{"product_id":"my-family-and-other-spies-alistair-wood-9780241726358","title":"My Family and Other Spies","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn extraordinary true story of growing up inside MI6, uncovering family secrets, and tracing a legacy of British espionage across half a century.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A fabulous romp of a book, part John le Carré, part Ealing comedy ... compulsively readable'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSUNDAY TIMES\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Tells the story of the author's unique childhood and the extraordinary, shadowy lives of his mother and father'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSUNDAY TELEGRAPH\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Truth is stranger than fiction ...'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eINDEPENDENT\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Reads like a Cold War thriller written by John le Carré with an added injection of wry humour'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBBC SATURDAY LIVE\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e-\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"It has always been inculcated into me that no good could ever come of having anything to do with my father...\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAs a boy, Alistair Wood lived within the (very high) walls of a Secret Intelligence Service - or MI6 - training camp, surrounded by some of the most senior - and colourful - characters in SIS history. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAfter all, he was family. His mother was one of a handful of women to have operated behind the lines in post-war Berlin. His father, once one of Britain's most highly-regarded intelligence officers, was an absent and perplexing figure, the reasons for his sudden departure from the Service still classified to this day. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut Wood's search for the truth took him on a journey more remarkable than even he had imagined. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMy Family and Other Spies\u003c\/i\u003e is a gripping exploration of an extraordinary, scarcely believable life, a globe-trotting spy story that spans a half century from the gathering storm before the Second World War to the fall of Communism, and a son's reckoning with the secrets of the past.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'\u003cb\u003eSimply stunning ... might be the best non-fiction book I've ever read about post-war SIS\u003c\/b\u003e' CHARLES BEAUMONT \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'\u003cb\u003eA remarkable insight into British intelligence in the Cold War...with all the intrigue and suspense of a truly gripping espionage novel'\u003c\/b\u003e ALEX GERLIS \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"This is very entertaining ... a fascinating biography\"\u003c\/b\u003e STEPHEN DORRIL, author of \u003ci\u003eMI6: 50 Years of Special Operations\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e'\u003cb\u003eA compelling personal journey to uncover the truth and an intimate view into one of Britain's most secretive organisations\u003c\/b\u003e' HELEN FRY\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'The intriguing story of how the author peels back the cloak of mystery surrounding his father, a member of the Secret Intelligence Service. A very good book ... strongly recommended'\u003c\/b\u003e ROBERT LYMAN\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Alistair Wood\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0241726352\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780241726358\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Michael Joseph\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/24\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 384\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.32lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 1.37d","brand":"Alistair Wood","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":47579541963007,"sku":"9780241726358","price":42.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_3fffa679-468a-42b3-a975-3778aaa811da.jpg?v=1763874910","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/my-family-and-other-spies-alistair-wood-9780241726358","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}