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Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal - Ben Macintyre
Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal
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3.93 75
Eddie Chapman was a charming criminal, a con man, and a philanderer. He was also one of the most remarkable double agents Britain has ever produced. Inside the traitor was a man of loyalty; inside the villain was a hero. The problem for Chapman, his spymasters, and his lovers was to know where... show more
Eddie Chapman was a charming criminal, a con man, and a philanderer. He was also one of the most remarkable double agents Britain has ever produced. Inside the traitor was a man of loyalty; inside the villain was a hero. The problem for Chapman, his spymasters, and his lovers was to know where one persona ended and the other began.In 1941, after training as a German spy in occupied France, Chapman was parachuted into Britain with a revolver, a wireless, and a cyanide pill, with orders from the Abwehr to blow up an airplane factory. Instead, he contacted MI5, the British Secret Service. For the next four years, Chapman worked as a double agent, a lone British spy at the heart of the German Secret Service who at one time volunteered to assassinate Hitler for his countrymen. Crisscrossing Europe under different names, all the while weaving plans, spreading disinformation, and, miraculously, keeping his stories straight under intense interrogation, he even managed to gain some profit and seduce beautiful women along the way.The Nazis feted Chapman as a hero and awarded him the Iron Cross. In Britain, he was pardoned for his crimes, becoming the only wartime agent to be thus rewarded. Both countries provided for the mother of his child and his mistress. Sixty years after the end of the war, and ten years after Chapman’s death, MI5 has now declassified all of Chapman’s files, releasing more than 1,800 pages of top secret material and allowing the full story of Agent Zigzag to be told for the first time.A gripping story of loyalty, love, and treachery, Agent Zigzag offers a unique glimpse into the psychology of espionage, with its thin and shifting line between fidelity and betrayal.
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Format: hardcover
ISBN: 9780307353405 (0307353400)
Publisher: Crown
Pages no: 364
Edition language: English
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Community Reviews
TJH's Shelf
TJH's Shelf rated it
An intriguing story about Eddie Chapman, a British criminal turned Nazi spy, turned British double-agent (which explains his codename, Zigzag). The writing, while not stellar, is solid, providing a detailed account of his exploits. I find Eddie's life to be extremely interesting, and yet, at the end...
Sarah's Library
Sarah's Library rated it
5.0 Agent Zigzag by Ben Macintyre
15/10 - A fascinating tale of British and German espionage during WWII. The quote from John Le Carre on the front cover, describing the book as"Superb. Meticulously researched, splendidly told, immensely entertaining and often very moving."is absolutely correct. I did find the story 'moving', but mo...
Denise
Denise rated it
4.5 Agent ZigZag
I wish like hell there had been no war—I begin to wish I had never started this affair. To spy and cheat on one's friends it's not nice it's dirty. However, I started this affair and I will finish it. I haven't read a book by Ben Macintyre that I didn't enjoy. When I picked this out of my tbr jar I...
Seriously, Read a Book!
Seriously, Read a Book! rated it
4.0 Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal
If you're looking for an even-handed recounting and reflections on this book, you should probably check out Jeffrey Keeten's stellar review (it has lots of pictures and everything). However, if you're looking for my favorite moments of skullduggery (along with the occasional pop culture parallel), t...
Seriously, Read a Book!
Seriously, Read a Book! rated it
4.0 Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal
If you're looking for an even-handed recounting and reflections on this book, you should probably check out Jeffrey Keeten's stellar review (it has lots of pictures and everything). However, if you're looking for my favorite moments of skullduggery(along with the occasional pop culture parallel), th...
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