Reilly Ace of Spies

This is the true story of Sidney Reilly, one of the most fascinating spies of the twentieth century, yet one of the most enigmatic. A master spy, a brilliant con man, a charmer, and a lovable rogue who lived on his wits and thrived on danger, killing where necessary — and unnecessary.

He spoke seven languages and was rumoured to possess eleven passports and a wife to go with each. A towering figure in the history of British espionage and one of Fleming’s models for James Bond, Sidney Reilly was born in Russia in 1873. To his employers, the British Secret Service, his background was a mystery, yet his immense charisma took him into the epicentre of the British establishment.

In 1917, he infiltrated the German General Staff and a year later was involved in the near overthrow of the Bolsheviks. The details of his death in the mid-1920s remain opaque, with sightings being claimed well into World War Two.

Originally published in 1967, Reilly Ace of Spies became a BAFTA-winning, and Golden Globe-nominated, classic TV series in the early 80s starring Sam Neil. This is the first new edition in 30 years, with an introduction by Dugald Bruce Lockhart, great-nephew of the original author and author of The Lizard.