- Hardcover: 372 pages
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing; 1st edition (29 Jan 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0747587949
- ISBN-13: 978-0747587941
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 14.5 x 4.1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (108 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
31,589 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #22 in Books > Biography > Political > Countries & Regions > Germany
- #24 in Books > Biography > Historical > Countries & Regions > Germany
- #34 in Books > Biography > War & Espionage > Espionage
Agent Zigzag
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More About the Author
Product Description
Harry Ferguson, Daily Express
Very few books give a genuine picture of what [it's] like to be a
spy. This is one of them.
spy. This is one of them.
Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday
Full of fascinating and hair-raising true life adventures... it
would be impossible to recommend it too highly.
would be impossible to recommend it too highly.
Inside This Book
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is tremendous book; well-researched and well written. The author, Ben Macintyre deals with Eddie Chapman as though he was one of Chapman's Security Service handlers; questioning everything, giving praise where appropriate but never quite trusting him. He describes Chapman as `a shameless liar', sentiments with which I fully agree. There is no doubt that Chapman did a good service for his country since he convincingly bluffed the Germans but he `tried it on' with everybody he encountered and I wonder which way he would have jumped if the allies had lost the war?
A gripping account of England's most famous double agent.
A gripping account of England's most famous double agent.
48 of 50 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This highly entertaining and utterly gripping audio CD is the true story of Eddie Chapman, a British petty criminal who ended up serving as an spy for both England and Germany during World War 2, and who was hailed as a hero by both sides. "Agent Zigzag" is the name that he was given by the British authorities who were aware of his status as a double agent and used him to feed misinformation to the Germans.
Chapman's story is so full of adventure and ripe with coincidence that would be unbelievable if it were a novel. The story of how he comes to be an agent for the Germans is in itself worthy of a movie, taking us from a bank robbery in Scotland to prison - and eventual freedom - on the island of Jersey and then incarceration in the worst of Parisian prisons.
Chapman emerges as a kind of James Bond character: a handsome and charming rogue with a penchant for adventure, for gambling, fine food and fast women. He is a fascinating mass of contradictions: utterly loyal to his friends even as he betrays them, a hopeless criminal who develops into a resourceful spy.
Ben MacIntyre has amassed a vast amount of detail about not only Chapman, but his associates in both the German and English secret services. There is lots of interesting information about how those secret services functioned and what they achieved during the war. I was particularly riveted by the details about his training in spy techniques by the Nazis.
The audio book is made up of 5 CDs and plays for about 6 hours. It is beautifully read and very clearly enunciated. While it is an abridged version of the book, it has been very skillfully adapted and (having also read the book) I can tell you that they've done an excellent job of maintaining all the key points. My one criticism is that they should have incorporated more photographs into the accompanying booklet, which could easily have been done. They don't even tell you who the photos on the cover are, so for your reference the large image is Chapman after the war, the woman is Dagmar Lahlum (his Norwegian girlfriend), the man with the eyeglass is Colonel Robin Stephens (the commander of Camp 020) and the figure with the hat is Chapman again, later in life, posing in as SS uniform.
Chapman's story is so full of adventure and ripe with coincidence that would be unbelievable if it were a novel. The story of how he comes to be an agent for the Germans is in itself worthy of a movie, taking us from a bank robbery in Scotland to prison - and eventual freedom - on the island of Jersey and then incarceration in the worst of Parisian prisons.
Chapman emerges as a kind of James Bond character: a handsome and charming rogue with a penchant for adventure, for gambling, fine food and fast women. He is a fascinating mass of contradictions: utterly loyal to his friends even as he betrays them, a hopeless criminal who develops into a resourceful spy.
Ben MacIntyre has amassed a vast amount of detail about not only Chapman, but his associates in both the German and English secret services. There is lots of interesting information about how those secret services functioned and what they achieved during the war. I was particularly riveted by the details about his training in spy techniques by the Nazis.
The audio book is made up of 5 CDs and plays for about 6 hours. It is beautifully read and very clearly enunciated. While it is an abridged version of the book, it has been very skillfully adapted and (having also read the book) I can tell you that they've done an excellent job of maintaining all the key points. My one criticism is that they should have incorporated more photographs into the accompanying booklet, which could easily have been done. They don't even tell you who the photos on the cover are, so for your reference the large image is Chapman after the war, the woman is Dagmar Lahlum (his Norwegian girlfriend), the man with the eyeglass is Colonel Robin Stephens (the commander of Camp 020) and the figure with the hat is Chapman again, later in life, posing in as SS uniform.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
There are times when reading this book, when one would be forgiven for thinking that this is a work of fiction. The stories come thick and fast and for this reason alone it is well worth a read. The really interesting piece, I found, was the description of the relationship that developed between the spy and his handlers. Complex, confused, ever changing and fascinating as each fought to keep the upper hand in an dynamic and unpredictable environment. Well worth the read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great book...
In fiction this story would be rejected - This is the fascinating biography of the most astonishing double agent... an old fashioned 007?
Published 15 days ago by D. M. Dubbin
Excellent read
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Its a cross between a novel and a history book. Lots of historical facts but not heavy going as some factual books can be.
Published 1 month ago by suzie p
Agent ZigZag
I bought this book for my son who is a reluctant reader. He brought it on a recent skiing holiday and could hardly put it down, even reading it on the lifts. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jane
a brave rougue
I would certainly recommend this account of the wartime life of Eddie Chapman.
I had seen the film tripple cross years ago and was always fascinated by this fearless... Read more
I had seen the film tripple cross years ago and was always fascinated by this fearless... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. Neil David Stott
The story of a chancer
Very entertaining story of a remarkable character - and total chancer (as well as being a very daring man). Well researched and Macintyre writes excellently. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Study Shortcuts and Exam Tips from Oxford Grads
Operation Zig Zag
This was a good read: fascinating story, well researched and written in a very entertaining way and as good a read as Operation Mincemeat. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Superred
Zigzag
Very well written,better reality than fiction. Frederick Forsyth could not have dreamt up a better character or as good a story.
Published 2 months ago by vince
Great book - amazing story
This is a great book - difficult to put down. It's an amzing story about an amazing guy. MacIntyre is a very talented storyteller and the plot moves along at rapid pace. Read more
Published 3 months ago by John Mills
Agent Zig Zag
Were this story written as fiction it would seem a bit far fetched. It is an amazing true story and in spite of Eddie Chapman being a career criminal my sympathies were always... Read more
Published 3 months ago by custard
Unbelievable but true!
A truly memorable book. I was absorbed from start to finish. The worst part was reaching the end! Very readable writing style and an absolutely fascinating story.
Published 4 months ago by JNS67
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