Louis: The Life of a Real Spy

by Derek Haines

The story of a very real wartime spy."The writing is superbly descriptive and Louis' life was tragically wonderful." "Suffice to say, if you don't feel you have read a great tale told well when you reach the last page, then quite frankly you seriously need help." "Loved the complexities of the turns in Louis' life." Louis is a gripping story of the life of a professional wartime spy. From his boyhood education in Egypt in the early 1900's, he was being prepared to serve in the newly formed British Secret Service Bureau on the orders of Abbas II Hilmi, the Khedive of Egypt and Sudan, as part of secret arrangement with the British government to supply young operatives for the newly formed bureau. In his early teens, he is separated from his foster mother to make the dangerous journey to England, in the middle of the First World War, to complete his education and training as a British wartime spy. From Dulwich College through to Oxford University, he is meticulously prepared for his life as a British undercover war operative. From his first dangerous mission in Port Said through to his last in South Africa in the 1960's, Louis is the story of a professional chameleon, who survived wars and conflicts on his instincts, cunning and ruthlessness. Louis was a quiet heroic man who lived an extraordinary life - a life of service that should never be forgotten.

266 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 19, 2010

About the author

Derek Haines is an author of quite a number of books, however, he spends most of his time blogging, making technology go horribly wrong, and being a rather senior ESL English teacher.

Born in Australia, but now living in Switzerland with his wife and his black Cocker Spaniel, he passes many hours, trying to make technology work again, after inadvertently breaking it. It's a painful process, yet it’s such an effective self-study method in acquiring new technological skills.

As I’m a writer – I can change adroitly from the third person into the first person, and say that I love what I do and where I live, and also, that I am a Douglas Adams fanatic, bordering on a tragic. So much so, that by some spooky coincidence, my street address is 42. That’s so much more impressive than simply owning a towel and having ready access to peanuts and beer.

However, peanuts and beer are extremely important, as they provide essential sustenance during my bouts of obsessive writing, which although rare, usually take place in a horizontal position. I should mention here that I am very fond of acronyms, anagrams, allegories and alliteration, also.

In addition, I quite like commas. The Oxford type, or otherwise. However, quite perversely, I am not enamoured by quotation marks. I use them, singularly if possible, but even then, only under sufferance. As for semicolons; who really knows how to use them?

Aside from my never-ending punctuation conundrums, I enjoy life, good food, wine, beer, and I take each day as it comes – thankfully.

Reviews

[Lynn Hallbrooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest, I'm not sure if this is creative non-fiction or historical fiction based on a real person or a biography. My guess is a biography based on the stories of an older man told to a younger one.

Louis is but one of the many names this gentleman acquired over the years. He was born in Cairo and was groomed to be of service to the British Government. His life was never his own. His secrets many.

I enjoy biographies but this one was unique. It begins toward the end of life and then you see glimpses of the life that came before. Mr. Haines interjects the right amount of historical contexts and geography to make the reader feel as though he or she is there on the journey alongside the main character.

Warning: This book is for Mature Audiences due to violence, some adult language and a hint of sexual situations.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Louis, by Derek Haines

Derek Haines describes his friend, Louis, as an enigma. He reflects how Louis was someone who taught him how to imagine. Haines engages his readers to travel alongside Louis to all parts of the world. At the end of the trip, we all wish we were friends of Louis.

Teremum was born in Cairo. As a young boy, his almost non-existent family contributed to a perfect resume for being a spy in the British Secret Service. As a spy, Louis led a secret life where he used both his Egyptian and English heritage to his advantage. He used different names to match his secret identities. He was a compassionate man who completed his missions with integrity. As a spy, he had to kill and also be a target. We feel his triumphs and his pain as we travel with Louis.

Louis is a historical fiction, and the author shares his secret life during both World Wars. Readers feel the emotions, the ups and downs, that Louis experiences. One of my favorite phrases in the book is . . . his mind started to wander the corridors of his life again. Derek Haines’s words sum up how Louis felt after suffering a severe stroke. Throughout the book, Derek once again makes us feel his characters true to life.

