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Agent Twister

John Stonehouse and the Scandal that Gripped the Nation – A True Story

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Agent Twister

By: Philip Augar, Keely Winstone
Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
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About this listen

 He lived a double-life in the sixties
Faked his own death in the seventies
And retained his cover in the eighties

A period thriller with powerful political and espionage themes, Agent Twister is the remarkable story behind one of the greatest scandals of the 1970s, told in full for the first time. If you think you know the true story of John Stonehouse – think again.

It’s November 1974 and John Stonehouse MP, once a star in Harold Wilson’s Labour government, is missing in Miami, presumed drowned. His disappearance exposes the most lurid details of his life, including identity fraud, corporate corruption, a love triangle, blackmail, links with the Mafia and a decade-long career as a Soviet spy. The public are gripped by this story, happy to forget the strikes, IRA bombs and rising prices that are making daily life a misery.

On Christmas Eve, Stonehouse is tracked down in Melbourne, Australia, where he is suspected of being that other missing Englishman, Lord Lucan. The comic absurdity of the story is offset by claims of a mental breakdown and a refusal to resign as an MP, even when he is extradited back to the UK and up on charges at the Old Bailey. For the first time, Agent Twister reveals the corporate crimes at the heart of Stonehouse’s business empire, the true extent of his ten-year collusion with powerful Soviet proxies and the political consequences of his antics. It’s a scandal greater than Profumo that lay buried for thirty years, with three prime ministers – Wilson, Callaghan and Thatcher – covering it up for very different reasons.

Written by the makers of the Channel Four documentary The Spy Who Died Twice, Agent Twister is the first impartial account to put this extraordinary scandal in political context and reveal why John Stonehouse really disappeared. Espionage Historical Military & War Politicians Politics & Activism True Crime Winston Churchill Soviet Union United Kingdom
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As a child, I remember the story of the MP that played dead. I was too young to fully appreciate the circumstances and so now, as an adult and following the recent TV adaptation of the Stonehouse story, I thought I'd read this book as recommended by the journalist, Robert Peston. I'm so glad I did. this is a fascinating story told so eloquently by Gareth Armstrong. I absolutely loved it.

Gripping Stuff!

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a brilliant book, about a dodgy politician, who would still exist today. it proves how naive the general public is, in not believing foreign influences are always playing a hand

how a liar is always protected

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