A vastly entertaining and unique history of spying and showbiz, from the Elizabethan age to the Cold War and beyond. 'Perfect...read as you settle into James Bond on Christmas afternoon' Daily Telegraph Books of the Year 2021 Throughout history, there has been a lively crossover between show business and espionage. While one relies on publicity and the other on secrecy both require high levels of creative thinking, improvisation, disguise and role-play. This crossover has produced some of the most extraordinary undercover agents and, occasionally, disastrous and dangerous failures. Stars and Spies is the first history of the interplay between the two worlds, written by two experts in their fields. We travel back to the golden age of theatre and intelligence in the reign of Elizabeth I and onwards into the Restoration. We visit Civil War America, Tsarist Russia and fin de siecle Paris where some writers, actors and entertainers become vital agents, while others are put under surveillance. And as the story moves through the twentieth century and beyond, showbiz provides essential cover for agents to gather information while hiding in plain sight. At the same time, spying enters mainstream popular culture, in books, film and on TV. Starring an astonishing cast including Christopher Marlowe, Aphra Behn, Voltaire, Mata Hari, Harpo Marx, Somerset Maugham, Graham Greene, Noel Coward, Alexander Korda, John le Carre and many others, Stars and Spies is a highly enjoyable examination of the fascinating links between the intelligence services and show business.

The four novels are the chronological tales of how heroes fought for what they believed in, many not succeeding and many succumbing to inevitable tragedies along the way. The various characters end up fighting for their very survival, some have goals and some try to find them along the way, some succeed in the game of love and others don't, but most importantly they fight based on what their gut tells them to do. They want to make the world a better place and even in failure they do.

Two peasant boys, Archibald and Roland decide to go to the highest heights. They decide to travel on the open seas by working hard. Conspiracy, murder, riches. Traitors and loyal friends. Warriors and kings. This is the story of Defying one's Destiny.

A vastly entertaining and unique history of the interaction between spying and showbiz, from the Elizabethan age to the Cold War and beyond. 'A treasure trove of human ingenuity' The Times Written by two experts in their fields, Stars and Spies is the first history of the extraordinary connections between the intelligence services and show business. We travel back to the golden age of theatre and intelligence in the reign of Elizabeth I. We meet the writers, actors and entertainers drawn into espionage in the Restoration, the Ancien Régime and Civil War America. And we witness the entry of spying into mainstream popular culture throughout the twentieth century and beyond - from the adventures of James Bond to the thrillers of John le Carré and long-running TV series such as The Americans. 'Thoroughly entertaining' Spectator 'Perfect...read as you settle into James Bond on Christmas afternoon.' Daily Telegraph