Banjaxed! is the true story of Neal O’Farrell, whose only dream was to be the third generation to take over a famous Irish weaving business, a business that also came with a small private estate, a small army of staff and servants, and a growing art collection. When that plan failed, Neal found himself submerged in a world of spies and spooks, and a chance encounter with a military intelligence officer that led to an opportunity to become rich beyond his wildest dreams. All he would have to do was beat the NSA at their own game.

“So now, every morning, like a religious ritual I would fall to my hands and knees and closely inspect every inch of the underside of my beloved Volvo. I had no idea what a car bomb looked like but I hoped that I would still recognize one if it was there. That would be a very crucial part of the whole exercise.”

Few books can boast such weird and wonderful connections. Mental health and imposter syndrome. Dressmaking and codemaking. The NSA and GCHQ. Five Eyes and the Crypto Wars. Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. The Duchess of Westminster and the Queen of Siam. Maureen O’Hara and Nancy Reagan. Saddam Hussein and the Medellin Cartel. Robert Mueller and Iran Contra.