Ben Macintyre

The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre is a spellbinding Cold War thriller that unravels the true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB double agent who risked everything to aid the British in the battle against Soviet oppression. In meticulously researched detail, Macintyre paints a vivid portrait of espionage, double-crossing, and unparalleled bravery, giving readers a riveting glimpse into...

In the summer of 1941, at the height of the war in the Western Desert, a bored and eccentric young officer, David Stirling, conceived a plan that was radically unconventional and entirely against the rules: a small, undercover unit that would wreak havoc behind enemy lines. Thus began the most celebrated and mysterious military organisation in the world - the...

The first ever authorised history of the SAS, now a major BBC series starring Connor Swindells, Jack O'Connell and Dominic West. In the summer of 1941, at the height of the war in the Western Desert, a bored and eccentric young officer, David Stirling, came up with a plan that was radical and entirely against the rules—a small undercover unit...

A Spy Among Friends by Ben Macintyre dives into the intricate and gripping world of espionage during the early years of the Cold War. This compelling narrative brings to life the infamous story of Kim Philby, the most notorious British defector and Soviet mole in history. As an agent, double agent, traitor, and enigma, Philby deceived his closest colleagues and...

Britain's best-selling historian writes the first definitive account of the famous televised SAS storming of the Iranian embassy in London in 1980. On April 30, 1980, six heavily armed gunmen burst into the Iranian embassy on Princes Gate, overlooking Hyde Park in London. There they took 26 hostages, including embassy staff, visitors, and three British citizens. A tense six-day siege...

Britain's best-selling historian writes the first definitive account of the famous televised SAS storming of the Iranian embassy in London in 1980. On April 30, 1980, six heavily armed gunmen burst into the Iranian embassy on Princes Gate, overlooking Hyde Park in London. There they took 26 hostages, including embassy staff, visitors, and three British citizens. A tense six-day siege...

NOW A MAJOR SIX-PART SERIES ON ITVX, STARRING DAMIAN LEWIS AND GUY PEARCE A SUNDAY TIMES No. 1 BESTSELLER WITH AN AFTERWORD BY JOHN LE CARRÉ A Spy Among Friends by Ben Macintyre delves into the astonishing true story of Kim Philby, a high-ranking British intelligence officer who became one of history's most dangerous Soviet moles. Set against the richly...

Agent Sonya by Ben Macintyre is an enthralling and meticulously researched narrative that uncovers the astonishing life of the greatest female spy in history. This gripping biography sheds light on the life of Ursula Kuczynski Burton, a woman whose espionage endeavours were pivotal during the tumultuous times of the twentieth century. Ursula Kuczynski Burton, known by her codename "Agent Sonya",...

One April morning in 1943, a sardine fisherman spotted the corpse of a British soldier floating in the sea off the coast of Spain and set in train a course of events that would change the course of the Second World War. Operation Mincemeat was the most successful wartime deception ever attempted, and certainly the strangest. It hoodwinked the Nazi...

The Sunday Times no.1 bestseller on the incredible true story of WW2's most infamous Nazi prison, and the colourful characters behind its walls. Colditz Castle—a forbidding Gothic tower on a hill in Nazi Germany. You may have heard about the prisoners and their daring and desperate attempts to escape, but that's only part of the real story. In Colditz: Prisoners...

SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARD 'Engrossing as any thriller' Daily Telegraph 'Superb. Meticulously researched, splendidly told, immensely entertaining' John le Carré 'This is the most amazing book, full of fascinating and hair-raising true life adventures . . . It would be impossible to recommend it too highly' Mail on Sunday _______ One December night in 1942, a Nazi parachutist...

D-Day, 6 June 1944, the turning point of the Second World War, was a victory of arms. But it was also a triumph for a different kind of operation: one of deceit, aimed at convincing the Nazis that Calais and Norway, not Normandy, were the targets of the 150,000-strong invasion force. The deception involved every branch of Allied wartime intelligence...

'Addictive and deeply moving' Independent 'Utterly gripping' Anthony Beevor, Daily Telegraph 'Enthralling ... A reminder that heroism can be found in the most unlikely places' Evening Standard 'I have seldom enjoyed a spy story more than this one' Max Hastings, Sunday Times D-Day, 6 June 1944, the turning point of the Second World War, was a victory of arms. But...

From the multi-million-selling historian, the remarkable, unknown Cold War story of how one spy saved the world from nuclear war. The year is 1981. Tehran is in violent turmoil in the wake of the Iranian Revolution. The Soviets are planning to overthrow the Ayatollah's fledgling Islamist regime. If they do so, one response from America — unknown to the public...

On a cold December night in 1942, an unusual event occurred in a quiet Cambridgeshire field: a Nazi parachutist descended from the sky with the mission to wreak havoc on the British war effort. His name was Eddie Chapman, an enigmatic figure who would soon play an extraordinary role as MI5's Agent Zigzag. Agent Zigzag by Ben Macintyre is a...

'I am going to write the spy story to end all spy stories' One morning in February 1952, a journalist called Ian Fleming sat down at his desk and set about creating a fictional secret agent. James Bond was born and would go on to become one of the most successful, enduring, and lucrative creations in literature. But Bond's world...

In April 1943, the body of a British soldier was discovered by a sardine fisherman off the coast of Spain, setting in motion one of the most audacious and successful deception operations of the Second World War. This seemingly random discovery was the linchpin of Operation Mincemeat, a covert mission that deceived the Nazi high command, misdirected German troops, and...