Servicable biog of double-agent George Blake, the Dutch-born British spy flipped by the Russians in a Korean prisoner-of-war camp. [ The author takes issue first with the method by which Edward was killed – a hot poker inserted into his rectum, and then if he was killed at all. Author : Ian Mortimer File Size : 76.39 MB Format : PDF, ePub, Mobi Download : 326 Read : 1223 . Not many books possess that power. The story of one of the best known spies of the Cold War . What a story! What I didn't get was his claim that Edward II was not murdered as is ordinarily believed. Be the first to ask a question about The Greatest Traitor. The author uses the book as a vehicle for sometimes very daring theses. To the public, Blake was simply the greatest traitor of the Cold War. Yet, as Roger Hermiston reveals in this thrilling new biography, his story touches not only the depths of treachery, but also the heights of heroism. To the public, Blake was simply the greatest traitor of the Cold War. The tale has some gruesome moments, and provides plenty of evidence for the old adage 'absolute power corrupts absolutely'. The spy George Blake, doyen of traitors, turned 90 last year. History writing for the leisure reader. Enough said. I was turned on to this when I read the author's biography of Edward III and this did not disappoint. Another 5 star biography from Ian Mortimer. Servicable biog of double-agent George Blake, the Dutch-born British spy flipped by the Russians in a Korean prisoner-of-war camp. g BUY THE BOOK e-Book. Of interest as well is that a one-time friend of mine once played a character in a historical simulation game that was part of the Mortimer family and whose claims to English leadership he wholeheartedly supported. Historian Ian Mortimer (no relation) attempts to remedy this in, “The Greatest Traitor: The Life of Sir Roger Mortimer Ruler of England 1327- 1330”. 3.5 stars. : Ian Mortimer. This makes seem much of the last third of the book seem pretty far out on a limb, but good evidence for it is given in the final chapter. There’s quite a party going on in the hall of the royal palace; the lieutenant in charge of the castle has passed out already—in fact, quite a few of the attendees are more drunk than their usual, as if they all suddenly forgot how to hold their wine. August first, 1323. Я их не люблю, в целом, но эта прекрасна. The Secret Lives of Agent George Blake, The Greatest Traitor, Roger Hermiston, Aurum. At the time few details of his crimes were made known. Born George Behar in Rotterdam on 11 November 1922, George Blake had a peripatetic childhood and had already had a chequered career around the world before he fully became a double agent in the autumn of 1951. Sent from and sold by Amazon. Trivia. The book takes us from Blakes early years growing up in pre war Netherlands, his role in the anti-Nazi resistence, recruitment into the British intelligence services, and the war in Korea. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as did my mother, after borrowing it on my recommendation. Seems to me from everything I’ve read that Blake probably wanted to leave his mark, he believed Communism was the most Christian system, and as he said himself, he didn’t betray because in order to betray, first you have to belong. Tonight is the feast of St Peter ad Vincula, or Saint Peter in Chains, the patron saint of the Tower of London. There’s his early cosmopolitan upbringing and education in numerous countries and his complex family history. Strangely, America’s greatest traitor Benedict Arnold could be the true father of the United States Navy. Mortimer was always going to have go that 'extra mile' of horribleness for me to hate this book. Believe it or not, a century prior, a similar indignity played out in medieval England but with a queen taking the lead. $11.99. In WWII the teenage Blake performed sterling deeds for the Dutch resistance, before making a dramatic bid for freedom across Nazi-occupied Europe. Search results for: the-greatest-traitor. Is it all true? In World War II the teenage Blake performed sterling deeds for the Dutch resistance, before making a dramatic bid for freedom across Nazi-occupied Europe. Why not focus on some serious family drama? Gaveston was witty, rude and enormously entertaining, with a Gascon accent and moreover a healthy disregard for all things old-fashioned, English and traditional. Vintage, 2010 - Great Britain - 400 pages. In looking at the life of Roger Mortimer, the author tells us how Edward II turned probably his ablest military commander into his greatest enemy who ultimately became Edward’s wife's, Isabella, lover and consort. He concludes that if Edward did die at