Agent Zigzag

A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal

By: Ben MacIntyre

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Eddie Chapman was a charming criminal, a con man, and a philanderer. He was also one of the most remarkable double agents Britain has ever produced. Inside the traitor was a man of loyalty; inside the villain was a hero. The problem for Chapman, his spymasters, and his lovers was to know where one persona ended and the other began.

In 1941, after training as a German spy in occupied France, Chapman was orders orders from the Abwehr to blow up an airplane factory in Britain. Instead, he contacted MI5, the British Secret Service. For the next four years, Chapman worked as a double agent, a lone British spy at the heart of the German Secret Service.

Crisscrossing Europe under different names, all the while weaving plans, spreading disinformation, and, miraculously, keeping his stories straight under intense interrogation, he even managed to gain some profit and seduce beautiful women along the way.

The Nazis feted Chapman as a hero and awarded him the Iron Cross. In Britain, he was pardoned for his crimes, becoming the only wartime agent to be thus rewarded.

Sixty years after the end of the war, and 10 years after Chapman’s death, MI5 has now declassified all of Chapman’s files, releasing more than 1,800 pages of top secret material and allowing the full story of Agent Zigzag to be told for the first time.

©2007 Ben MacIntyre (P)2007 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"[An] intriguing and balanced biography." (Publishers Weekly)

“Macintyre is the more graceful writer; Agent Zigzag has a clarity and shape that make it the more fluid account...I would give a personal nod to Macintyre’s as the better book...A review cannot possibly convey the sheer fun of this story...or the fascinating moral complexities.” (New York Times Book Review)

“[Agent Zigzag’s] incredible wartime adventures, recounted in Ben Macintyre’s rollicking, spellbinding Agent Zigzag blend the spy-versus-spy machinations of John le Carré with the high farce of Evelyn Waugh.” (The New York Times)

When reality surpasses fiction

Loved the story of Eddie Chapman being told as a novel, while be bewildered that it is real.
Aside from the spy/espionage story, I found fascinating how human life is determined by fate, fortune, luck and fortitude.

Another great from MacIntyre

Zigzag is as good as Mincemeat. MacIntyre goes deep with his research while maintaining the ability to keep his readers out of the weeds. Anyone interested in military history must read these two excellent books.

Great History

Fascinating character and great research. An interesting tale told in a forthright manner; this is NOT an historical novel, however, so don't expect dialogue or much in the way of story-telling.

A great reflection of a historical time

What a great way to discover the hidden side of history unknown by many people.

Amazing

Fabulous. True. Spy story. Highly recommended. Seems unbelievable but it's true and exciting. Superbly read

Great book

This is as phenomenal as a true intelligence story can be. John Lee’s narration is as well spoken as Ben MacIntyre’s words are written. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in history, intelligence, military, crime, characters....wait, no, I simply recommend it to everyone.

Great, great!

Loved the story and the narrator was amazing! Main character was so interesting, and he was real. Finished the book in record speed. Recommend this book!

Great book!

This is a well written story of espionage and a suspense! Highly recommend to ww2 book lovers.

Agent Zigzag

What a riveting true story. My only regret was that I had no photos to look at while listening. Ben McIntyre did a great job of weaving the events together.

Amazing story

I really enjoyed this amazing story of daring and craziness that happened behind the scenes in the secret world of espionage.