no. 458 2023; (p. 61-62)

— Review of The Eagle in the Mirror Jesse Fink , 2023 single work biography ; My Mother, The Spy : The Daring and Tragic Double Life of ASIO Agent Mercia Masson Cindy Dobbin , Freda Marnie Nicholls , 2023 single work biography

'The life of a spy is based on lies, but both these books make an attempt to separate fact from fiction in the stories of their subjects.' 

Professional Deception in the Family Simon Caterson , 2023 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 5-6 August 2023; (p. 13)

— Review of My Mother, The Spy : The Daring and Tragic Double Life of ASIO Agent Mercia Masson Cindy Dobbin , Freda Marnie Nicholls , 2023 single work biography
Professional Deception in the Family Simon Caterson , 2023 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 5-6 August 2023; (p. 13)

— Review of My Mother, The Spy : The Daring and Tragic Double Life of ASIO Agent Mercia Masson Cindy Dobbin , Freda Marnie Nicholls , 2023 single work biography
Of Spies and Lies : Two Books about the Dangers of Deception Michael Sexton , 2023 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , October no. 458 2023; (p. 61-62)

— Review of The Eagle in the Mirror Jesse Fink , 2023 single work biography ; My Mother, The Spy : The Daring and Tragic Double Life of ASIO Agent Mercia Masson Cindy Dobbin , Freda Marnie Nicholls , 2023 single work biography

'The life of a spy is based on lies, but both these books make an attempt to separate fact from fiction in the stories of their subjects.' 

Last amended 9 Aug 2023 09:40:22
X