Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War's Most Extraordinary Spy
nonfiction · First published 2026
Author guide
Ben Macintyre Books in Order
Ben Macintyre is a British journalist and writer-at-large for The Times. His books focus on espionage, military history, biography, wartime operations, and unusual episodes in modern history; he has also written and presented BBC documentaries based on his work.
nonfictionhistorybiographymilitary historyespionagejournalism
Catalog record updated .
Ben Macintyre's Newest Book
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War
A highly accessible introduction to Macintyre's espionage histories and narrative nonfiction.
Agent Zigzag: The True Wartime Story of Eddie Chapman: Lover, Traitor, Hero, Spy
A strong starting point for his World War II spy biographies.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (15)
- Forgotten Fatherland: The Search for Elisabeth Nietzsche
nonfiction · 1992
In 1886 Elisabeth Nietzsche, Friedrich's bigoted, imperious sister, founded a 'racially pure' colony in Paraguay together with a band of blond-haired fellow Germans. Over a century later, Ben Macintyre sought out the survivors of Nueva…
- The Napoleon of Crime: The Life and Times of Adam Worth, Master Thief
nonfiction · 1997
- A Foreign Field: A True Story of Love and Betrayal in the Great War
nonfiction · 2001
This edition does not include illustrations. A wartime romance, survival saga and murder mystery set in rural France during the First World War. From the Number 1 bestselling author of ‘Agent ZigZag’ and ‘Operation Mincemeat’.
- Josiah the Great: The True Story of the Man Who Would Be King
nonfiction · 2004
The fantastical tale of a resourceful and unscrupulous early-nineteenth-century American adventurer who forges his own kingdom in the wilds of Afghanistan. In the year 1838, a young adventurer, surrounded by his native troops and mounted…
- Agent Zigzag: The True Wartime Story of Eddie Chapman: Lover, Traitor, Hero, Spy
nonfiction · 2007
Eddie Chapman was a charming criminal, a con man, and a philanderer. He was also one of the most remarkable double agents Britain has ever produced. Inside the traitor was a man of loyalty; inside the villain was a hero. The problem for…
- For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond
nonfiction · 2008
Published to coincide with the 2008 Imperial War Museum exhibition of the same name, this is a thrilling stand-alone book that looks into the entwined worlds of James Bond and Ian Fleming. The book and exhibition will explore how…
- Operation Mincemeat: The True Spy Story That Changed the Course of World War II
nonfiction · 2010
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES • NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE “Pure catnip to fans of World War II thrillers and a lot of fun for everyone else.” —Joseph Kanon, The Washington Post…
- Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies
nonfiction · 2012
D-Dag var ikke kun et resultat af synlige militære operationer, men også i høj grad af efterretningsvæsen og dobbeltagenter
- A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal
nonfiction · 2014
Kim Philby was the greatest spy in history, a brilliant and charming man who rose to head Britain's counterintelligence against the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War, while he was secretly working for the enemy. Nobody…
- Rogue Heroes: The History of the SAS, Britain's Secret Special Forces Unit That Sabotaged the Nazis and Changed the Nature of War
nonfiction · 2016
Britain's Special Air Service--or SAS--was the brainchild of David Stirling, a young, gadabout aristocrat with a remarkable strategic mind. Where his colleagues looked at a map of World War II's African theater and saw a protracted…
- The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War
nonfiction · 2018
If anyone could be considered a Russian counterpart to the infamous British double-agent Kim Philby, it was Oleg Gordievsky. The son of two KGB agents and the product of the best Soviet institutions, the savvy, sophisticated Gordievsky…
- Agent Sonya: Lover, Mother, Soldier, Spy
nonfiction · 2020
- Colditz: Prisoners of the Castle
nonfiction · 2022
- The Siege: The Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama
nonfiction · 2024
On April 30, 1980, six heavily armed gunmen burst into the Iranian embassy on Princes Gate, overlooking Hyde Park in London. There they took 26 hostages, including embassy staff, visitors, and three British citizens. Macintyre takes…
- Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War's Most Extraordinary Spy
nonfiction · 2026
Essays and speeches (1)
- The Last Word: Tales from the Tip of the Mother Tongue
essay-collection · 2009
Frequently asked questions about Ben Macintyre
Who is Ben Macintyre?
Ben Macintyre is a writer-at-large for The Times (UK) and a bestselling nonfiction author. He has also written and presented BBC documentaries based on his work.
Where was Ben Macintyre born, and what did he study?
He was born in Oxford, where his father taught history, and studied history at Cambridge.
What influenced Ben Macintyre’s writing?
His father, historian Angus Macintyre, helped shape his historical interests. Macintyre has also cited Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood and John le Carré’s advice about maintaining jeopardy as important influences on his narrative nonfiction.
Sources: hindustantimes.com (opens in a new tab)theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)irishtimes.com (opens in a new tab)
What is Ben Macintyre best known for?
He is best known for narrative histories of espionage, wartime operations, military history, and remarkable historical figures. His work has also reached wider audiences through documentaries and screen adaptations.
Sources: penguinrandomhouse.com (opens in a new tab)irishtimes.com (opens in a new tab)
Which major award did Ben Macintyre win?
In 2015, he won the Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography for A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal.