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Trust No One: The Secret World of Sidney Reilly
Master spy was the basis for the James Bond character.
544 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2002
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166 people want to read
About the author
Richard B. Spence
20 books50 followersDr. Richard “Rick” Spence received his PhD in History from the University of California Santa Barbara in 1981. He has taught at the University of Idaho since 1986 where currently he is a tenured full Professor of History. He specializes in Russian, intelligence and military history, and his course offerings include Modern Espionage, Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, History of Secret Societies and the Occult in History.
Dr. Spence’s published works include Boris Savinkov: Renegade on the Left (East European Monographs/Columbia Univ. Press, 1991), Trust No One: The Secret World of Sidney Reilly (Feral House, 2002) and Secret Agent 666: Aleister Crowley, British Intelligence and the Occult (Feral House, 2008). He is also the author of numerous articles in Revolutionary Russia, Intelligence and National Security, International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence, The Historian, New Dawn and other publications. He has served as a commentator/consultant for the History Channel and the International Spy Museum and was a key consultant-interviewee for the Russian Cultural Foundation’s 2007 documentary film, “Leon Trotsky: The Secret of World Revolution,” and its subsequent “Trap for the Tsar.”
Dr. Spence’s published works include Boris Savinkov: Renegade on the Left (East European Monographs/Columbia Univ. Press, 1991), Trust No One: The Secret World of Sidney Reilly (Feral House, 2002) and Secret Agent 666: Aleister Crowley, British Intelligence and the Occult (Feral House, 2008). He is also the author of numerous articles in Revolutionary Russia, Intelligence and National Security, International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence, The Historian, New Dawn and other publications. He has served as a commentator/consultant for the History Channel and the International Spy Museum and was a key consultant-interviewee for the Russian Cultural Foundation’s 2007 documentary film, “Leon Trotsky: The Secret of World Revolution,” and its subsequent “Trap for the Tsar.”
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 2, 2017
There are several claimants to the title of inspirations for Ian Flemings' James Bond. Sidney Reilly had to have been one of them. If Flemming had known as much about Sidney OReily as Richard Spencer uncovers, James would have been a wilder, more cunning secret agent and a bigger lady's man.
Like other Amazon reviewers, I came to the story of Sidney Reilly from the BBC/PBS series Reilly, Ace of Spies. That was a fun program and a fair introduction. The real biography is several kinds of extreme and convoluted beyond the television version. In Trust No One : The Secret World of Sidney Reilly, Professor Richard Spencer has almost disclosed the many secrets of the spy mostly known as Sidney Reilly. This is a scholarly book, likely as well documented as is likely to be possible. The man at the center of the biography is unlikely to have left a more complete record and some of his case files may have been destroyed long ago.
Born in Odessa under the name Schlomo Rosenblum in 1984...or maybe not. Maybe he was born Zalman Rosenblum in a region of Russia near Poland in 1873. It is reasonable to conclude that he died at the hands of the KGB (then called the OGPU) in 1924 or was it 1925(?) er maybe 1927(?). The point being most any definite statements in this biography are subject to error.
Whoever he really was we will know him as Sidney Reilly. His record appears to take him from the Middle East on oil related intelligence work, to Tokyo and Vladivostok - as an arms dealer in time for the Russo Japanese War and so forth until sometime after the First World War. He would have personal contact with Lenin, Churchill, The Keiser and Rasputin arms dealer Basil Zarharoff or perhaps none of these. Given that many of his exploits involved efforts to buy, sell or scam money from arms sales it is likely that he was in the company of or in competition with Zarharoff. As part of Sidney;s WWI experiences he may have been involved as an instigator of explosive sabotage work in the United states. Or perhaps not...
We can say with some certainty that Sidney was a ladies man. There are clear records of him with movie stars, and more than one marriage - more than one marriage at one time, plus various other lady friends. James Bond would have been envious.
