M: Maxwell Knight, MI5's greatest spymaster - Hardcover

Henry Hemming

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1848094671 ISBN 13: 9781848094673

Publisher: Preface Publishing, 2017

Synopsis

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.

About this title

About the Author

Henry Hemming is the author of five previous works of nonfiction, including most recently The Ingenious Mr. Pyke. He has written for the Economist, FT Magazine, and the Washington Post, and his books have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, and other places. He lives in London with his wife and daughter.

Review

"The dramatic story of the remarkable British spymaster...Many spy stories are page-turners, but [Henry Hemming] proves that the story of one man can be equally thrilling. Hemming has uncovered a man determined not to be known and in so doing, has provided us with delightful reading."

-Kirkus Reviews

"Espionage writing at its best."

-Charles Cumming, author of A Divided Spy

"Crammed with cracking stories and founded on sound research, Henry Hemming's biography of Maxwell Knight-'M'-stands comparison with the bestselling books of Ben Macintyre."

-Adam Sisman, author of John Le Carré

"I raced through Henry Hemming's book, constantly having to remind myself that it wasn't a work of fiction. It really has everything you'd want from a great espionage story: incredible agents risking their lives; the highest possible stakes, with the safety of the world hanging in the balance; and at its heart a complicated, mercurial spy master in Maxwell Knight spinning an ever more intricate web."

-Matt Charman, Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Bridge of Spies

"Absolute proof that assiduous digging in the archives can produce scoops. This is intelligence research at its best, especially in the identification of hitherto anonymous agents. Definitely a great contribution to the literature."

- Nigel West, author of MI5

"This in-depth introduction illuminates a largely forgotten man of antidemocratic tendencies who played a key role in keeping Britain secure and democratic for much of the interwar and early postwar periods."―Publishers Weekly

About this edition

• Publisher: Preface Publishing
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1848094671
• ISBN 13: 9781848094673
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 416