Agent Zigzag, Ben MacIntyre

http://www.bloomsbury.com/topsecret
Ben MacIntyre discusses Agent Zigzag, the true wartime story of Eddie Chapman: Lover, Traitor, Hero, Spy. Women want him, Men want to be him.

On a chill December night in 1942, a Nazi parachutist landed in a Cambridgeshire field. His mission: to sabotage the British war effort. His German masters called him Fritz or Fritzschen. The British police knew him as Eddie Chapman, 'a dangerous man and associate of thieves', and believed he was still in prison. Within weeks Chapman was in the hands of MI5 and operating as Agent Zigzag, opening the most sensational chapter in the history of British espionage.
Unpredictable, dashing and louche, Chapman proved to be a handful for both his German and British spymasters. In the estimation of the Nazis he was their super-spy, to whom they awarded the Iron Cross for 'heroics' in Britain and occupied Europe; in the estimation of MI5, Zigzag had 'the courage to achieve the unbelievable'. He diverted the V1 flying bombs away from London, deceived the Germans with false information, and nonchalantly volunteered to assassinate Hitler, all with the same smooth confidence that made him a natural spy, and irrestible to women.
But the restless Chapman courted contradiction as keenly as he embraced adventure. Inside the traitor lay a patriot; inside the villain, a man of conscience. The problem for Chapman, his spymasters and his many lovers was to know where one ended and the other began.
Ben Macintyre weaves together diaries, letters, photographs and memories of the living, along with fascinating top-secret MI5 files never before made public to create an exhilarating account of the many lives of Eddie Chapman. As MI5 concluded, 'The story of Eddie Chapman is different. In fiction it would be rejected as improbable.'

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  People & Blogs

[Fran ziskaner]

Where can find his full interview? many thanks, fantastic book!

[Nathaniel Winkelmann]

there is an hour of it on Vimeo

[sierzantkopytko]

Świetna książka. Wciągająca. Naprawdę warto było po nią sięgnąć. Chociaż rzadko czytam dokumenty to tę książkę pochłonęłam.

[csgreen1]

Just finished book and think it is an incredible story. I was hoping to find footage of Eddie Chapman on YouTube. If anyone finds something please let me know.

[benlu123]

I also just finished the book a couple of hours ago...it was a great holiday read.Really well written and a fascinating story!

[DualThunder]

Chapman.

one PHENOMENAL man.

just finished the book. I recommend it to anyone and everyone.