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.

About the Author

Chris Andrew (Author)
Christopher Andrew is Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at Cambridge University, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, in-house historian for MI5, former Visiting Professor of National Security at Harvard University, and guest lecturer at numerous universities. With Oleg Gordievsky, he published KGB - The Inside Story, the book that revealed the identity of the fifth man. He is also the author of The Defence of the Realm: The Authorized Official History of MI5. Professor Andrew is also a frequent presenter of BBC TV and radio programmes on history and world affairs.

Julius Green (Author)
Dr Julius Green is an award-winning theatre producer and circus director, with over 250 productions to his credit. He is also an entertainment historian, who received an MA in History from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and was awarded his PhD by Goldsmiths, University of London. His books include How to Produce a West End Show and Agatha Christie: A Life in Theatre.

Reviews
A treasure trove of human ingenuity, and testament to our need to tell and believe stories, it deserves a front-row seat at any budding Bond's bedside -- James Owen * The Times *
Andrew and Green have carried out a huge amount of impeccable research, which they relay with infectious gusto... I found it extremely difficult to put this book down -- Jake Kerridge * Daily Telegraph *
Anyone who loves a good spy story will find and enjoy hundreds of them here * Economist *
[An] enjoyable and well-informed survey...stars and spies will forever be inextricably linked -- Alan Judd * Oldie *
Perfect...read as you settle into James Bond on Christmas afternoon. -- Simon Heffer * Daily Telegraph, *Books of the Year* *
A thoroughly entertaining read -- Simon Ings * Spectator *



Book Information
ISBN 9781847925282
Author Christopher Andrew
Format Hardback
Page Count 512
Imprint The Bodley Head Ltd
Publisher Vintage Publishing
Weight(grams) 965g
Dimensions(mm) 244mm * 165mm * 45mm