The Magic of Espionage: Magician John Mulholland and the CIA
The magician John Mulholland. Photo from “Story of Magic”, Loring & Mussey. 1935. Cropped. I find it far simpler to fool an audience of Princeton undergraduates than a kindergarten class,…
Area 51: A Declassified CIA History
Area 51 seen from Tikaboo Peak. Wikimedia / Public Domain. Area 51 is a mysterious Nevada test site that has been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories. The U.S. government’s…
Agent Zigzag: The Enigmatic Eddie Chapman
Eddie Chapman beside his Rolls Royce. Source: MI5 – UK National Archive declassified documents (over 50 years). Edward Arnold Chapman, known as Eddie Chapman, was born on November 16, 1914,…
From Countess to Spy: The Story of Krystyna Skarbek
Maquisards (Resistance fighters) in the vicinity of Savournon, Hautes-Alpes in August 1944. SOE agents are second from right, Krystyna Skarbek, third John Roper, fourth, Robert Purvis. Source: Imperial War Museum.…
The Bond Connection: JFK and James Bond
President John F. Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, had a unique and intriguing relationship with the fictional British spy, James Bond. This relationship was…
James Armistead Lafayette: Hero Spy of the American Revolution
James Armistead Lafayette. Credit: US Army. James Armistead Lafayette was born into slavery around the year 1748 in New Kent County, Virginia. He was raised on the property of Colonel…
Captain Peter Mason: Official Assassin
Photo of Peter Mason, date unknown. Captain Peter Mason, a figure whose life was as intriguing as any spy novel, served in the British Special Air Service (SAS) during World…
The War Chronicles of Christopher Lee: Heroism or Hyperbole?
Christopher Lee in scene from “The Hound of the Baskervilles” (1959). United Artists. Public Domain. Sir Christopher Lee CBE CSU, renowned for his acting career, had an equally fascinating life…
F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas: The White Rabbit of World War II
RAF Wing Commander and SOE agent Forest Frederick Edward Yeo-Thomas, also known as F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas, was born on June 17, 1902, in London, England. His parents were John…
The Lockheed Electra 12: A Spy in the Sky
Lockheed 12A Electra Junior. Photo: Eric Salard / CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED. The Lockheed Electra 12, more commonly known as the Lockheed 12 or L-12, was an eight-seat, six-passenger all-metal…