BBC History Magazine
“Cook brilliantly cuts through the webs of lies that Reilly spun”
Christopher Andrew
“Successfully deconstructs many of the myths which have gathered around the remarkable life of Sidney Reilly”
The Guardian
“The figure who emerges … is more a confidence trickster, murderer and serial womaniser than a British hero.”
The Times
“Ian Fleming’s inspiration”
Book Description
The amazing true story of the 1920s secret agent who inspired Ian Fleming’s James Bond.
From the Publisher
Sidney Reilly influenced world history through acts of extraordinary courage and sheer audacity. He performed great services for the British government. 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 twentieth century, yet he remains one of the most enigmatic—until now. 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. Andrew Cook worked for many years as a foreign affairs and defense specialist, and was aide to George Robertson and John Spellar. He has spent the last ten years researching Reilly’s life—an extraordinary detective story in itself—interviewing descendants of people who feature in Reilly’s story and scrutinizing over 2,000 closed or unpublished documents in 14 different countries. His next book, M: MI5’s First Spymaster, will be published by Tempus.
Ace of Spies: The True Story of Sidney Reilly FROM THE PUBLISHER
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 performed great services for the British government. 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.
FROM THE CRITICS
Kirkus Reviews
British espionage historian Cook gives a thorough hammering to the outlandish career of a man often considered the archetype of the modern spy. Credited by Ian Fleming as the inspiration for James Bond, Sidney Reilly was a suave spy, fond of fine living and the lover of too many women to count. This biography starts, appropriately enough, with murder-or rather a likely murder, since the author scrupulously separates fact from conjecture at every stage of a work buttressed by staggering research. In 1898, Cook tells us, Russian emigre Sigmund Rosenblum may have poisoned the husband of his lover, then married her for her money and for the opportunity their union gave him to morph into Sidney Reilly. Cook follows Rosenblum/Reilly's trail like a hound to the scent, picking up snatches of it here, losing it there, only to find it again. His life was all foggy deception; even this dogged biographer can't determine exactly where in Russia he was born, or whether it was in 1872, '73, or '74. After leaving his homeland, he worked as a patent medicine salesman in London, then in the service of Scotland Yard's Special Branch tendering information on the Russian emigre community. Though the level of detail can be drowsy-making, Cook's subject holds the attention. Yes, Reilly served the Secret Intelligence Service, though he may well have spied for the Japanese against the Russians as well. He supplied meat-and-potatoes intelligence for the British, but he was also looking out for himself and the opportunities spying afforded him to live the high life. "Seeking to lay the foundations for an Anglo-American syndicate to invest in a post-Bolshevik economy" led him into deep water and a sting operation,and Reilly's years as an international operator came to an abrupt end in 1925 with a couple of bullets courtesy of the Russian secret police. A mythic figure cut down to size to reveal the self-serving rascal beneath the bon vivant. (Illustrations)
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