Berkeley is wasn't by the poker. Almost as good as mystery as what happened to the princes in the tower! Be the first to ask a question about The Greatest Traitor. Giovanni Montinaro, son of Judge Giovanni Falcone's chief of security, strongly opposed the film, criticizing the choice of releasing it on the anniversary of the murder of his father and of the others involved in the attack. The lords forced the King to banish this person and one would have thought perhaps King Edward II would have learned his lesson after this experience. It charts the incredible rise of a once respectable and loyal Marcher heir into the usurper of the English crown – king in all but name - and hands us a remarkable de-clutter of a bloodthirsty and turbulent time as it fills in the blanks of the where and how this man became so powerful and bitter. This book transformed my perception of Blake. Mortimer managed to find plenty of sources for this man who 'lost. One of the undisputedly good things about modern scholarship is that women’s history is finally getting its due.... On 3 May 1961, after a trial conducted largely in secret, a man named George Blake was sentenced to an unprecedented forty-two years in jail. Since beginning my journey into Plantagenet history, I have been continually amazed by the magnitude of the individuals, their passions, their follies, and ultimately their undoings. The greatest traitor : the secret lives of Agent George Blake. April 1st 2013 An excellent book covering a major player in English politics. The Greatest Traitor: The Secret Lives of Agent George Blake by Hermiston, Roger at AbeBooks.co.uk - ISBN 10: 1781310467 - ISBN 13: 9781781310465 - Aurum Press Ltd - 2013 - Hardcover One of my favourite history books – and books in general – of all time (which is why this review is so long), The Greatest Traitor turned Roger Mortimer from a surly footnote into a fully realised part of English history. Quit frankly wonderfully written and informative. Roger Hermiston was until recently Assistant Editor of BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Roger Hermiston has written this biography with flair that makes one forget that it's a true story and not fiction. There’s his early cosmopolitan upbringing and education in numerous countries and his complex family history. 2 Reviews. I read 'The Perfect King', published in 2004, recently, and have now devoured 'The Greatest Traitor', published in 2003. The author's style is easy and entertaining. Lisez des commentaires honnêtes et non biaisés sur les produits de la part nos utilisateurs. Who knows? Although Queen Isabella has received plenty of attention (dubbed the She-Wolf , she is either loved or hated); Mortimer has failed to be the f. When one thinks of a scandalous love affair in English monarchial history; the immediate response is Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII. Happy Women's History Month! Later recruited by … The REAL story has more intrigue than most fictions. The Greatest Traitor: The Life of Sir Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March de Mortimer, Ian sur AbeBooks.fr - ISBN 10 : 0099552221 - ISBN 13 : 9780099552222 - Vintage - 2010 - Couverture souple Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. The real events and the story of Oleg Gordievsky, KGB officer and diplomat reads like something from a John LeCarre or Robert Ludlum story...except it's true and marvelously documented. There’s quite a party going on in the hall of the royal palace; the lieutenant in charge of the castle has passed out already—in fact, quite a few of the attendees are more drunk than their usual, as if they all suddenly forgot how to hold their wine. Yet, as Roger Hermiston reveals in this thrilling new biography, his story touches not only the depths … The Greatest Traitor by Ian Mortimer, 9780099552222, available at Book Depository with free delivery worldwide. Here he and Queen Isabella - also on the run from Edward - form an explosive bond which ultimately results in Edward II's deposition, Roger's ascent to incredible power, his ultimate despotic rule, and resulting execution. Like the greatest novels of John le Carré, it brings readers deep into a world of treachery and betrayal, where the lines bleed between the personal and the professional, and one man's hatred of communism had the power to change the future of nations. But, he did not as he formed an attachment with another young man who grew very powerful with the king's favor and oppressed the people and grew his and the king's wealth substant. What a story! Fascinating insightful but approachable. The central thesis, that Roger Mortimer did not kill king Edward II as had been historical consensus for centuries, is introduced somewhat offhandedly and only substantiated in the last chapter. All except for the sub-lieutenant, young Gerard d’Alspaye who, strangely enough, has not had a drink. The Greatest Traitor: The Life of Sir Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, Ruler of England, 1327-1330. While his working life as a hidden agent was relatively short it was highly productive. This edition was published in 2006 by Thomas Dunne Books in New York. In the intro, Hermiston – a former Today programme producer – attempts to incinerate our goodwill by praising Rod Lid. