Unable to finish. ( )

I bought this for my brother-in-law for Christmas a few years ago, because he is a history and WWII buff, and because it sounded intriguing to me: the story of a British man who went over to the Germans, received training, was sent on a mission to Britain, and immediately turned himself in to act as a double agent.There was another book in my library about Zigzag, which seemed to focus on the more technical aspects of his missions (I did not read that one). This volume goes with the view of spycraft as social engineering and personability. ( )

Its a really interesting read, and an insight into another era. Recommend ( )

An amazing, true story of a con artist turned spy in WWII Britain who does bad, good, bad etc. Hence the name, Agent Zigzag. The writing did not grab me as I thought it should, given the nature of the story and the entertaining personalities, but still worth reading. ( )

This is an outstanding narrative of an extraordinary real-life character and his exploits in World War 2. Chapman was a criminal, con-artist, adventurer, and charmer who lived on thrills. The Germans ran him against the British, who ran him against the Germans, and neither side fully accepted his integrity. He appeared to show ultimate loyalty to Britain, although he never seemed to end his life of criminal activity in Britain, or his philandering. World War 2 brought out many remarkable qualities in Chapman's character. The author does justice to the complexity and wonder of this man. ( )

I gave this book 5 stars, not so much on the quality of the book (although the writing is fine, if a bit prudish), but on the quality of the story. This man's life is amazing. A British criminal ends up in jail in Jersey just before the Germans take it. He convinces the Germans to let him out so he can spy for them. He trains in occupied France, then is parachuted back into England to spy. But he contacts the British secret service and convinces them to let him be a double agent. Back to Germany via spy central, Lisbon. He convinces the Germans to let him do another job. It's off to Norway for some more training, and then he's dropped into Britain again. Simply amazing. On top of this, he has a wife and several girlfriends, and seems to be able to charms the pants off just about anyone he meets. Except some of the brass in the MI6, who dump him at war's end. Shameful. ( )

If I had read this as a novel, I would have scoffed all the way through. AS IF any spy could deceive the Nazis so thoroughly! AS IF the Nazis would just give a British man his own boat and let him sail alone around the channels of Norway in the middle of a war! AS IF anyone could make friends with Nazis and deceive them at the same time! It is a completely extraordinary, unbelievable story, and the fact that it is true makes it one of the best books I've read so far this year. ( )

Eddie Chapman was a ladies' man and safe cracker who ended up in prison in Jersey shortly before the German occupation of the island. In an attempt to get off the island, he offered himself up as a spy, and, after a short stay in a concentration camp, was recruited as such. The Germans spent six months training Chapman and then dropped him via parachute in England, where he promptly contacted the authorities and offered himself as a double agent.

Chapman's life story is so wildly improbable that it would never work as fiction. As nonfiction, however, it is fascinating and completely absorbing. Macintyre based much of his book on relatively recently released MI5 documents, as well as interviews with people involved with Chapman during the '30s and '40s, but his writing is almost novelistic in tone. I am intentionally leaving out much of the story above, but to anyone interested in spies and WWII espionage, or really anyone interested in a good, entertainingly told story, I say read this book. Now. ( )

A member of my community book group passed this on to me when he heard me raving about The Guernsey Literary and Sweet Potato Peel Pie Society. I'm slightly obsessed with the channel islands, but as some of you know, I'm NOT obsessed with non-fiction. So this is a departure. So far very good...

The true story of British double agent, Eddie Chapman, known as Agent Zigzag. This is a stimulating portrait of a crook who became one of the most effective double agents in MI5 during World War II. The characters are varied, with the good guys not always being the most likable. At times the book reads like fiction, but at times it seems to drag. All in all I found this to be a good companion read to [10,000 Eyes]. ( )

a good, quick and entertaining read. would have liked to have seen the author do a bit more research into chapman's post war life. ( )

A truely compelling story with a fascinating look into WWII British and German intelligence work. ( )

ZigZag, which tells the story of how a petty criminal becomes a double agent for Germany and Britain during WWII, is a perfect example of the truth being better than fiction. ( )

Was he a spy for the British? Or a spy for the Germans? Or both? Or perhaps Eddie Chapman was just doing his best to survive the dangerous WWII years. Chapman's escapades were so unbelievable, they have to be true. ( )

I could not put down this fascinating true story of spying in World War 2----finished it at 6:30 a.m. What was most enlightening was how unsuccessful (incompetent?) the spying organizations of England and Germany were at the start of the war. Reading this has motivated me to learn more about spying, dirty tricks, and the like. This is one of two books on the same subject, published about the same time. This New York Times article reviews both books. Historical analysis by Richard Stokes casts serious doubt on the role of magician/conjurer Jasper Maskelyne in the de Havilland factory deception. ( )

