I first read a book by Ben Macintyre many years ago, and I love his storytelling style. He makes history come alive, bringing an element of excitement to stories that had it in spades in real life.

My first read was of the Double Cross team, a British intelligence organization during World War II that used double agents to deceive the Germans about the invasion of Normandy and, thus, ensure its success. Macintrye has a brilliant way of weaving the same characters into each other’s stories, meaning each book presents the point of view of a different character in the same overarching narrative.

ZigZag was a career criminal who, for various and conflicted reasons, became a successful British double agent during the war. He was a gentleman crook, with motivation to include monetary gain, personal loyalty, and a duty to Britain.

Within the German High Command, he was viewed with equal admiration. As the Allies gained a foothold on the Continent, his ever expanding second mission behind enemy lines reflected their belief that he was the German silver bullet to turn back the Allies and win the war. The only problem was, ZigZag was actually working for the British and feeding Germans false information.

History is seldom boring, and World War II offers many stories of humanity, compassion, and courage in the devastation of war. Macintyre delivers again another important story about the complexity of the human person, and how war can change people.

Would I recommend: YES

ISBN: 978-1408811498