Another great book by Ben Macintyre that's a true story - because you couldn't make it up. A gripping thriller in parts and hilarious in others as MI5 take on the jaw-dropping incompetence of their German opponents. .........and remember that the people of Glasgow will do anything for a litre of wine!

an incredibly exciting and nerve racking story of courage and madness all rolled into one. Ben brings the characters to life, with all their odd ways, and you would have to been odd to have worked on the XX team. It was a real page turner for me, and revealed a whole layer of the war that i never considered.

I loved this book. The accounts of the double agents used by Britain in WW2 is fast paced, detailed and full of compelling stories. The writing is typically crisp and the author keeps you locked in. There is plenty of detail about spycraft but the subject is never technical or dry. This is just a compelling story about fascinating people doing fascinating things for a variety of reasons. I think that lovers of modern history, espionage or history in general will appreciate this superb book.

After reading both Agent ZigZag and Operation Mincemeat I was looking forward to Ben Macintyres next foray in to the spying world and I wasnt disappointed. Macintyre writes with such a passion for the subject and for the real/ larger than life characters. If it wasnt true most of it would be unbelievable.

Bought this book for my son he really enjoyed it.