Maverick Spy: Stalin's Super-Agent in World War II

Hamish MacGibbon's book explores his family history, revealing that his father was a spy for the Soviet Union during WWII. It provides a unique portrait of two ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events, using engaging prose and original MI5 records to showcase the interweaving of the ordinary and the extraordinary.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 28 January 2021
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

After discovering that his father had been a spy for the Soviet Union during World War II, Hamish MacGibbon delved into his family history. In his book, James MacGibbons' son Hamish recounts the story of his parents, their involvement with the communist party, and their romantic entanglement with wartime espionage in post-war Britain. This unique portrayal of two ordinary individuals caught up in the extraordinary events of World War II and the Cold War comes to life through engaging prose and original MI5 records.

The MI5 had long suspected James of espionage and interrogated him at the war's end. Without a confession, the British secret intelligence services were limited in their actions, except for placing James and his family under close surveillance. However, his children soon uncovered the evidence of this surveillance after his death. Hamish MacGibbon relied on a wealth of documents obtained from official government archives, which revealed how mail was regularly intercepted and private telephone calls recorded.

The result is a captivating exploration of how the war, espionage, and a seemingly ordinary family intertwine, showcasing the ordinary and the extraordinary in intricate ways. This book provides a valuable insight into the complexities of the period and sheds light on the lives of those caught in the crosshairs of history.

Weight: 412g
Dimension: 155 x 234 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350178014