The ending was abrupt. I selfishly wanted the last chapter expounded. Without spoiling the ending, I am thinking, maybe a sequel Derek?

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOUIS by Derek Haines is a gripping novel portraying the lifetime of a spy. I definitely found it fascinating. Loved the complexities of the turns in Louis's life. The changes portrayed as Louis adapts his identities over and over to accomodate his life as a spy, grip the reader with an intimate look at a lifestyle most of us wouldn't dare to choose. A life he didn't choose, but it chose him. His adventures through the decades also portrays the changing of eras. A must read, yet suave James Bond he isn't. Louis is much more subtle and feeling.

[Carol Hislop · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was very disappointing because it was a good story let down by poor writing and editing. Spelling mistakes and a lack of punctuation made it frustrating to read and this, together with the unusual, dated writing style, hasn't encouraged me to read any more books by this author. The book was based on a true story and it was heartwarming to see the photographs at the end of the book. That, however, doesn't change my mind about the way the book was written and I feel slightly cheated about having bought the book and spending a fair amount of my time reading it.

[Jens Kuhn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Louis" is the fascinating story about a man who had little choices in his life, yet lived a life many a young boy dreams of living. Raised from early childhood to become a spy, he is sent to places like Egypt, Switzerland, Palestine and South Africa. Still, his life is a lonely one, without the company of a woman or family. Whether it is all true or not doesn't really matter, it's a fascinating tale to read and Derek Haines' easy style of storytelling makes it a enjoyable read throughout.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was interesting and a quick read. I liked it but it skipped over huge sections of the story that would have made the story more interesting and would have developed the character better.

And everything was tied up a little too neatly in the end.

Otherwise, I really liked that I could read a contemporary book without sex or swearing. Yay! It can be done!

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a real interesting book based on a real-live Egyptian born, British spy. The problem is the book is not edited well so you have to give a pass to some misspellings, sentence fragments and other issues. But the story itself is so intriguing, I found it was worth it.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It comes out of nowhere, grabs you, and doesn't let go to the very end. A pleasure to read. I'd recommend it to anyone who loves a unique story.

[Piyi · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many lives can one live? There’s no limit if you grow up training to be a spy. Louis travelled in many countries, learned many languages and every time he had a different name. His life was full and fascinating. Whether it was all true or not, it’s irrelevant. This story is so well written and narrated that makes you think it’s a real story. I wish it was real

[E'Who'Reads'a'Thousand'Mysteries · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an honour to find a historical book read by a talented narrator. This high quality audio book recording is an exciting peek into the past. The storytelling is also well done.

[Dava Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took a long time to decide what to say in this review. I wanted to love this book, but I just cannot, because it is really not finished. It needs to be proofread, and edited. It is the seed of a very good story, maybe even the seedling of a good story, but it is not a fully blooming story.

At first, I thought the sentence fragments that are on almost every page were just part of this writer's style. I have no problem with violating grammar rules in the name of style, but these were just flat out mistakes that need to be corrected. Sometimes they even made things confusing.

Some sections of the book didn't fit in at all, and felt like they were written later and stuck in. For instance, there is a chapter that gives some historical context regarding the beginning of WWII, and it feels like an essay that was written then inserted into the book.

There were also times that I wanted to know more about the character - how he felt, what he thought. There is almost no internal dialog, and only brief glimpses of his personality. We know he loves coffee, and brandy. He also seems to age in the turn of a page. He goes from being strong and capable to old and not really capable in less than a chapter.

I certainly would call this a bad book, and the beginnings of something very good is there. It just needs more - more proofreading, more editing, more fleshing out. If you don't mind reading almost-finished books, this is a good one. If, however, grammar errors, punctuation mistakes, and not-quite-fleshed-out characterization bother you, skip this one.