Zig Zag by Ben Macintyre

46. – 509.) Zig Zag by Ben Macintyre – The WW II biography of English double agent, Eddie Chapman, is a revealing portrait of actual spying. A successful and colourful criminal Eddie is in jail in Jersey at the time the island is occupied by the Germans. Eddie, seeking a better life and excitement and a way back to England, volunteers to become a German spy. The initial response is to jail him. Eventually the Abwehr decides to train him to be a spy and saboteur and drop him in England. The Germans do not realize the English Secret Service, because of Ultra, is able to decrypt their messages and know a spy is coming. Upon being parachuted into England Eddie promptly turns himself in to the authorities. After convincing them he is willing to be a double agent they start feeding misinformation back to his German handlers. There are challenges for the Secret Service as Eddie is actually a wanted criminal in England. They make the charges go away and proceed with the double cross. Eventually, an act of sabotage is faked and Eddie returns to Germany where he spends considerable time in Norway. Treated as a German hero is awarded the Iron Cross, the only English citizen to receive the award. Eventually, Eddie is dropped again in England and returns to the English Secret Service. Eddie is a charmer. Eddie loves women carrying on multiple relationships. At one point he has the English Secret Service supporting one lover and the Abwehr paying for another. As the war nears its end he is found expendable and cut loose. What was striking is how inept many of the spies, especially the German spies, were in training and ability. Eddie is a great spy though he obtains no major information. Fiction leads us to think of spies penetrating organizations and installations to obtain their deepest secrets. At least in WW II the image is wrong. Fiction also provides few spies who are criminals with a 

casual amorality. Also the immense resources devoted to dealing with one spy were surprising. There were teams on each side devoted to Eddie. Excellent. (Dec. 2/09)