Ben Macintyre Knihy

Oleg Gordijevskij, syn agenta KGB, sa postupne začal dívať na komunistické zriadenie svojej krajiny ako na zločinné a neschopné reformy. Ruská spravodajská služba ho prvýkrát nasadila v roku 1968 a neskôr sa stal popredným zástupcom Sovietskeho zväzu v Londýne. Od roku 1973 však tajne pracoval pre MI6, pričom takmer desať rokov pomáhal Západu odhaľovať ruských špiónov a prekazil množstvo tajných plánov. V čase, keď sa studená vojna chýlila ku koncu, sovietske vedenie prežívalo čoraz väčšiu paranoju z možného prvého úderu zo strany USA, čo svet posúvalo na pokraj vojny. Pracovníci MI6 sa snažili udržať Gordijevského identitu v tajnosti, a to aj pred CIA, ktorá sa snažila odhaliť britského zdroja na najvyššej úrovni. Ich posadnutosť však viedla ku Gordijevského skaze, keď ho identifikoval Aldrich Ames, známy svojou špionážou pre Sovietov. Najnovšia kniha Bena Macintyra sa zaoberá trojstranným nešportovým správaním USA, Británie a Sovietskeho zväzu a ponúka strhujúci opis Gordijevského úteku z Moskvy v roku 1985. Čitateľ sa dostane do hlboko utajeného sveta zrady, kde rozhodnutie jednotlivca môže zmeniť budúcnosť národov.

V létě 1941, během vrcholu války v Západní poušti, měl excentrický mladý důstojník David Stirling vizi nového způsobu vedení války – útočení na nepřítele za jeho liniemi. Přes odpor britského vrchního velení získal osobní souhlas Winstona Churchilla k náboru nejdrsnějších a nejchytřejších vojáků. Tak začala nejoslavovanější a nejzáhadnější vojenská organizace na světě – SAS. Na základě tajných záznamů, dosud neznámých filmových záběrů a rozhovorů se zakládajícími členy SAS se odhalují pozoruhodné příběhy této bojové jednotky a cena za uskutečnění Stirlingovy vize. Britská Special Air Service byla výsledkem jeho strategického myšlení, které kontrastovalo s bezcílností jeho raného života. Zatímco většina jeho kolegů viděla na mapě bojiště vleklé střety, Stirling spatřoval příležitost. S malým počtem elitních vojáků plánoval údery za nepřátelské linie, aby ničil jejich letouny a materiál. Spolu s ukázněným Jockem Lewesem vytvořil revoluční bojovou skupinu, která změnila rovnováhu ve válce a samotný způsob boje. Čelil odporu těch, kdo považovali jeho taktiku za nepřijatelnou, ale jeho činy proti nacistům v Africe a Evropě se staly základem pro budoucí speciální jednotky. Kniha je literární předlohou pro TV seriál "Pluk mizerů".

**NOW A MAJOR SIX-PART SERIES ON ITVX, STARRING DAMIAN LEWIS AND GUY PEARCE**A SUNDAY TIMES No. 1 BESTSELLERWITH AN AFTERWORD BY JOHN LE CARRÉ'Riveting, astounding ... An unputdownable postwar thriller' Observer'Irresistibly readable' Sunday Times'Worthy of John le Carré at his best' Guardian'Hugely engrossing ... Both authoritative and enthralling' William Boyd________________Kim Philby was the most notorious British defector and Soviet mole in history. Agent, double agent, charmer and traitor, he betrayed every secret of Allied operations to the Russians in the early years of the Cold War. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Philby, Nicholas Elliott and James Jesus Angleton were rising stars in the intelligence world and shared every secret. Elliott and Angleton thought they knew Philby better than anyone - and then discovered they had not known him at all.This is a story of loyalty, trust and treachery, class and conscience, of male friendships forged, and then systematically betrayed. With access to newly released MI5 files and previously unseen papers, A Spy Among Friends unlocks what is perhaps the last great secret of the Cold War.

