Today, Bookpleasures.comis delighted to discuss The Greatest Spy, the riveting newbook by John Harte, a former actor, investigative journalist, andaccomplished author with a rich and varied career spanning multiplecountries and industries. 

John masterfully retellsthe incredible true story of Sidney Reilly—the man widely regardedas Britain’s greatest spy and the real-life inspiration for IanFleming’s James Bond.

In this fast-paced anddetailed account, Harte unravels Reilly’s daring exploits, fromstealing Germany’s naval secrets in World War I to covertoperations during the Russian Revolution, and even sheds new light onhis mysterious disappearance in Soviet Russia. 

Join us as we explore therealities behind the spy legend and the remarkable life of a manwhose adventures outshone fiction.

Good day John and thanksfor taking part in our interview.

Norm: What first drewyou to Sidney Reilly as a subject, and why do you think his storyremains relevant today? How did your perception of him evolve as youresearched more?

Were there anysurprising discoveries that changed your understanding of hissignificance?

John: We live in a vastlychanging world today from when Sidney Reilly was alive. It seems thata new generation has no use any more for words like patriotism,heroism, or loyalty, which were the virtues I grew up with, and sodid Reilly. 

Here was a young man of 20 whose country had been takenover in a coup by Lenin who created a Communist Revolution, andReilly was prepared to challenge the Reds by mounting acounter-revolution of his own, by kidnapping Lenin and Trotsky. 

Allbecause he was angry that they had betrayed Russia and destroyed themiddle-classes. Later discoveries I made only confirmed it, becausehe obtained support from Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service andWinston Churchill, and Reilly used his own money.

Norm: How did youconduct your research on Reilly’s life, given the secretive andsometimes contradictory nature of espionage records? Did you faceparticular challenges accessing archives or verifying facts?

Which sources ordocuments were the most valuable or revealing?

John: Since most of theinformation I needed was Top Secret according to the Official SecretsAct, I studied at least three or four books about the origins andstructure of Britain’s Secret Service – now known as MI5. 

I foundsufficient declassified information about Reilly and his exploits. Ialso listed names of his contacts and made inquiries about all ofthem, until I had a fair picture of what had really happened, 

Sincesome were chiefs of Mi5 (known then as SIS), I was able to followthrough from direct accounts by his spymasters.

Norm: Can you elaborateon the evidence that suggests Sidney Reilly was the real-lifeinspiration for Ian Fleming’s James Bond? Are there specific traitsor exploits that clearly connect Reilly to Bond?

Did you uncoveranything about Fleming’s process in adapting Reilly’s story?

John: There is no doubtthat novelist Ian Fleming only decided to invent his fictional JamesBond 007 after he came across Reilly’s confidential file in NavalIntelligence, where Fleming worked in a cloak-and-dagger outfitduring World War 2.

Norm: In your book, youdescribe Reilly’s daring operations, such as the attempt to kidnapLenin and Trotsky. What do you think motivated him to take suchenormous personal risks? Do you believe it was patriotism, personalambition, or something else driving him?

How did these risksimpact his relationships or reputation within intelligence circles? 

John: In the first place,young Reilly – a Ukrainian Jew whose real name was Rosenbloom –seems to have anticipated the October revolution in Russia andvisited London to obtain the support of British Intelligence. 

It wasthey who gave approval to his plan to kidnap Lenin and Trotsky. Heworked in Moscow and St. Petersburg under cover for Robert BruceLockhart, who was first appointed as Britain’s Vice-Consul, but wasa secret agent for MI5. 

On Reilly’s part it was pure patriotism. Hewanted Mother Russia restored as a democratic nation, and he hadmeanwhile become closely attached to Great Britain, almost to a pointof assimilation.

Norm: How did SidneyReilly’s background and multiple identities contribute to hissuccess as a master spy? Was his ability to reinvent himself typicalfor spies of his era or unique to him?

How did thesefabricated identities affect his personal life or psychologicalstate?

John: In answer to yourfirst question, no – spying was in its infancy. Britain’s SecretIntelligence Bureau (SIB) could only find young and naïve armyofficers who had no idea what they were up against. 

It took Reilly toreinvent British Intelligence as a more professional and cynicalinstitution when he became their top secret agent.

As for his ability toassume different personalities, he was a superb actor who managed topenetrate German HQ in the First World War as a German officer, todiscuss their U-boat plans with the Kaiser and his Chiefs of Staff.

