Customer Reviews

The Truth at Last

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The main problem with Christine Keeler's version of the truth is that it has come far to late. Most of the named participants in the Profumo Affair are dead and cannot verify her accuracy. I am always suspicious of any ghost written autobiography being the actual words of subject, rather than a few taped conversations padded out with names, dates, facts, and figures gathered from newspaper archives and spiced up to sell more copies. This book has the style of a diligent journalist who has combed through the 60's archives and thrown in references to some of the more notorious underworld figures and celebrities, sex orgies and perversions, cloaked it with 60's nostalgia and social history of the times, and added the names of people whose paths might possibly have crossed, but not necessarily at the same time.

Given that it has taken 40 years for the book to appear, one can only assume that Ms. Keeler is supplementing her old age pension. The scandal she become involved in is very well documented. Christine Keeler was the early 60's party girl whose involvement with the War Minister and a Russian spy at the same time brought down McMillan's government. Not only was she was THE icon of the early 60's, but she was the kind of girl your mother warned you about.

It is hard for anyone who was not raised in Britain in the middle of the last century to understand just how rigid and close knit Britain's class structure was at the time. WWII notwithstanding, the system had reverted to its pre-war elitism, and no one with the wrong connections, and certainly not the wrong accent, no matter how well educated, could ever cross that barrier except by an exceptional stroke of good luck. The country was run by an elite club who had been to the "right" schools" and had the "right" background, and the system was well designed to keep the lower classes out - just try getting a clerical or secretarial job with the Foreign Office if you were not a debutant or otherwise very well connected! Likewise, the moral code was equally strict. Divorce was difficult to get and a shameful secret. Unwed pregnancy was hushed up, abortion was still illegal, and drugs were only to be found among underworld characters. The strongest four letter word one heard was damn! The porn industry was deep underground and not mainstream at all. Homosexual activity could send the perpetrators to jail. When a teenage girl from a working class background fell into association with the wealthy, the titled aristocracy, leading politicians and other celebrities, her head was understandably turned. The sixties revolution was just about to begin.

Prior to reading her story I had always felt sorry for Christine Keeler, feeling that she was a sacrificial lamb taking the heat for a sophisticated group of men who had closed ranks against her - "used up and discarded" came to mind. Instead her story, whether in her own words or ghost written, reads like one of those salacious "tell alls" in the Sunday tabloids: "I took a lorry ride to shame!" My slavish heroin habit led me to the gutter!" "From choir girl to vice girl", and totally shatters the impression of an innocent naif. The constant theme of the book is poor little stupid me, repeated ad nauseum. Oh woe! She was cheated and used by all who came along to exploit her notoriety. Her husbands, her lawyer, her agents, her friends.

Rather than the innocent naļve young teenager, in her own words, Christine was a hard-living party girl by the time she met Steven Ward and a seasoned veteran of one night stands, casual sex, abortion, and survival in the demimonde London drinking and night clubs. She admits to purchasing drugs, skipping out on the rent, passing bad cheques, stealing a car, and helping to fence stolen jewellery, not to mention hanging out with West Indian thugs, accepting money for sex now and again, and being the notorious Peter Rachman`s mistress on and off. Sounds as if she was well on the way to being a career criminal! While trying to establish a modelling career she was working as a semi-nude showgirl in a glorified clip joint where the dancers were expected to persuade the clients to purchase grossly overpriced drinks, and also charged a fee for sitting at their table. Although she drops the names of many celebrated members, there is no evidence that she actually met them.

There are a number of questions:

(a) why would any woman, even after 40 years, admit to sleazy activities that were just not done by anyone who wished to be considered even half respectable at that time. Interracial affairs, drugs, casual sex etc. It is hard to have any sympathy with a woman who at the time would be considered a "bad lot".

(b) If, as Ms. Keeler claims, her IQ is 141, then why has she never learned how to earn an honest living. A woman can only be the glamorous sex symbol for a certain number of years, then the looks begin to fade and younger women move in. With the £23,000 she earned for the sale of her story to the News of the World, at the time a secretary was making about £600 a year, she could have at least taken a class in investments, or basic business management, rather than sign everything put in front of her without reading it as she claims. But perhaps that would have involved some effort on her part. Even after taxes, Christine had more money than the average working couple would see in a lifetime, but within a few years she was living on welfare in a council flat far outside central London. After her release from prison, she went right back to the hard party scene, and two brief marriages. She had a good chance to rebuild her life, and she blew it.

Maybe Ms. Keeler should have just kept quiet, remained an icon and let everyone think what they will.

The legitimacy of Keeler's autobiography does come into question. After 40 years, she manages to describe and detail certain aspects of British society that are not supported by historic fact. For example, throughout the text she manages to outline the sexual orgies of aristocratic individuals. The text does have many other questionable accounts but nevertheless Keeler utilises a tightly structured storyline to persuade the audience into observing various viewpoints. In effect, Keeler provides a fresh yet provocative insight into the Profumo Scandal which may have clearly been influenced by the Cold War hysteria and activities surrounding it.

Keeler characterises herself as a naive and exploited girl during the era by admitting to such ludicrous activities as participating in sexual games, taking drugs, acting as a pawn and an overall antisocial stance towards those around her. Keeler manages to constantly blame Stephen Ward and all those surrounding her at the time for the events that unfolded. Even throughout the later years of her life the readers are shown the unstable marriages, strained relations and laid-back manner of Keeler which causes any decent mind to evidently blame her hedonistic attitude for such events surrounding her.

Nevertheless, the text is a definite read for any individual interested by the Profumo scandal or the Cold War hysteria surrounding it. Whilst many accounts are questionable, there is truth to Keeler's autobiography and that is she is not an evil, trashy or immodest person as many media articles have interpreted her to be. Keeler is merely a different person with her own morals and values.

Good light reading and revealing for someone who grew up in that era. The other side of the story.

I ordered this book after seeing the movie. I enjoyed the movie more