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Rearview Mirror Chronicles
Keith Hockton, FRAS, is a writer, publisher, and award-winning podcaster based in Penang, Malaysia, with a deep passion for uncovering the stories that shaped our world. As the Southeast Asia Editor for International Living magazine, Keith explores the intersections of history, culture, and modern life across the region.
A dynamic lecturer and storyteller, he speaks internationally on Southeast Asian politics, economics, and history—bringing the past to life with clarity, wit, and insight. Keith is also a proud Fellow of The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland and is on a mission to make history not only accessible but genuinely entertaining for everyone.
His published books include:
• Atlas of Australian Dive Sites - Travellers Edition (Harper Collins Australia, 2003).
• Penang - An inside guide to its historic homes, buildings, monuments and parks (MPH Publishing, 2012; 2nd Edition 2014; 3rd Edition 2017).
• Festivals of Malaysia (Trafalgar Publishing, 2015).
• The Habitat Penang Hill: A pocket history (Entrepot Publishing, 2018)
• Alana and the Secret Life of Trees at Night (Entrepot Publishing, 2018)
• Penang Then & Now: A Century of Change in Pictures (Entrepot Publishing, 2019; 2nd Edition 2021
• Bersama Lima - Five Together (Entrepot Publishing, 2022)
www.entrepotpublishing.com
Rearview Mirror Chronicles
Master of Shadows: The Ruthless World of Robert Cecil
Let’s begin in the shadows. London, 1603. The city is thick with smoke, secrets, and the scent of betrayal. Beneath the grand stone facades of Elizabethan power, a network of spies weaves through taverns, palaces, and plague-ridden streets. In this world, trust is a luxury—and survival depends on knowing what others don’t.
At the heart of it all: Robert Cecil. Hunchbacked, sharp-eyed, and more dangerous than any blade in the night. Cecil isn’t just Elizabeth I’s spymaster—he’s the spider at the centre of the web, pulling the strings that decide who lives, who dies, and who vanishes without a trace.
Tonight, Keith talks to Professor Stephen Olford who has a new book that turns Cecil's espionage into an art form—and whose ruthless brilliance helped shape the fate of a kingdom. Forget the Tudors you think you know. This is the story of Robert Cecil: kingmaker, puppet master, and the shadow behind the throne.
Welcome to the dark heart of power.
Referred Links:
All His Spies: The Secret World of Robert Cecil
For books written and published by Keith Hocton