Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies

I love history, especially anything related to WWII. The history of Mi5's Double Cross program was a part of the story that I had never hear. The exploits of this motley crew of misfits reads like a dark comedy, but it all really happened.

Some moments are as delightfully absurd as a Monty Python sketch, but they are tempered by accounts of amazing acts of heroism that changed the course of history.

It left me wanting to find more history books that tell these kinds of stories - the anecdotal, very human side of history.

His personal descriptions of the players and their quirks really make the book. Some of the details he recounts in the first person quotes are priceless. 'he was a complete shit'

Nothing, it was spot on with perfect timing to deliver the best lines with bone-dry english irony.

If you have an interest in WWII history, spy novels or biographies, you are going to love this one.

Definitely an intriguing look at a lesser known part of WW2 history. One comes away with the impression that the British were vastly better at the spy game during WW2 than the Nazis, which the facts seem to support. You begin to understand why while reading this book. It showcases some colourful characters whose proclivities made them somewhat undesirable in everyday life but well-suited for the duplicitous life of a double agent. Occasionally I found the story dragged, but only until it shifted to a different character or situation. If you like spy stories or stories from WW2, this is a must.

This is Ben Macintyre’s third book covering much the same general topic matter of Britain's spymasters during World War II. His previous books dive deep into the real-life characters of Agent ZigZag and all the colorful members of Britain's MI5 war effort. Many of those same characters return here in Double Cross, but whereas those books are very up close and personal, Double Cross is a bit distant. Perhaps due to the relative lack of historical material to draw from, and certainly from including too many thinly illustrated double and triple agents into the narrative, Double Cross doesn't get the reader as close to the people whose stories are being told as in Macintyre’s other efforts. John lee does a masterful job in reading the words and keeping the story lively. All in all, an enjoyable read, but a bit lackluster compares to Macintyre’s other efforts on the same subjects.

Mr. Macintyre's account of the double agents in WW11 is most interesting and well researched. Unlike "Agent Zigzag" which concentrates pretty much on one man's life and contributions to the war effort, this book is not what I would call "easy listening" by any means however. One must pay attention or soon get lost in an attempt to keep track of the many characters involved, their oddball personalities and the events they participated in. Personally I had to start the book over from the beginning several times before getting a good grasp on each individual's story but then sometimes when listening to an audio book I can get easily distracted, and other listeners may not experience the same problem.

I love Ben Mcintyre's work. There were one or two historical glitches in the previous book I read (nothing major, something only a Brit steeped in WW2 history might spot); but this book seemed flawless.
A fascinating story. Worth every dammed moment....and some of the moments were dammed.
I have a mixed "relationship" with the work of the narrator, John Lee. I have found some of his clipped delivery a little irksome, and then I thought that I had become used to his "clippy" ways (for some inexplicable reason, he is the narrator in many of my favoured books).
However, in this reading he doesn't "clip" he gallops!
I've worked with News readers (I work in radio) who trip from one subject to the next without a pause, leaving the audience wondering if they were listening to the same story (The governor is caught up a tree with a cat with his budget??? Really??) ...
It takes the average mind about a second to absorb, settle; and realise that the subject matter has changed.
Important, therefore, to pause...otherwise the mind is momentarily confused. Either John Lee wasn't pausing, or one of the editors cut the recording too tightly, not allowing the brain to grasp the point. Over and over again, I found myself momentarily confused, as the scene had changed, but Lee's intonation hadn't given me a clue; which meant that I frequently had to rewind slightly; which was irritating! It took away from an astounding story, well laid out.
These men and women were fascinating! Not cut-and-paste heroes, they were much flawed, but they were brave, and their story has been written well by Mcintyre.

Ben MacIntyre took advantage of the recently released secret documents about WW11's spy program. The book is well researched and documented and reads like a novel. The story is about the Nazi spies that Britain turned into double agents to pass misinformation about the possible landing sites for D-Day. They were a Serbian playboy, Polish fighter pilot, bisexual Peruvian party girl, a Frenchwomen, and a Spaniard. The job these few people did saved many allied lives on D-Day. MacIntyre manged to bring to life the role these people had to balance between their Nazi handlers and those from Mi5. The loneliness and fear that each much have had to deal with must have taken a huge toll on them. The British actor John Lee did a good job with the narration. If you enjoy history and WW11 in particular you will find this book fascinating.

New information on the spies against the third reich (I won't capitalize the name of such an evil empire). It shows that the nazi's didn't have much imagination, except in how to torture and kill unarmed people.

I read what a previous reviewer said about all his accents. I like John Lee as a reader and didn't mind. It could have been tiresome but I just decided to get over it, so I could enjoy the story.

Yes. I also ran out to my local book store to look at the pictures of the characters.

If you are interested in WWII history, this is a must read. I enjoy reading while knitting and feel so productive.

Inspiring, great story with the very best of narrators - John Lee shines as always..

This was an interesting story. A bit difficult to keep up with all the different characters but worth the read. if you have no knowledge of the background, of these activities it's very interesting.

Enjoyed the narration, especially as he puts on every American voice with his imitation of john Wayne!