The True Intrepid: Sir William Stephenson and the Unknown Agents

The World War II intelligence exploits of William Stephenson-the mysterious man known simply as "Intrepid" who is said to be the real-life model for Ian Fleming's James Bond-were celebrated in his lifetime in espionage lore the world over. As head of the British Security Coordination, a predecessor of the CIA, Stephenson was responsible for the hugely successful covert political war against all sources of Axis strength and support. Subsequently, though, some observers questioned certain aspects of Stephenson's career. Others attempted to discredit his reputation or reduce his role in history. He died relatively forgotten. In this fascinating re-examination of the historical record, Bill Macdonald documents Stephenson's clouded early life and unravels the tangled strings of information that run through secret papers and previous books to reveal the astonishing details of the man who said: "Nothing deceives like a document." There were a number of British appointments at the BSC, but essentially, Stephenson contacted his friends, put them to work and had them find staff. They recruited thousands-many of them Canadian women. Included in this volume are many interviews with former members of the BSC: secretaries, cipher clerks, covert operatives and with former BSC agent, British author, Roald Dahl. The True Intrepid weaves its way through deception, treachery, war, espionage and a search for the "true" James Bond.