World War II Database

If born in a different time period, Eddie Chapman might have developed from a petty con man to a notorious wanted criminal. But in a time of war, the British government put his skills to use as a double agent. Ben Macintyre's biography of Chapman, Agent Zigzag, told the story of the pathological liar who loyally sabotaged German war efforts, the womanizer who deeply loved those who he became involved with, and the reliable spy who would figuratively pick his superior's pockets while delivering valuable intelligence. The author did such a wonderful job with his narratives about the man full of contradictions that I often found myself seriously pondering whether I should view Chapman as a hero or a villain. Through his cunning, the British were able to convince the Germans the existence of fantastic anti-submarine devices and even steer the aiming of V-1 and V-2 weapons toward less concentrated areas of London, but yet the author clearly demonstrated that not all was right with Chapman, for that even decades later he was happily concocting fabricated stories before a camera. Good or evil, the book did a wonderful job presented the different sides of the man.

I had reviewed this title in its audio book format. John Lee, who had read two other titles of Macintyres' that I had reviewed, again performed with expertise. I again very much enjoyed his reading.

After having previously enjoyed Macintyre's titles, I had high expectations for Agent Zigzag, and it delivered. I would definitely recommend this biography to WW2DB visitors, especially those interested in the mysterious and thrilling world of spies.