I enjoyed this book a great deal, both because of Eddie Chapman's charm and because of the author's humour. Describing how Chapman and his British "handler" went shopping for bomb materials to lend verisimilitude to the fake Dehavilland sabotage plan, Mackintyre says: "At Boots in Harrow, they picked up potassium permanganate and nitrate of saltpeter. J. W. Quibell in the Finchley Road was happy to sell Chapman sulfur powder... Britain might be in the grip of rationing, but buying the materials for a homemade bomb was a piece of cake. (In fact, obtaining the ingredients for a decent cake would have been rather harder.)" Later, as Chapman prepares to re-enter Germany after the "success" of his British sabotage mission, he disappears only to reappear inside Ronnie Reed's, his MI5 superior's, hotel room: "In the space of a few hours, Chapman had confirmed all the qualities that made him a great crook, a superb spy, and a most fickle man: He had written a love letter to the mother of his child, vanished, slept with a prostitute, broken into a locked room, and helped himself to room service at someone else's expense. He had also, it emerged, stolen Reed's gold-plated scissors and nail file, 'which he had coveted for a time.' This was all as [filmmaker Terence] Young had once predicted: Chapman would do his duty, while merrily picking your pocket." ( )

A true fascinating story of a charming small-time British criminal who turns double-agent during WWII, constantly reinvents himself depending on the situation and what he wanted at any given moment. ( )

The Fifth Estate (spies) in World War II for the most part played a larger role in popular imagination than reality. However there were a few who stood apart and lived up to the legends of a James Bond character. Eddie Chapman's files until recently have been locked away in secret government vaults, but through freedom of information, his story has finally gone public. Times corespondent Ben Macintyre has combed through the reports and reconstructed Eddies story with a novelists flair. First serialized in the Times and then published as book in England and the US, it is an addictive page turner, excellent weekend reading that will enthrall and entertain, all the more so because it's so improbably true.

--Review by Stephen Balbach, via CoolReading (c) 2008 cc-by-nd ( )

Apparently Agent Zigzag was one of very new English agents or double agents in Europe who not only survived but in in great style--receiving a medal from the Nazis. A fascinating story. Some interesting parts about the occupation of Jersey are included. ( )

Book reviews in magazines really do work - I saw this in a history journal, and it piqued my interest. An unbelievable story of an incredible man - as Lt. Col. 'Tin Eye' Stephens, head of interrogation for captured enemy spies, said of Chapman's story, 'in fiction it would be rejected as improbable' - but this double agent is more exciting and vivid than James Bond, with his passion for adventure and women and his background as a thief and con artist. MacIntyre's style is concise and dry, but he is obviously fond of his subject, and the reader soon understands why. An excellent biography. ( )

Eric Chapman is a young career criminal. He's sitting in a jail in Jersey when the Nazis take over in World War II. Eric gets the Germans interested in his proposal to become a spy for them, and is whisked off to an Abwehr training camp in occupied France. The Germans question his loyalty to their cause, but after a long period of testing and interrogation they decide to trust him. What they don't know is that Mr. Chapman is a sociopath who is using them to keep out of jail. He is parachuted back into England where he immediately tells British intelligence that he has been sent over as a German spy. So now he becomes a double agent.

Eric is a charming fellow, and develops friendships in both countries' intelligence services. It never bothers him that he is betraying people. It also doesn't bother him that he is involved in serious romances with women in England and Norway. He manages to convince his German minders that he has blown up a British airplane factory, and then makes his way back to France where he joins his German friends and has a great time before being sent to Norway.

While in retrospect Mr. Chapman doesn't achieve an awful lot as a spy, he does enjoy his new life. The Germans are fond of him as are most of his British minders. He has a fiancé in England, but thinks nothing of carrying on another romance in Norway. He even engages in a few criminal activities while spying. When he finally is dismissed from the intelligence service he happily goes back to his life of crime. He found himself in court from time to time, but never was convicted of anything. As an honorary crime correspondent for the Sunday Telegraph he warned readers to steer clear of people like him.

You can read this book as history, but I think you will find it even more interesting as entertainment. In real life people warmed to this engaging crook, and you develop some affection for him while reading this book. Just don't buy a used car from him. ( )

Eddie Chapman was a remarkable man of many colours. During WWII he turned his criminal talents to his advantage and ultimately helped the British Secret Services decieve Germany. At the same time the German Abwehr believed he was working for them as a spy. I found this a fascinating read about little known events of the last war. ( )

Double agent spies

on Nazis. Charming conman

reinvents himself.

A fascinating true story of a British double-agent who completely fooled the Abwehr into thinking he was working for them. Extremely well-researched and written, much from material which has only recently come to light, due to its sensitive nature. It has also been authenticated directly with some of those involved and their families. Fascinating. ( )

Very interesting story. Told with all the adventure and suspense that this real life character displayed. ( )