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In April 1943 a Spanish fisherman found the body of a British officer floating off the coast, with secret papers chained to his wrist suggesting the Allies would invade Greece. The man had never existed. Ben Macintyre, a columnist at The Times, told that story in Operation Mincemeat, and has made a career of true spy stories that read like thrillers: a double agent who was also a safecracker, the betrayals of Kim Philby, the Soviet officer who spied for Britain. His newest book was published in September 2026. This guide covers all fifteen of his books in order, and where to start.
By Lisanne Swart · 15 books · Espionage history · 1992–2026 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
Ben Macintyre has published fifteen books since 1992, most of them about espionage and the Second World War: Agent Zigzag, Operation Mincemeat, Double Cross, A Spy Among Friends, Rogue Heroes, The Spy and the Traitor, Agent Sonya, Colditz, The Siege and, in September 2026, Redwood.
Where to Start with Ben Macintyre
If you want the famous one
→ Operation Mincemeat (2010).
If you want the Cold War
→ The Spy and the Traitor (2018).
If you want the most recent
→ Redwood (2026).
If you want a double agent
→ For Your Eyes Only (2008).
All 15 Ben Macintyre Books, in Order
Forgotten Fatherland
Elisabeth Nietzsche, the philosopher's sister, and the colony of German settlers she founded in Paraguay.
The Napoleon of Crime
Adam Worth, the Victorian master thief who inspired Sherlock Holmes's Professor Moriarty. It was shortlisted for the Edgar Award.
A Foreign Field
Four British soldiers trapped behind German lines in a French village in 1914, and the villagers who hid them.
Josiah the Great
Josiah Harlan, an American adventurer who made himself a prince in Afghanistan in the 1830s. Published in the US as The Man Who Would Be King.
Agent Zigzag
Eddie Chapman, a British safecracker recruited by the Germans as a spy, who became a double agent for Britain. It was shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award.
For Your Eyes Only
Ian Fleming and the creation of James Bond, written for the Fleming centenary.
Operation Mincemeat
How British intelligence planted false invasion plans on a corpse floated ashore in Spain in 1943 to deceive the Germans. It became a film and a hit West End musical.
Double Cross
The double agents who deceived the Germans about where the D-Day landings would take place.
A Spy Among Friends
Kim Philby, the British intelligence officer who spied for the Soviet Union, told through his friendships with fellow officers. It became a television series in 2022.
SAS
The founding of the SAS in the North African desert in the Second World War. It became a BBC series.
The Spy and the Traitor
Oleg Gordievsky, the KGB officer who spied for Britain, and his escape from Moscow in 1985.
Agent Sonya
Ursula Kuczynski, a German communist who spied for the Soviet Union for decades, including from a village in the English countryside.
Colditz
The Allied prisoners held in Colditz Castle in the Second World War and their escape attempts.
The Siege
The 1980 siege of the Iranian Embassy in London and the SAS operation that ended it.
Redwood
His newest book, published in September 2026: a little-known story of how a Soviet plot to take over Iran was thwarted by an unlikely group of spies.
How Many Books Did Ben Macintyre Write?
Fifteen books between 1992 and 2026.
- Espionage — from Agent Zigzag to Redwood. Read the entries →
- Earlier history — Forgotten Fatherland, The Napoleon of Crime, A Foreign Field, Josiah the Great. Read the entries →
In What Order to Read Ben Macintyre
His books are not a series, but Operation Mincemeat and Double Cross read well together, as do A Spy Among Friends and The Spy and the Traitor.
A reading path
1. Operation Mincemeat (2010)
2. The Spy and the Traitor (2018)
3. Agent Zigzag (2007)
4. A Spy Among Friends (2014)
5. Redwood (2026)
Quick facts about Ben Macintyre
- Born
- 1963
- Education
- St John's College, Cambridge
- Works for
- The Times, columnist and associate editor; formerly correspondent in New York, Paris and Washington
- Adaptations
- Operation Mincemeat (film and musical); A Spy Among Friends and SAS: Rogue Heroes (TV)
- Sales
- More than two million copies, translated into more than twenty languages
- Books
- 15, from 1992 to 2026
How Ben Macintyre Writes: History as Thriller
Macintyre builds his books from intelligence files, many recently declassified, and from interviews with survivors and their families.
He writes history with the pace of a spy novel, and is especially interested in the characters of spies: their vanity, loyalty and deceit.
Frequently asked questions about Ben Macintyre's books
How many books has Ben Macintyre written?
Ben Macintyre has published fifteen books, from Forgotten Fatherland (1992) to Redwood (2026).
What is Ben Macintyre's newest book?
His newest book is Redwood, published in September 2026, about a Soviet plot to take over Iran.
Where should I start with Ben Macintyre?
Start with Operation Mincemeat (2010) or The Spy and the Traitor (2018).
Footnotes
Bibliography last verified 1 October 2026.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all his.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
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