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The Walsingham Gambit

Deception, Entrapment, and Execution of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots

R. Kent Tiernan - Foreword by John J. Dziak

The Walsingham Gambit provides the reader with a new and unique insight into the hidden history associated with the regicide of Mary, Queen of Scots. This hidden history is revealed in great detail by R. Kent Tiernan, who describes how the English deception planners led by Sir Francis Walsingham designed, engineered, and executed a complex seven-year operation to expand Queen Elizabeth I’s power by ending Mary’s life. Tiernan presents a counterintelligence analytical approach utilizing conspiracies and deception between two religious mortal enemies. Historians have explained what happened during this tumultuous period, but this book tells how it happened. Whether interested in history or deception, the reader will be well rewarded with an enhanced understanding of both. This book is a timeless must read for anyone interested in how Mary Stuart was entrapped by Walsingham’s gambit.

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Lexington Books
Pages: 286 • Trim: 6¼ x 9¼
978-1-7936-4702-3 • Hardback • November 2022 • $115.00 • (£88.00)
978-1-7936-4704-7 • Paperback • April 2024 • $39.99 • (£30.00)
978-1-7936-4703-0 • eBook • November 2022 • $38.00 • (£30.00)
Subjects: Religion / Christianity / History, History / Europe / Great Britain / Tudor & Elizabethan Era (1485-1603), History / Military / Intelligence & Espionage

R. Kent Tiernan served as an intelligence officer for the United States Air Force. He was also an assistant professor of history at the United States Air Force Academy. Before his retirement in 2014, he was promoted to the rank of Senior National Intelligence Service officer and acted as a Vice Chairman/Staff Director for the Foreign Denial and Deception Committee.

Part One (1560–1579)

1. Exit the Old Order - Enter the New Chaos

2. “Elizabeth Ascending”

3. The Worst of Times

4. Becoming the Fox

5. Elizabeth’s Eyes and Ears

Part Two (1580–1582)

6. Looking Back

7. Deception Roadmap

8. Looking Ahead

9. “A Sign from God”

10. It’s About Time!

11. “Devil In the Details”

Part Three (1583–1585)

12. Fired Up and Ready to Go

13. Unleashing the ‘Leash’

14. “Only Time Will Tell”

15. Points of Failure

Part Four (1585–1586)

16. Preparing the “Coup de Grace”

17. Running the Conspirators to Ground

Part Five (1587–1590)

18. “The End is My Beginning”

19. “The Queen is Dead Long Live the Queen!”

20. “Softly Into the Light”

Epilogue

Postscript

Acknowledgments

Appendices

Appendix A Deception Planner/Intelligence Analyst Insights

Appendix B Lingering Questions and Their Implications

Appendix C Walsingham’s Intelligence Organization

Appendix D Countering the Catholic Threat

Appendix E Facts, Fiction, and Inferences

Appendix F Chronology of Catholic and Protestant Events

Appendix G Chronology of Significant Deception Plan Execution Events

Appendix H Walsingham’s Deception Capabilities Flow Chart

Appendix I Walsingham’s Role in Defeating the Babington Plot

The Walsingham Gambit provides the reader with a new and unique insight into the hidden history associated with the regicide of Mary, Queen of Scots. This hidden history is revealed in great detail by R. Kent Tiernan, who describes how the English deception planners led by Sir Francis Walsingham designed, engineered, and executed a complex seven-year operation to expand Queen Elizabeth I’s power by ending Mary’s life.

Tiernan presents a counterintelligence analytical approach utilizing conspiracies and deception between two religious mortal enemies. Historians have explained what happened during this tumultuous period, but this book tells how it happened. Whether interested in history or deception, the reader will be well rewarded with an enhanced understanding of both. This book is a timeless must read for anyone interested in how Mary Stuart was entrapped by Walsingham’s gambit.


— James B. Bruce, Ph.D., CIA (Retired), Former Vice-Chairman, Foreign Denial and Deception Committee


The difference between American political clowns of the MTG and Santos ilk and 16th-century conspirators against Mary, Queen of Scots, is that our clowns produce no results. Not so, the Elizabethans. According to former intelligence expert and Air Force Academy history professor R. Kent Tiernan, the psychological, devious, secretive, patient machinations of Queen Elizabeth’s Secretary of State, Sir Francis Walsingham, and her Lord High Treasurer, William Cecil, created a brilliant intelligence and counterintelligence network that made Mary’s demise inevitable. Scrupulously researched, but presented with aids to the lay reader, it’s fascinating, actually. Machiavellian, definitely. Shakespearean, nearly.


— Arizona Daily Star


1/9/24, Tuscon.com: This title was included on “The 10 best books of 2023 by Southern Arizona authors” list.

Link: https://tucson.com/life-entertainment/local/southern-arizona-authors-tucson-books/article_1e8aa326-a917-11ee-9933-5f1e8cbaf8d0.html



4/25/2023: International Spy Museum Podcast: Kent Tiernan’s book, The Walsingham Gambit: Deception, Entrapment, and Execution of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, was recently featured on the International Spy Museum Podcast.

Link: https://thecyberwire.com/podcasts/spycast/584/notes



1/7/24, Arizona Daily Star: This title was included in the “10 noteworthy reads by local authors” feature.

