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Agent Sonya

Lover, Mother, Soldier, Spy

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Agent Sonya

By: Ben Macintyre
Narrated by: Ben Macintyre
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER

Discover the incredible true story of WW2's most extraordinary spy - from the bestselling author of The Spy and the Traitor.

From planning an assassination attempt on Hitler in Switzerland, to spying on the Japanese in Manchuria, to preventing nuclear war (or so she believed) by stealing the science of atomic weaponry from Britain to give to Moscow, Ursula Kuczynski Burton conducted some of the most dangerous espionage operations of the twentieth century.

Born to a German Jewish family, as Ursula grew, so did the Nazis' power. A fanatical opponent of the fascism that ravaged her homeland, she was drawn to communism as a young woman, motivated by the promise of a fair and peaceful society. She eventually became a spymaster, saboteur, bomb-maker and secret agent.

In Agent Sonya, Britain's most acclaimed historian vividly reveals the fascinating tale of a life that would change the course of history. Classic Ben Macintyre - a gripping ride, based on meticulous research, that reads like a novel - this is the greatest spy story never told.

'His best book yet' The Times

'Macintyre has found a real-life heroine worthy of his gifts as John le Carré's nonfiction counterpart' New York Times

'This book is classic Ben Macintyre . . . quirky human details enliven every page' Clare Mulley, Spectator

'She is the strongest character of all in Macintyre's bestselling series of wartime tales . . . I raced through the pages to keep up with the plot' Julian Glover, Evening Standard

© Ben MacIntyre 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

20th Century Freedom & Security Military Modern Politics & Government Espionage Marriage Soviet Union War Funny Thought-Provoking Imperialism Socialism Village Solider

Critic reviews

Macintyre does true-life espionage better than anyone else (John Preston)
Think John le Carré at his early best - but fact not fiction
This impeccably researched account of her double life spans continents and is brilliantly compelling
Macintyre's page-turner is a dazzling portrait of a flawed yet driven individual who risked everything (including her children) for the cause
The best true spy story I have ever read (John le Carré on 'The Spy and the Traitor')
Thrilling...Macintyre will have you hooked to her life's every twist and turn (Lucy Knight)
Macintyre has found a real-life heroine worthy of his gifts as John le Carré's nonfiction counterpart
This book is classic Ben Macintyre...quirky human details enliven every page... it is Macintyre's own vivid retelling of her perilous professional, personal and political life that make Agent Sonya such an accessible spy story.
He has the unerring gift of uncovering those astonishing truths that make even the best novelists of espionage seem both earthbound and artificial in comparison
His best book yet (The Times)
All stars
Most relevant
Another brilliant book from Ben Macintyre. A fascinating story of a remarkable spy and some incompetent British spy catching! The book is excellently narrated by the author and I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone interested in spies and history.

Superb

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What a complex woman. While her politics are not mine, she led a fascinating life of principle and danger, mixed with the everyday, mundane frailties of human beings through some of the darkest days of 20th Century history. Her life touched so much of the history we know today

Fascinating story

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Accurately gets under the skin of a real anti-fascist intelligence drama, danger, commitment and family over 20 years.

Convincingly authentic and great read

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I listened to an interview the author had done and was intrigued that all things in the book were true and verifiable. What a brilliant story/memoir/telling of events. Thoroughly enjoyed and recommend.

Female spy!

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I really enjoyed listening to this - I was gripped from start to finish! Sometimes there were a lot of names being thrown around and it was a little confusing as to who was who, but I guess that was needed in order to tell the story. Would definitely recommend and I'll be looking out for other books by the same author.

Really enjoyed this!

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