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published 20 New Books on Women’s History. Des milliers de livres avec la livraison chez vous en 1 jour ou en magasin avec -5% de réduction . Well-written, interesting, and fair on both Mortimer and Edward II (whom I've always had a bit of a soft-spot for as a result of the Jarmen film) - until (spiller alert!) Very well researched, excellent resource. She loved books on espionage and this is right up there among the best you'll find. A good account based on previous books by Blake and Bourke and a good deal of research. Yet, as Roger Hermiston reveals in this thrilling new biography, his story touches not only the depths of treachery, but also the heights of heroism. He began his journalistic career on weekly papers in Kent and Yorkshire, before becoming Crime Reporter on the daily Sunderland Echo. Together with Blakes autobiography "No Other Choice" and Randal and Pottles "The Blake Escape" these are essential for anyone with an interest in the subject. He delighted the prince, and more importantly gave him confidence, and in his company the prince grew to discover his own character. I like Ian Mortimer as an author, he writes with authority, and has a way of keeping the readers attention, although you can't really go wrong with a life of Sir Roger Mortimer. This item: The Greatest Traitor: The Life of Sir Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March by Ian Mortimer Paperback £9.01. To see what your friends thought of this book. 3.5 stars. In WWII the teenage Blake performed sterling deeds for the Dutch resistance, before making a dramatic bid for freedom across Nazi - occupied Europe. we get to the conspiracy theory about Edward II surviving as a pilgrim in Italy. A little light overall, especially compared to Andrew Lownie’s recent book on Guy Burgess, though it improves as it progresses and the author’s sources become more varied and detailed: the passages on Blake’s escape from Wormwood Scrubs are excellent. It is exciting and rarely lags and keeps it up to the end. We’d love your help. He was a member of the team that won a number of Sony Radio Awards for Best Programme. Seems to want to chalk Blake’s so called treachery down to him being ‘turned’ during his time in the Korean POW camp or hatred of the British due to his rejection by his ‘intended’ Iris Peake’s family because he wasn’t British enough. Sir Roger Mortimer made King Edward II give up his throne. Not yours, of course, but a fictional family whose story you can follow through the generations of... A vivid and dramatic popular history of this feudal lord, rebel leader and dictator of England. Mortimer's research is impressive - he takes the reader from Roger Mortimer's childhood, his hero-worship of his warrior ancestors, the closeness he felt to his uncle - also named Roger Mortimer - his loving marriage to wife Joan de Geneville, and his friendship to royal favorite Piers Gaveston. The author uses the book as a vehicle for sometimes very daring theses. In the intro, Hermiston – a former Today programme producer – attempts to incinerate our goodwill by praising Rod Liddle. | Trouble in Terrorist Town - YouTube I find it revealing and more than a little bit of interesting that the author is at pains to mention that he is not a descendant of his subject, even though the fact that they have the same last name is likely to give some impetus to the author's efforts at somewhat clearing the name of a notorious English traitor. Later, filled … Hermiston seems to have found some genuinely untapped sources trying to hack his way through the web of lies and obfuscation surrounding this man's life. Ian Mortimer's prose is never dry or tedious, and he makes the best possible case for Roger Mortimer. Ian Mortimer provides a thoroughly exhaustive study of Roger Mortimer in "The Greatest Traitor: The Life of Sir Roger Mortimer." Ian Mortimer (to distinguish him) gives reasons but they don't make sense to me. Since reading The Greatest Traitor several points have come to my mind, not least being the question