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 enlarge | Author: Ben Macintyre
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $8.69
You Save: $6.26 (42%)
New (40) Used (17) Collectible (1) from $7.15
Avg. Customer Rating:  29 reviews
Sales Rank: 3984
Media: Paperback
Edition: Reprint
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.1 x 1
ISBN: 0307353419
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.548641092
EAN: 9780307353412
ASIN: 0307353419
Publication Date: August 12, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: 100% Brand New! - Ships Today! Identical to Amazon's book in every way. Flawless! Not a cheap Remainder or Book Club Copy! *We recommend Expedited Shipping option for much faster mail delivery
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| Customer Reviews:
 Not very belivable June 24, 2008
1 out of 7 found this review helpful
A suposedly true story, but frankly it did not have much of a ring of truth about it. Certainly parts are true, but as much of the story relied on the writings of a con man, how much can one believe. It has that, after the fact ring, of the victors did nothing wrong and the vanquished did nothing right. The con man, if the story is to be trusted lived like a prince in both France, Norway, Germany and England fetted by all sides. Hmmm, Doesn't pass my litmus test.
 Truth as fun or better than fiction June 22, 2008
Those skeptical about how compelling a non-fiction book can be, especially one that recounts events from nearly 70 years ago will be pleasently surprised. The author is a journalist who brings the story to life with a quick pace and paints avid picture of the setting without needless words.
I am not a World War II buff particularly, but I was thoroughly engrossed by the story; if you are then I would expect you would be swept away. The book has a great "plot" that has a pace like a novel and provides a greater character study of all those that appear in the pages. Knowing it is a true story makes it even more fun. A great read for the summer!
Dissenting opinion - just don't see the rave reviews April 19, 2008
9 out of 13 found this review helpful
The trials and tribulations of Eddie Chapman might have made an interesting story with another author, but this story was a disappointment to me. Many of the reviews mention how much this book is just like fiction but that it is a true story. If that were the case, I'd never read another spy fiction story the rest of my life. There is no excitement, no glamour, no dark secrets, no interesting double-cross-save-the-Brits-and-sink-the-Germans storyline, or even any tricks of the trade that I found engrossing. While I would not call this book tedious, I was not anxious to pick it up everyday and get into it. It was just there; just interesting enough to finish, but not the highlight of my day.
This is purely about Eddie Chapman and his love of excitement (as least it was exciting for him) and putting his life on the line into the unknown role of double spy. Unfortunately for the reader, the book concentrates on the mundane learning of various espionage antics that are never used. He was wined and dined by both sides and given anything that he wanted. But what does he really do to earn this treatment? Very little - a couple of weeks of misguidance during the V1 bombings and some misdirection about anti-submarine devices, but nothing in any detail. As this story is told, the ineptness of the German spy ring to England was interesting but hardly something that becomes a page turner.
I was expecting to learn more of the British Intelligence and how they handled the intricacies of the double spy. Other stories that I have read have shown the British to be light years ahead of everyone in this business, but you get only a glimpse of their thinking; almost as if it is tangential to the plot. There could have been some interesting detail on the alluded to, but never really divulged nervousness at the wireless. The reader never gets a feel for the danger involved. The story is too vague.
Eddie Chapman was a pawn used by both England and Germany and really never did anything that can be gleaned from this book for either party except to put a feather in each "spymaster's" cap for their respective governments. There are other acts of sabotage by other agents that are mentioned in the book, but basically nothing interesting is from the main character.
It seems that Chapman's life consisted of living in one hamlet after another while he was "trained" (with at least one woman in both England and in Norway) with one group of spymasters in one country or another for most of the book.
The author did a nice job with the description of what was happening in Norway with the Nazi occupation, but again you are left wanting more details and that was one chapter.
I guess I expected more thrills and danger. This was like a spy club for singles. The Germans are portrayed as totally bubbling idiots in almost all phases of the book. The politics of the situation were not very well explained. There is quite a bit of haggling over whether Chapman was a good spy or a counter intelligence spy by the German authorities, but the author doesn't go into any detail of the decision process.
It seems to me that this is a book about an small time crook that attempted to throw himself into anything that was life-threatening with the rewards of a romp in the sack and as much money as he could get. It does make for somewhat interesting reading, but I can't help but feel that the book was written with a movie in mind; it has that vague and incomplete feel that a movie book has.
Agent Zigzag by Marcia April 6, 2008
Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal
Very interesting true story of a double spy (Britain and Germany) during
WWII. After the correspondence from wartime had been released, the author pulled together thousands of details and presented a very informative behind-the-scenes look at the life of a spy on both the Nazi
and British sides of the war. A fascinating peek at wartime in both
countries, as well as the amazing life of a double spy!
Not a fast read, but a very interesting one!
Will have you riveted from beginning to end, very entertaining! April 1, 2008
This is a fast paced, exciting story of spy craft and adventures by the most successful double agent of WWII, Eddie Chapman. Ben Macintyre working from recently declassified documents has structured a narrative that cries out mini-series or major motion picture. The amazing story begins with Chapman in jail leaving behind a trail of petty crimes and safe crackings and many jilted women only to be captured by the Germans to whom he volunteers. Instead the Germans have him and a friend shipped to a prison in France. And here in a twist of fate ends up being trained as a German spy who is eventually is awarded the Iron Cross for completing his missions successfully. The Germans never guess that while in England Chapman (Agent ZIGZAG to the British) turns double agent and is involved in many of the most top secret misinformation campaigns of the war. He is interrogated over and over by both the Germans and British and also has time to find women to befriend, and handlers to be loyal too. Chapman is ultimately pardoned by the British for his roll spying for the British. The narrative is a believe it or not true story that will have you riveted from beginning to end. This is simply the most entertaining book I have read in some time. If it were a novel you would never believe it. Why this has not found its way on to the best seller list is beyond me you should not miss Agent ZIGZAG.
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