Link: https://images.burrelles.com/image/U2FsdGVkX18n1MKwbGpzvWR4TZOWZV-xP30I9m1o4COEoI383gHoeA



The Walsingham Gambit

Deception, Entrapment, and Execution of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots

Cover Image
Hardback
Paperback
eBook
Summary
Summary
  • The Walsingham Gambit provides the reader with a new and unique insight into the hidden history associated with the regicide of Mary, Queen of Scots. This hidden history is revealed in great detail by R. Kent Tiernan, who describes how the English deception planners led by Sir Francis Walsingham designed, engineered, and executed a complex seven-year operation to expand Queen Elizabeth I’s power by ending Mary’s life. Tiernan presents a counterintelligence analytical approach utilizing conspiracies and deception between two religious mortal enemies. Historians have explained what happened during this tumultuous period, but this book tells how it happened. Whether interested in history or deception, the reader will be well rewarded with an enhanced understanding of both. This book is a timeless must read for anyone interested in how Mary Stuart was entrapped by Walsingham’s gambit.

Details
Details
  • Lexington Books
    Pages: 286 • Trim: 6¼ x 9¼
    978-1-7936-4702-3 • Hardback • November 2022 • $115.00 • (£88.00)
    978-1-7936-4704-7 • Paperback • April 2024 • $39.99 • (£30.00)
    978-1-7936-4703-0 • eBook • November 2022 • $38.00 • (£30.00)
    Subjects: Religion / Christianity / History, History / Europe / Great Britain / Tudor & Elizabethan Era (1485-1603), History / Military / Intelligence & Espionage
Author
Author
  • R. Kent Tiernan served as an intelligence officer for the United States Air Force. He was also an assistant professor of history at the United States Air Force Academy. Before his retirement in 2014, he was promoted to the rank of Senior National Intelligence Service officer and acted as a Vice Chairman/Staff Director for the Foreign Denial and Deception Committee.

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
  • Part One (1560–1579)

    1. Exit the Old Order - Enter the New Chaos

    2. “Elizabeth Ascending”

    3. The Worst of Times

    4. Becoming the Fox

    5. Elizabeth’s Eyes and Ears

    Part Two (1580–1582)

    6. Looking Back

    7. Deception Roadmap

    8. Looking Ahead

    9. “A Sign from God”

    10. It’s About Time!

    11. “Devil In the Details”

    Part Three (1583–1585)

    12. Fired Up and Ready to Go

    13. Unleashing the ‘Leash’

    14. “Only Time Will Tell”

    15. Points of Failure

    Part Four (1585–1586)

    16. Preparing the “Coup de Grace”

    17. Running the Conspirators to Ground

    Part Five (1587–1590)

    18. “The End is My Beginning”

    19. “The Queen is Dead Long Live the Queen!”

    20. “Softly Into the Light”

    Epilogue

    Postscript

    Acknowledgments

    Appendices

    Appendix A Deception Planner/Intelligence Analyst Insights

    Appendix B Lingering Questions and Their Implications

    Appendix C Walsingham’s Intelligence Organization

    Appendix D Countering the Catholic Threat

    Appendix E Facts, Fiction, and Inferences

    Appendix F Chronology of Catholic and Protestant Events

    Appendix G Chronology of Significant Deception Plan Execution Events

    Appendix H Walsingham’s Deception Capabilities Flow Chart

    Appendix I Walsingham’s Role in Defeating the Babington Plot

Reviews
Reviews
  • The Walsingham Gambit provides the reader with a new and unique insight into the hidden history associated with the regicide of Mary, Queen of Scots. This hidden history is revealed in great detail by R. Kent Tiernan, who describes how the English deception planners led by Sir Francis Walsingham designed, engineered, and executed a complex seven-year operation to expand Queen Elizabeth I’s power by ending Mary’s life.

    Tiernan presents a counterintelligence analytical approach utilizing conspiracies and deception between two religious mortal enemies. Historians have explained what happened during this tumultuous period, but this book tells how it happened. Whether interested in history or deception, the reader will be well rewarded with an enhanced understanding of both. This book is a timeless must read for anyone interested in how Mary Stuart was entrapped by Walsingham’s gambit.


    — James B. Bruce, Ph.D., CIA (Retired), Former Vice-Chairman, Foreign Denial and Deception Committee


    The difference between American political clowns of the MTG and Santos ilk and 16th-century conspirators against Mary, Queen of Scots, is that our clowns produce no results. Not so, the Elizabethans. According to former intelligence expert and Air Force Academy history professor R. Kent Tiernan, the psychological, devious, secretive, patient machinations of Queen Elizabeth’s Secretary of State, Sir Francis Walsingham, and her Lord High Treasurer, William Cecil, created a brilliant intelligence and counterintelligence network that made Mary’s demise inevitable. Scrupulously researched, but presented with aids to the lay reader, it’s fascinating, actually. Machiavellian, definitely. Shakespearean, nearly.


    — Arizona Daily Star


Features
Features
  • 1/9/24, Tuscon.com: This title was included on “The 10 best books of 2023 by Southern Arizona authors” list.

    Link: https://tucson.com/life-entertainment/local/southern-arizona-authors-tucson-books/article_1e8aa326-a917-11ee-9933-5f1e8cbaf8d0.html



    4/25/2023: International Spy Museum Podcast: Kent Tiernan’s book, The Walsingham Gambit: Deception, Entrapment, and Execution of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, was recently featured on the International Spy Museum Podcast.

    Link: https://thecyberwire.com/podcasts/spycast/584/notes



    1/7/24, Arizona Daily Star: This title was included in the “10 noteworthy reads by local authors” feature.

    Link: https://images.burrelles.com/image/U2FsdGVkX18n1MKwbGpzvWR4TZOWZV-xP30I9m1o4COEoI383gHoeA



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