The profundity of history is in the narrative of those who are a part of it. Like all those who consciously assumed a selfless posture in the fight against apartheid, Barry Gilder is part of the history of African nationalism. He tells his story in a self-authored book, Songs & Secrets. Blurbed with his picture emerging from an obscured background symbolising a supposedly dark world of intelligence, coupled with a catchy title, and a narrative styled with a penchant for metaphors – typical of the intelligence community parlance – the authorship of a book by a former intelligence officer is compelling.