MASTER OF DECEPTION
A meticulous bio of an unshakable intelligence officer
Author Alan Ogden Publisher Bloomsbury Academic Price £21.60 Released Out now
James Bond is famous, and so is his creator Ian Fleming. However, it is the latter’s older brother who takes centre stage in this latest book by Alan Ogden. Peter Fleming was a noted writer and journalist, married to the actress Celia Johnson. Though while the wider details of Fleming’s life are explored, the primary focus of this account is his military career. From planning ‘stay behind’ guerrilla units in Sussex and Kent in the event an invasion, to running deception operations against Japan, Master Of Deception offers a comprehensive insight into the wartime exploits, labours and frustrations of this dedicated intelligence officer.
Ogden situates Fleming’s personal career in its wider context, providing an interesting perspective on intelligence work during World War II. This is particularly the case in relation to working relationships between individuals, departments and the Allied nations.
Fleming’s own words, and the words of his colleagues and contemporaries, fill the pages.
And Fleming’s analysis of the process by which intelligence was gathered and utilised – presented in chapter ten – makes for compelling reading. However, these words are also emotive. An extract of a letter from Fleming to his wife, written at the close of the war, is especially poignant.
The text is additionally supported with appendixes and a detailed index and bibliography. In consequence,
Master Of Deception will certainly appeal to those interested in the history of intelligence, deception and strategy during this period.