Brian Lett Libros

This is the incredible, disturbing story of how close British Fascists came to impacting the outcome of the Second World War.

The Small Scale Raiding Force (SSRF) was formed in February 1942 by Gus March Phillips with Major General Gubbins SOE European chief's approval. March-Phillips and his Maid of Honor Force had just had complete success with their operation (POSTMASTER) off West Africa. Equipped with a specially adapted motor torpedo boat, the SSRF immediately started planning for operations. Op FROUDESLEY, with the aim of destroying the battleship Tirpitz ran into technical problems and was delayed but, in August and September, three daring cross Channel missions were successfully carried out without loss. The author describes these and the disastrous fourth operation (ACQUATINT) when all 10 SSRF men, including March-Phillips were killed or captured. Despite this hammer blow, SSRF now commanded by Geoffrey Appleyard made two raids on Sark a week later. Again their story is fully told in this fascinating book along with those of three further 1942 raids. Inter-service rivalry ('the war within') led to the breakup of the SSRF in early 1943. The Author describes the many colorful characters that made up this special force including Anders Lassen VC, Graham Hayes and Andre Desgranges, the Free Frenchman whom the Gestapo 'turned'. This superbly researched book lifts the veil on a little known but highly effective special force unit and the gallant individuals who served in it.

This is a true story of a force of licensed to kill secret agents, commanded by a real war time secret service chief code names M, with whom Ian Fleming worked, and upon whom his James Bond stories were based.The author, an experienced criminal QC, proves beyond doubt that this thrilling operation, and the men who carried it out, were the inspiration for Flemings James Bond.

A unique insight into a notorious Italian Camp for Allied POWs. Superbly researched and written by experienced published author (leading QC).

The first full and authorised biography of the legendary spymaster.

This is a true story of a force of "licensed to kill" secret agents, commanded by a real war time secret service chief code names M, with whom Ian Fleming worked, and upon whom his James Bond stories were based. Brigadier Colin Gubbins was M, the Special Operations Executive was his Secret Service, Professor Dudley Newitt was Q and Captain Gus March-Phillips commanded "Maid of Honor Force", the team of "James Bonds" who, in a daring operation, sailed a Q ship to West Africa and stole three enemy ships from a neutral Spanish port on the volcanic island of Fernando Po. Ian Fleming worked closely with M to oil the wheels that made the operation possible, and prepared the cover story, in which the British Government lied in order to conceal British responsibility for the raid. M's agents prepared the ground on Fernando Po, even enmeshing the Governor in a honey trap. March-Phillips and his team carried out the raid successfully in January 1942, despite much opposition from the local regular Army and Navy commanders, and in the face of overwhelming odds. Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden told Fleming's lies on the international stage, denying any British complicity in the operation. As a result, a secrecy embargo enveloped Operation POSTMASTER until recently. The author, an experienced criminal QC, proves beyond doubt that this thrilling operation, and the men who carried it out, were the inspiration for Fleming's James Bond.

Tato kniha o skutečném pozadí vzniku agenta 007 mohla být napsána až v nedávné době. Její autor musel čekat na zrušení bezpečnostního embarga a zpřístupnění četných, dosud přísně střežených archivních materiálů britských zpravodajských služeb. Bezprostřední inspirací k vytvoření fiktivního agenta Jamese Bonda byla totiž nesmírně riskantní a z mezinárodního hlediska velice ožehavá akce britských tajných služeb z roku 1942, jejíž neúspěch by měl fatální následky i dlouho po válce. Našim čtenářům se tak nyní konečně dostává do rukou brilantní a nesmírně napínavé líčení operace, která se nejen skutečně udála, ale jejíž způsob provedení a její klíčoví aktéři s „povolením zabíjet“ zároveň posloužili Ianu Flemingovi jako vzory pro sepsání slavné fikce, populárních bondovek.