Anatomy of a Lie: Decoding Casement

Roger Casement, executed in 1916 for his part in Ireland's Easter Rising, remains a controversial figure. His investigations of colonial power on the frontier of sub-Saharan Africa and the Amazon provoked international reaction. His role in the Irish independence struggle resulted in a campaign to undermine his critique of power. For over a century, Britain has devoted much time to maintaining confusion about Casement. At the center of this effort are the notorious Black Diaries', documents that generated a sexual myth about the man that purposefully masked the threat he posed to imperial power. The enduring controversy over the authenticity of the Black Diaries' possesses all the ingredients for a Le Carr' intrigue - secrecy, deception, forgery and cover-up. Based on analysis of previously unexamined archival documents, the official story of the Black Diaries' is exposed as a masterpiece of manipulation and deceit.