Ace of Spies: The True Story Of Sidney Reilly (Revealing History (Paperback))

Ace of Spies reveals for the first time the true story of Sidney Reilly, the real-life inspiration behind fictional hero James Bond. Andrew Cook's startling biography cuts through the myths to tell the full story of the greatest spy the world has ever known. Sidney Reilly influenced world history through acts of extraordinary courage and sheer audacity. He was a master spy, a brilliant con man, a charmer, a cad and a lovable rogue who lived on his wits and thrived on danger, using women shamelessly and killing where necessary - an unnecessary. Sidney Reilly is one of the most fascinating spies of the twentieth century, yet he remains one of the most enigmatic - until now. Sidney Reilly Ace of Spies reveals for the first time the true story of Sidney Reilly, the real-life inspiration behind fictional hero James Bond. Andrew Cook's startling biography cuts through the myths to tell the full story of the greatest spy the world has ever know. Sidney Reilly influenced world history through acts of extraordinary courage and sheer audacity. He was a master spy, a brilliant con man, a charmer, a cad and a lovable rogue who lived on his wits and thrived on danger, using women shamelessly and killing where necessary - and unnecessary. Sidney Reilly is one of the most fascinating spies of the twentieth century, yet he remains one of the most enigmatic - until now. Sidney Reilly influenced world history through acts of extraordinary courage and sheer audacity. He was a master spy, a brilliant con man, a charmer, and a cad who lived on his wits and thrived on danger, using women shamelessly and killing where necessary—and unnecessary. Sidney Reilly is one of the most fascinating spies of the 20th century, yet he remains one of the most enigmatic. Introducing new evidence gathered from an extraordinary range of sources, Andrew Cook tells the full story of Sidney Reilly’s life. He proves conclusively who Reilly was, where he came from, and the truth behind his most daring exploits. About the author /6 Acknowledgements / 7 Introduction to the second edition / 9 Preface / 11 1 / A Sudden Death / 14 2 / The Man From Nowhere / 24 3 / Gambit / 51 4 / The Broker / 69 5 / The colonel's Daughter / 85 6 / The Honey Pot / 106 7 / Confidence Men / 125 8 / Code Number ST1 / 140 9 / The Reilly Plot / 155 10 / For Distinguished Service/ 171 11 / Final Curtain /194 12 / A Change of Bait / 214 13 /Prisoner 73 / 231 14 / A Lonely Place to Die / 244 Appendices / 265 Abbreviations Used in Notes and Bibliography / 288 Notes / 289 Bibliography /335 List of Illustrations / 338 Index / 341 The True story of Sidney Reilly, the greatest spy the world has ever known, the real-life inspiration behind fictional hero James Bond. True story of one of the most audacious spies of all time, Sidney Reilly, an agent of the British Secret Intelligence Service