Agent Zigzag
A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal
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Agent Zigzag
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Narrated by:
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John Lee
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Written by:
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Ben MacIntyre
About this listen
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 TapeWhat the critics say
"[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)
What listeners say about Agent Zigzag
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anon
- 2020-08-30
Absolutely fascinating
If you have any interest at all in this subject don’t hesitate and buy this now. A truly wonderful experience, very skilfully read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Frances Farmer
- 2022-12-06
Excellent: MacIntyre at his best
Well written and researched. Wonderfully read by John Lee. Aficionados of WW2 espionage history will find the story of Eddy Chapman irresistible
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- philip moss
- 2020-01-30
A good book by the best spy storyteller around
My favorite book from last year was Ben Macintyre's The Spy and the Traitor. This is another spy story by him, worth the listen. It is less spectacular in its consequences and not quite as compelling a story as The Spy and the Traitor--also it's not narrated by Macintyre, who is quite a talented narrator in his own right--but it still has much to recommend it.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Richard Morrison
- 2020-12-05
Truth is more exciting than fiction
Eddie Chapman was a career criminal turned first-class double agent who cleverly tricked the Nazis into thinking he was on their side. Chapman's combination of quick thinking and bravery likely saved lives by hastening the end of the war. The story is as exciting as any fiction by Ian Fleming, made all the more interesting because of its accuracy. The Underworld-Thieves, a 1994 documentary available on YouTube, features short interviews with Eddie shortly before his death where he talks about the criminal part of his life, but unfortunately leaves out the spy aspect.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2023-07-29
Excellent
Lots of plot twists with believable characters. Suspenseful and believable. I was sad it was over but there was a great afterward. And a great ending.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sandra
- 2024-07-10
A Thrill Ride
Gripping tale of a scoundrel and his unbelievable wartime exploits. Do not miss out - once you start it you’ll be hooked!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Alex Sims
- 2020-08-19
A fine spy drama
The story was interesting and almost unbelievable in a 'hollywood script' kind of way. It was well documented and engaging with a fine performance. Would recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2020-12-02
wonderful
I so enjoy John Lee's narration. he has a way of bringing life to every spy story! Loved it!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- sd
- 2019-08-14
A great story
Another great Ben Macintyre story. So much well researched detail without being tedious.
Hard to put down.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Aly M
- 2021-06-25
Incredible read. Highly recommend.
Better than a James Bond novel. So glad that the information was preserved and MacIntyre pulls it altogether so well.
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