Ben Macintyre

Ben Macintyre is a best-selling British author and journalist, who is renowned for his page-turning works of narrative non-fiction. In a career spanning decades, he has continued to explore fascinating secrets of our past through his exciting and expertly researched writing.

Macintyre's first book, Operation Mincemeat – published in 2003 – was the result of a decade's worth of research into the WWII deception operation. This was a major success, both in Britain and abroad, and was even made into a movie. Since that debut work, Macintyre has published a further nine titles. His recent works, such as A Spy Among Friends, have explored tales of espionage in the Cold War era, while his 2020 best-seller The Spy and the Traitor focuses on a notorious Soviet double agent.

This incredibly versatile author’s works have been those of critical acclaim; the Sunday Times proclaimed his book Double Cross – about the Double Cross system and the deception of Nazi Germany in WWII – as ‘a superbly researched, properly organised yarn’. For this work, Macintyre received the 2013 Costa Biography Award. Himself, a former journalist for The Times and the foreign editor for The Observer, Macintyre has received many other awards for his work, including the Los Angeles Times Book Award for biography.

Macintyre has also written several books for young adults. The Nero Decision(2013) and The Spanish Game (2019), the first in a four-part spy series, both explore the world of secret intelligence services and international espionage in an engaging format.

What makes Macintyre’s work so remarkable is his ability to draw upon his vast knowledge of world history and his research into archived documents, interviews and letters, to provide well-rounded and vividly detailed accounts. In his own words, Macintyre is ‘a storyteller, not an apologist – an apologiser is someone who tries to push his own opinion’. Macintyre is an observer, not an opinion-maker, yet he still conveys his witty, passionate commentary in a gripping way.

Macintyre has achieved much success with his keen interest in world history and his determination to uncover its secrets. His writing is highly celebrated and well worth reading for its interesting narratives, thrilling adventures and complex characters. He is not to be missed if you’re searching for a stellar author to add to your reading list!