As a fan of scholarly biography, Trust No One is unique in its ability to tease you with possibilities. Keeping track of what is known, what is certain and what is speculation and what may be romance will be difficult. Pro. Spencer keeps it readable and not to dry. Lets say the academic version of "Shaken, not stirred"
Like other Amazon reviewers, I came to the story of Sidney Reilly from the BBC/PBS series Reilly, Ace of Spies. That was a fun program and a fair introduction. The real biography is several kinds of extreme and convoluted beyond the television version. In Trust No One : The Secret World of Sidney Reilly, Professor Richard Spencer has almost disclosed the many secrets of the spy mostly known as Sidney Reilly. This is a scholarly book, likely as well documented as is likely to be possible. The man at the center of the biography is unlikely to have left a more complete record and some of his case files may have been destroyed long ago.
Born in Odessa under the name Schlomo Rosenblum in 1984...or maybe not. Maybe he was born Zalman Rosenblum in a region of Russia near Poland in 1873. It is reasonable to conclude that he died at the hands of the KGB (then called the OGPU) in 1924 or was it 1925(?) er maybe 1927(?). The point being most any definite statements in this biography are subject to error.
Whoever he really was we will know him as Sidney Reilly. His record appears to take him from the Middle East on oil related intelligence work, to Tokyo and Vladivostok - as an arms dealer in time for the Russo Japanese War and so forth until sometime after the First World War. He would have personal contact with Lenin, Churchill, The Keiser and Rasputin arms dealer Basil Zarharoff or perhaps none of these. Given that many of his exploits involved efforts to buy, sell or scam money from arms sales it is likely that he was in the company of or in competition with Zarharoff. As part of Sidney;s WWI experiences he may have been involved as an instigator of explosive sabotage work in the United states. Or perhaps not...
We can say with some certainty that Sidney was a ladies man. There are clear records of him with movie stars, and more than one marriage - more than one marriage at one time, plus various other lady friends. James Bond would have been envious.
As a fan of scholarly biography, Trust No One is unique in its ability to tease you with possibilities. Keeping track of what is known, what is certain and what is speculation and what may be romance will be difficult. Pro. Spencer keeps it readable and not to dry. Lets say the academic version of "Shaken, not stirred"
February 23, 2022
An entertaining and well-researched read on one of the most curious (double? triple?) agents of the 20th century.
February 5, 2016
With a life and a character as fascinating, colourful, eventful as this, it is no surprise there are not only a plethora of books about Sidney Reilly but at least one television series - and what is more, films of a whole genre inspired by this character, and his style.
That the James Bond character was created based on this legendary man is the least of the enigma, so fascinating is the figure of this man veiled in mystery.
Born in Russia before revolution, his birth was another mystery, with an established well known wealthy family but a natural father so high up in hierarchy that when at one point he - the son - was assigned the job of toppling the Soviet government he was plausibly the intended figure to lead the revolt and take over in the name of a regime closer to the old monarchy.
He lived during a most turbulent time of history of Europe and the world, and while spying for more than one nation was also a businessman with flair, wealth he created and style he lived in attracting attention and more. He worked for various nations including Britain and Germany, with intrigues that had repercussions on Russia, Japan, Britain, Germany, and more.
While this is not the only book about life and career of Sidney Reilly, whatever one can find about such a figure of mystery is worth a look.
That the James Bond character was created based on this legendary man is the least of the enigma, so fascinating is the figure of this man veiled in mystery.
Born in Russia before revolution, his birth was another mystery, with an established well known wealthy family but a natural father so high up in hierarchy that when at one point he - the son - was assigned the job of toppling the Soviet government he was plausibly the intended figure to lead the revolt and take over in the name of a regime closer to the old monarchy.
He lived during a most turbulent time of history of Europe and the world, and while spying for more than one nation was also a businessman with flair, wealth he created and style he lived in attracting attention and more. He worked for various nations including Britain and Germany, with intrigues that had repercussions on Russia, Japan, Britain, Germany, and more.
While this is not the only book about life and career of Sidney Reilly, whatever one can find about such a figure of mystery is worth a look.
April 28, 2010
Detailed - but ultimately pretty dry - account of one of history's most notorious spies.
Read
July 26, 2011The story of the mysterious 'Ace of Spies', the truth about whom seems very difficult to pin down....
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews