J. C. Masterman (1891–1977)

Written shortly after the end of the Second World War but not published for almost 30 years after that, John Cecil Masterman's account of the "double cross" system is meticulous, balanced and well organized. Since it was written relatively soon after the war ended, Masterman's perspective is still very immediate and there isn't too much hindsight to colour the impressions he has. As one might expect of an Oxford don, he writes well, with elegantly long sentences and touches of wry humour show more (one example: one of the double agents decides to steal an MI5 motorbike in an attempt to escape his guards; however, the motorcycle, "being government property, is not maintained effectively and soon breaks down"). The book also includes a very handy table at the end listing all of the major double-cross agents, their length of service, primary areas of interest, and reasons for discontinuing their use.

Because of its author and the time it was written, this is a particularly fascinating book. I would recommend it to those with an interest in the Second World War and espionage, with one suggestion: it may be helpful to read a more modern account first (e.g. by Christopher Andrew or Ben Macintyre), just to have the background fresh in your mind as you read. Masterman does provide ample explanation, since this book was originally written as a government report for an audience that may not have necessarily known the ins and outs of the system, but having the extra background really helped me personally. show less

An interesting account of the double agents who worked for Britain during WW2. It was written by an MI 5 insider who oversaw much of the activities. He details the hits and misses of the organisation, the aims of counter-espionage and the role of the agents in a larger tool of warfare - deception.

Although much of the book is about the system, how it worked, and why it worked, there are some insights into several of the agents personalities. GARBO built up an entire fictitious network of sub show more spies and was sending misleading information to the Germans well before he was finally enlisted by the British. ZIGZAG was a petty criminal, in gaol on Jersey when the Germans invaded that island. As a double agent he was able to combine a life of crime with a love of country. show less

I believe this was written in 1933; a golden-age mystery classic that's on every list of the top 100 classic mystery stories I could find. If you like this sort of thing, then I do recommend it. If you are too much of a reader that deals with stuff in the present, you probably won't like it or you may be bored.

The setting is Oxford University; St. Thomas's College. A distinguished guest has arrived, and the Vice-President of the college hosts a dinner for him which is attended by all of the show more dons. The guest is one Mr. Brendel, from Germany; he is fascinated with the subject of murder and as dinner proceeds, the conversation turns to how easy it is to find a killer, what the perfect murder and how to commit it might be. The hour grows late, and as much as everyone is enjoying this disturbing (don't forget -- it's the 30s and these are a group of distinguished Oxford dons!) conversation, there are certain dons which have to leave the festivities to work. One of these is Professor Shirley, who was supposed to have met another of the dons, Hargreaves, in his office some time back. He excuses himself, goes up to Hargreaves' office; not 20 minutes goes by until the fellows still in the dining room are informed that Shirley is dead, having been shot with a pistol in Hargreaves' office, one that had earlier been confiscated by some ne'er-do-well students and had been left loaded. Well, Scotland Yard is called in, but it is Professor Brendel here who is asked to investigate by the college vice-president. He does warn the vice-president that he may not like what Brendel uncovers; and as the investigation proceeds, it turns out he is correct.

What's kind of cool about this novel is the focus on what the effects of the murder are on the inhabitants of St. Thomas's College. Today we're so jaded but back then, there was much that was scandalous!

I liked it; I'm a British mystery fan, the older the book the better. If you are into the golden age/classic mystery style, then you'll like this one as well. show less

Finally, a definitive explanation for why Hitler did not believe the real invasion would be launched at Normandy. His "spies" led him to believe the landings would be at Calais. That message was the result of a strategic deception by the British intelligence. The author reveals the process of bringing a captured spy into an effective intelligence service, developing total empathy, and then providing credible messages.