Agent M by Henry Hemming

Agent M by Henry Hemming

Maxwell Knight was a paradox. A jazz obsessive and nature enthusiast (he is the author of the definitive work on how to look after a gorilla), he is seen today as one of MI5's greatest spymasters, a man who did more than any other to break up British fascism during the Second World War--in spite of having once belonged to the British Fascisti himself. He was known to his agents and colleagues simply as M, and is rumored to be the inspiration for the character in the James Bond series.Knight became a legendary spymaster despite an almost total lack of qualifications. What set him apart from his peers was a mercurial ability to transform almost anyone into a fearless secret agent. He was the first in MI5 to grasp the potential of training female agents.Agent M is about more than just one man however. In its pages, Hemming will reveal for the first time in print the names and stories of some of the men and women recruited by Knight, on behalf of MI5, and then asked to infiltrate the most dangerous political organizations in Britain at that time. Until now, their identities have been kept secret outside MI5. Drawn from every walk of life, they led double lives--often at great personal cost--in order to protect the country they loved. With the publication of this book, it will be possible at last to celebrate the lives of these courageous and selfless individuals.Drawing on declassified documents, private family archives, and original interviews, Agent M reveals not just the shadowy world of espionage but a brilliant, enigmatic man at its shadowy center.

Henry Hemming is the author of five nonfiction books, including Agent M and The Clever Mr Pyke, both of which were monthly espionage bestsellers in the New York Times. He's written for the Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Times, Economist, FT Magazine, and Washington Post, and has appeared on Radio 4's Today Programme and NBC's Today Show, as well as speaking at RDF Media, The RSA, Science Museum, Frontline Club, and The School of Life. Henry, his wife, daughter, and son live in London.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781541724440
ISBN 10	1541724445
Title	Agent M
Author	Henry Hemming
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	PublicAffairs
Year published	2019-09-03
Number of pages	384
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.