Norm: What do you makeof the theory or claims that Reilly may have been a Sovietdouble-agent? What evidence supports or contradicts these claims?

How do you weigh theseconflicting accounts in your narrative?

John: That required abroader knowledge of history. What changed the equation for Reillyafter becoming an “English gentleman” in Mayfair, was the rise ofHitler and the Nazi Party in Germany. 

Hitler had divulged hisintention to invade Soviet Russia in Meine Kampf. And Stalin’sRussia was still an agricultural economy. It would have had no hopeof fighting off a German invasion unless it industrialized in ahurry. 

Who better to undertake industrialization than Reilly? Sothat, when he disappeared in Moscow in 1925 and was thought to havebeen murdered by Stalin’s secret police, it is highly probable thathe had decided as a patriot to work for Stalin.

Norm: Could you sharemore details about the “twist” you reveal regarding what reallyhappened to Reilly after his disappearance in Soviet Russia? How didyou uncover this information?

What implications doesthis new perspective have for understanding Reilly’s legacy?

John: Fortunately, RobertBruce Lockhart’s son Robin, wrote a biography of his father andbecame involved in the Sidney Reilly Story. 

Several of his new booksrevealed new information. Added to that was another book by ProfessorKettle which aimed at correcting all the previous misinformation.

Norm: Sidney Reilly wasdescribed as audacious, brilliant, and even sociopathic. How do youbalance presenting his traits to create a truthful but nuancedportrait? How did his personality traits affect his methods andinterpersonal dealings?

Did you find evidenceof his personal vulnerabilities or contradictions?

John: Yes, right from thebeginning there was his love affair with his young cousin whom heprotected. There was also the material in a novel written by hislover, which became a best-seller. Although fiction, it supportsReilly’s romanticism and his overriding drive for justice.

Norm: Could you sharemore details about the “twist” you reveal regarding what reallyhappened to Reilly after his disappearance in Soviet Russia? How didyou uncover this information?

What implications doesthis new perspective have for understanding Reilly’s legacy?

John: As I mentioned, newevidence emerged, mostly from Robin Bruce Lockhart and ProfessorKettle. As for implications that reveal Reilly’s motives andactions to free Russia, you might say it was one more twist in thehistory of heroism versus treason.

 As an investigative journalist, Ialways found that nothing is as it seems. One newspaper reporter canprint an entirely incorrect version of a situation, either because hedidn’t devote enough time for research, or because of politicalbias by him or his editor. 

To give an example of what I mean, thereis still a mystery about the Cambridge Five Spies in the Cold Warwith Soviet Russia. The media were determined to smear them all assexual perverts and drunks, and made the judgment of treason. 

I don’tthink so at all. They were all very high-minded heroes who decided todo exactly what Churchill and Roosevelt decided to do – supportRussia as an ally in World War 2.

Norm; What differencesdo you see between Reilly’s real exploits and the fictionaladventures of James Bond? Are there aspects of Reilly’s life thatfiction exaggerates or overlooks?

How do thesedifferences reflect the contrast between reality and entertainment?

John: All my books areconcerned with reality. Ian Fleming on the other hand, was a novelistwho entertained by inventing stories which had nothing to do withreilly or the facts. 

He simply created Bond as a man who is alwayscool and calculating in the face of adversity. The same was trueabout the BBC-TV series named “Reilly Ace of Spies” in 1983. 

Theydid not have the classified facts at the time and were forced toinvent what was a magnificent series of entertainmennts.

Norm: Where can ourreaders find out more about you and The Greatest Spy?

John: Amazon, Google,Apple Books, and my own WEBSITE

Norm: As we wind up ourinterview, what do you hope readers take away about Sidney Reilly’slegacy and the realities of espionage versus fictionalized spystories? How do you think this story challenges popular myths aboutspies? What lessons about courage, deception, or history do youbelieve are most important?

John: There are two typesof spies. We can ignore those who do it for money, because theycannot be trusted. Patriots like Reilly are a different matter. Hehad extraordinary courage and imagination, and with it a gift ofdeception which kept him alive. 

One novelist who understood thedifferences and the necessary attributes of  a secret agent wasJohn le Carre in his novels 

The other man who understand being asecret agent even more fully was Ivan Maisky, who was SovietAmbassador to the United Kingdom in 1932–1943. He left a diarywhich revealed his calculations. 

He had worked to get so close toWinston Churchill that he was arrested by Stalin who thought he hadbecome Churchill’s spy. Those are the ironies of the spy business.

Norm: Thanks once again