From the author of Reflections of War - Forgotten Photographic Archives of the Second World War, nominated for the National WWII Museum Book Award and the Gilder Lehrman Military History Prize

"...vivid, deeply researched, and highly compelling...a truly gripping and impressive book." Admiral James Stavridis, 16th Supreme Allied Commander of NATO

Some fought tyranny; others served it. All left their mark on history. Fascinating and immersive biographies of 14 contrasting spies

In war, silence is a weapon. While armies clashed in Normandy, at Stalingrad and across the Pacific, another struggle unfolded in the shadows. Behind enemy lines, in hotel bars, safe houses, embassies, and prison cells, this war was fought with whispers and secrets. Master Spies' riveting narrative follows 14 sharply contrasting lives of men and women from across Britain, America, Germany, France, Spain, Russia and beyond, all caught at the edge of courage, deception and profound moral compromise.

From Josephine Baker, Coco Chanel and Odette Sansom to the inconspicuous Fritz Kolbe and the elusive Marina Lee, this book features double agents and saboteurs, couriers and scientists, celebrities, traitors, patriots and opportunists. Drawing on declassified intelligence files, wartime archives, memoirs and biographies and interrogation reports, Deleuran explores what espionage work reveals about a personality, and how identity, charm, courage, class, celebrity, and conviction all became weapons in the Second World War.

Featuring:



- Juan Pujol García

- Duško Popov

- Eddie Chapman

- Virginia Hall

- Nancy Wake

- Odette Sansom

- Krystyna Skarbek

- Richard Sorge

- Fritz Kolbe

- Klaus Fuchs

- Josephine Baker

- Frederick Duquesne

- Coco Chanel

- Marina Lee



'...vivid, deeply researched, and highly compelling…a truly gripping and impressive book.'