The untold story of Eddie Chapman, Britain's most extraordinary wartime double agent.

In his celebrated bestsellers, Ben Macintyre explores remarkable WWII stories, including a double agent and a corpse used to deceive the Nazis. In this latest work, he unveils the untold story of the grand final deception of the war and the extraordinary spies behind it. On June 6, 1944, 150,000 Allied troops landed on Normandy's beaches, achieving a remarkably low casualty rate. This military success was also a masterclass in deception. Operation Fortitude and the Double Cross system misled the Nazis into believing the Allies would attack at Calais and Norway instead of Normandy. This sophisticated operation kept an entire German army occupied, saving countless lives and securing an Allied victory at a crucial moment. While D-Day has often been recounted through the eyes of soldiers and generals, this narrative focuses on the key figures in the Double Cross System. These include a brilliant intelligence officer, MI5 handlers, and five unique spies: a Serbian playboy, a Polish pilot, a bisexual Peruvian, an eccentric Spaniard, and a passionate Frenchwoman. Their peculiar unit thrived on a delicate relationship with both German and British intelligence. The narrative reveals the crucial role of a sixth spy whose sacrifice was pivotal to their success. Macintyre's meticulous research and engaging storytelling bring to life the spies who ensnared Hitler’s army and ensured the safety of thousands during D-Day.

If anyone could be considered a Russian counterpart to the infamous British double-agent Kim Philby, it was Oleg Gordievsky. The son of two KGB agents and the product of the best Soviet institutions, the savvy, sophisticated Gordievsky grew to see his nation's communism as both criminal and philistine. He took his first posting for Russian intelligence in 1968 and eventually became the Soviet Union's top man in London, but from 1973 on he was secretly working for MI6. For nearly a decade, as the Cold War reached its twilight, Gordievsky helped the West turn the tables on the KGB, exposing Russian spies and helping to foil countless intelligence plots, as the Soviet leadership grew increasingly paranoid at the United States's nuclear first-strike capabilities and brought the world closer to the brink of war. Desperate to keep the circle of trust close, MI6 never revealed Gordievsky's name to its counterparts in the CIA, which in turn grew obsessed with figuring out the identity of Britain's obviously top-level source. Their obsession ultimately doomed Gordievsky: the CIA officer assigned to identify him was none other than Aldrich Ames, the man who would become infamous for secretly spying for the Soviets.

From the secret SAS archives, and acclaimed author Ben Macintyre: the first ever authorized history of the SAS 'Impeccably researched, superbly told - by far the best book on the SAS in World War II' - Antony Beevor In the summer of 1941, at the height of the war in the Western Desert, a bored and eccentric young officer, David Stirling, came up with a plan that was radical and entirely against the rules: a small undercover unit that would inflict mayhem behind enemy lines. Despite intense opposition, Winston Churchill personally gave Stirling permission to recruit the toughest, brightest and most ruthless soldiers he could find. So began the most celebrated and mysterious military organisation in the world: the SAS. Now, 75 years later, the SAS has finally decided to tell its astonishing story. It has opened its secret archives for the first time, granting historian Ben Macintyre full access to a treasure trove of unseen reports, memos, diaries, letters, maps and photographs, as well as free rein to interview surviving Originals and those who knew them. The result is an exhilarating tale of fearlessness and heroism, recklessness and tragedy; of extraordinary men who were willing to take monumental risks. It is a story about the meaning of courage.

Renowned for his expertise in true-life espionage narratives, the author delves into captivating stories of intelligence and intrigue. With a keen eye for detail and a gripping writing style, he explores the complexities of espionage, revealing the human elements behind covert operations. His work stands out for its thorough research and compelling storytelling, making it a must-read for enthusiasts of real-world spy tales.

A gripping tale of loyalty, love, treachery, espionage, and the thin and shifting line between fidelity and betrayal.