What do you think?
Rate this book
Kenneth Ducane #1
Double Agent
"A spy-thriller whose tension and authority make James Bond seem like a frivolous amatueur." - John Deane Potter. News of the World.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
36 people want to read
About the author
John Bingham
22 books17 followersJohn Michael Ward Bingham - who became the seventh Lord Clanmorris - was born in Haywards Heath on 3 November 1908.
He was educated at Cheltenham College and became an art editor for the 'Sunday Dispatch'. He married Madeleine Mary Ebel on 28 July 1934.
During the Second World War he served with the Royal Engineers and was attached to the General Staff. He also worked for MI5 and was supposedly the inspiration for John Le Carre's George Smiley. And over the course of thirty years, he served MI5 in various high-ranking capacities, including undercover agent.
He wrote under a pseudonym and published 17 novels in the thriller, detective and spy fields. These included 'My Name is Michael Sibley', his first novel published in 1952, 'A Fragment of Fear', and 'I Love, I Kill'.
He succeeded to the title of 7th Baron Clanmorris on 24 June 1960.
He died in 1988.
He was educated at Cheltenham College and became an art editor for the 'Sunday Dispatch'. He married Madeleine Mary Ebel on 28 July 1934.
During the Second World War he served with the Royal Engineers and was attached to the General Staff. He also worked for MI5 and was supposedly the inspiration for John Le Carre's George Smiley. And over the course of thirty years, he served MI5 in various high-ranking capacities, including undercover agent.
He wrote under a pseudonym and published 17 novels in the thriller, detective and spy fields. These included 'My Name is Michael Sibley', his first novel published in 1952, 'A Fragment of Fear', and 'I Love, I Kill'.
He succeeded to the title of 7th Baron Clanmorris on 24 June 1960.
He died in 1988.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 8, 2025
John Bingham, model for John Le Carre's George Smiley, began a new spy series in the mid-sixties in England. as with Le Carre's spy world, this book follows a young agent one his first assignment, which ends up with him Russia.
His boss back in England (which like what Bingham himself did its for MI5, works to get him but there is a catch and that may help MI5 catch a double agent in their own ranks.
This is the real world of espionage, no 007 here. The scenes in the Russian prison, seem to be taken from actually events, with the KBG playing their sometimes double psychological games to break their opponets will.
Very good beginning and although dated for the times shows the Cold War in another light.
His boss back in England (which like what Bingham himself did its for MI5, works to get him but there is a catch and that may help MI5 catch a double agent in their own ranks.
This is the real world of espionage, no 007 here. The scenes in the Russian prison, seem to be taken from actually events, with the KBG playing their sometimes double psychological games to break their opponets will.
Very good beginning and although dated for the times shows the Cold War in another light.
Displaying 1 of 1 review