of who was Roger Mortimer and why hadn't I heard of him and, if I hadn't heard of him, why has such an important character been "glossed over" by historty and historians, what was his function in the great scheme of things that was the Fourteenth Century. Noté /5. The Spy and The Traitor is touted in its subhead as "the greatest espionage story ever told." Achetez neuf ou d'occasion At the time few details of his crimes were made public. The latter part of the book details well for the first time George Blakes imprisonment and trial and his spectacular escape following the draconian sentence imposed on him by the British establishment. Servicable biog of double-agent George Blake, the Dutch-born British spy flipped by the Russians in a Korean prisoner-of-war camp. Sir Roger Mortimer made King Edward II give up his throne. B&N NOOK; Google Play; Kindle; Kobo; eBooks.com; iBooks; One night in August 1323, a captive rebel baron, Sir Roger Mortimer, … Benedict Arnold, the American general during the Revolutionary War who betrayed his country and became synonymous with the word “traitor,” was born on January 14, 1741. He then led them to Jesus in the garden, and betrayed him to the soldiers with a kiss. First published in 2003, 'The Greatest Traitor' tells the story of Sir Roger Mortimer who, in the early 14th century, led a rebellion that overthrew the English monarch Edward II, left his wife for Queen Isabella and effectively ruled England from 1327-1330. His subsequent work for British intelligence and then his two years of imprisonment in Korea during the war there. The queen – Queen Isabella, consort to King Edward II and the lover being the infamous Roger Mortimer. Believe it or not, a century prior, a similar indignity played out in medieval England but with a queen taking the lead. Having finished Alison Weir's biography of Isabella, I immediately turned to that of her love Roger Mortimer. Although Queen Isabella has received plenty of attention (dubbed the She-Wolf , she is either loved or hated); Mortimer has failed to be the focus of a full volume. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Fascinating story. The Perfect King: The Life of Edward III, Father of the English Nation by Ian Mortimer Paperback £10.35. Maybe I have inherited my Mum's taste? Refresh and try again. 400 Pages. To the public, Blake was simply the greatest traitor of the Cold War. It’s USP, that Edward wasn’t actually murdered in Berkeley Castle in some theatrical unpleasant fashion but in fact kept secretly alive by Mortimer as some kind of hostage to hold over Edward 111 is interesting but unconvincing and thus becomes the book’s weakest section. His thought processes are considered based on both Blakes own words and that of friends and colleagues. King Edward had a favorite man he showered with gifts and power upsetting the balance of power in the kingdom. Download » One night in August 1323, a captive rebel baron, Sir Roger Mortimer, drugged his guards and escaped from the Tower of London. In World War II the teenage Blake performed sterling deeds for the Dutch resistance, before making a dramatic bid for freedom across Nazi-occupied Europe. He was a much more interesting man than I realised. That isn't just publisher hype. But, he did not as he formed an attachment with another young man who grew very powerful with the king's favor and oppressed the people and grew his and the king's wealth substantially as a result. This book gives a pretty good impression of 14th century aristocratic England by following the life story of one extraordinary man. About The Spy and the Traitor. Seems to want to chalk Blake’s so called treachery down to him being ‘turned’ during his time in the Korean POW camp or hatred of the British due to his rejection by his ‘intended’ Iris Peake’s family because he wasn’t British enough. Ian Mortimer’s analysis of the life of Roger Mortimer, the youthful companion of Edward 11 who becomes his nemesis is exhaustively researched, as detailed as any biography of a 14th century figure can realistically be and is a very entertaining read. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY JAN 23, 2006 Ian Mortimer is one of my favourite historians and writers. by Aurum history, The Greatest Traitor: The Secret Lives of Agent George Blake. After all, notes in castle archives, church records, and cleric writings can only offer who and when and not much in the way of why. The Greatest Traitor The Secret Lives of Agent George Blake On 3 May 1961, after a trial conducted largely in secret, a man named George Blake was sentenced to an unprecedented forty-two years in jail. 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