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Into the Lion's Mouth: The True Story of Dusko Popov: World War II Spy, Patriot, and the Real-Life Inspiration for James Bond
Not yet published
Expected 1 Jan 35INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER "A sensational book, telling a remarkable true story that few know, even those in the intelligence business. Written in the style of the best spy thrillers, the book is impossible to put down. A must read."
— Michael Morell, CIA Director (acting, 2011, 2012-13)
"Will keep you planted in your reading chair from start to finish."
— Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times bestselling author
James Bond has nothing on British double agent Dusko Popov. As an operative for the Abwehr, SD, MI5, MI6, and FBI during World War II, Popov seduced countless women―including agents on both sides―spoke five languages, and was a crack shot, all while maintaining his cover as a Yugoslav diplomat...
On a cool August evening in 1941, a Serbian playboy created a stir at Casino Estoril in Portugal by throwing down an outrageously large baccarat bet to humiliate his opponent. The Serbian was a British double agent, and the money―which he had just stolen from the Germans―belonged to the British. From the sideline, watching with intent interest was none other than Ian Fleming...
The Serbian was Dusko Popov. As a youngster, he was expelled from his London prep school. Years later he would be arrested and banished from Germany for making derogatory statements about the Third Reich. When World War II ensued, the playboy became a spy, eventually serving three dangerous the Abwehr, MI5 and MI6, and the FBI.
On August 10, 1941, the Germans sent Popov to the United States to construct a spy network and gather information on Pearl Harbor. The FBI ignored his German questionnaire, but J. Edgar Hoover succeeded in blowing his cover. While MI5 desperately needed Popov to deceive the Abwehr about the D-Day invasion, they assured him that a return to the German Secret Service Headquarters in Lisbon would result in torture and execution. He went anyway...
Into the Lion's Mouth is a globe-trotting account of a man's entanglement with espionage, murder, assassins, and lovers―including enemy spies and a Hollywood starlet. It is a story of subterfuge and seduction, patriotism, and cold-blooded courage. It is the story of Dusko Popov―the inspiration for James Bond.
INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS
— Michael Morell, CIA Director (acting, 2011, 2012-13)
"Will keep you planted in your reading chair from start to finish."
— Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times bestselling author
James Bond has nothing on British double agent Dusko Popov. As an operative for the Abwehr, SD, MI5, MI6, and FBI during World War II, Popov seduced countless women―including agents on both sides―spoke five languages, and was a crack shot, all while maintaining his cover as a Yugoslav diplomat...
On a cool August evening in 1941, a Serbian playboy created a stir at Casino Estoril in Portugal by throwing down an outrageously large baccarat bet to humiliate his opponent. The Serbian was a British double agent, and the money―which he had just stolen from the Germans―belonged to the British. From the sideline, watching with intent interest was none other than Ian Fleming...
The Serbian was Dusko Popov. As a youngster, he was expelled from his London prep school. Years later he would be arrested and banished from Germany for making derogatory statements about the Third Reich. When World War II ensued, the playboy became a spy, eventually serving three dangerous the Abwehr, MI5 and MI6, and the FBI.
On August 10, 1941, the Germans sent Popov to the United States to construct a spy network and gather information on Pearl Harbor. The FBI ignored his German questionnaire, but J. Edgar Hoover succeeded in blowing his cover. While MI5 desperately needed Popov to deceive the Abwehr about the D-Day invasion, they assured him that a return to the German Secret Service Headquarters in Lisbon would result in torture and execution. He went anyway...
Into the Lion's Mouth is a globe-trotting account of a man's entanglement with espionage, murder, assassins, and lovers―including enemy spies and a Hollywood starlet. It is a story of subterfuge and seduction, patriotism, and cold-blooded courage. It is the story of Dusko Popov―the inspiration for James Bond.
INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS
384 pages, Paperback
First published June 14, 2016
283 people are currently reading
2089 people want to read
About the author
Larry Loftis
8 books376 followersOctober 18, 2024 - Thrilled to announce that INTO THE LION'S MOUTH is in development as a major motion picture, with Radar Pictures producing and Harald Zwart (The Karate Kid, Pink Panther 2, The 12th Man) directing.
News was posted on DEADLINE on Oct. 15, mentioning that I am writing the script (which is already finished and approved).
News coming soon about THE WATCHMAKER'S DAUGHTER.!
Happy reading, everyone!
Larry
News was posted on DEADLINE on Oct. 15, mentioning that I am writing the script (which is already finished and approved).
News coming soon about THE WATCHMAKER'S DAUGHTER.!
Happy reading, everyone!
Larry
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
September 5, 2016
Fairly pedestrian recount of the life of double agent Dusko Popov who operated throughout the European theater during World War II. The most fascinating part was the revelation that several months prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Popov gave the FBI the questionnaire with information the Nazis wanted him to investigate. Included in this document were questions about the layout, makeup, etc. of the Pearl Harbor base. Even though there was no date involved, the interest of the Axis powers was obvious but Hoover never forwarded a complete copy of the questionnaire to Roosevelt.
6/10
6/10
January 6, 2017
Intriguing, but not in the way intended
What a wasted opportunity. So much research went into this book, yet the resulting narrative was disjointed, muddied, and (for me) at times downright annoying.
Listen, I understand that writing an account of such complex events – which enmeshed scores of people (many of whom went by several names), spanned several continents, and involved multiple warring nations as well as “neutral” nations such as Spain and Portugal and their diplomatic and intelligence services – must have been an extremely challenging task. Not to mention that super-spy Dusko Popov, the subject of Larry Loftis’ book, was a complex person.
Yet the task of the author is to lighten the load for his readers, not add to it. Details should complement the narrative, not bog it down. While reading Into the Lion’s Mouth I was reminded of a comment once made by Hugh Trevor-Roper in regard to another book, “He piles on the illustrative (or irrelevant) detail. He cannot leave anything out. Every person mentioned must have a potted biography. Every place must be equipped with atmosphere, furniture, associations."
Thus, in Loftis’ account, the reader learns far more than she ever needed to about the all the hotels and resorts Popov frequented, what amount of cash he was given (and from whom and when and how), the multiple ways he was to formulate invisible ink for secret missives, what code words he was to use with his handlers and each of his contacts, and all the various “systems of codes and clandestine meetings” detailed in loving but often useless detail.
Such details were supposed to build atmosphere, not to mention buttress Loftis’ claim that Popov was the model for Ian Fleming’s James Bond. However, “this passion for inessential detail” (Trevor Roper again) irritated rather than intrigued me.
But that was only one problem.
Just as confounding was the author’s strange habit of referring to people by both their first and last names, alternatively from sentence to sentence. Then in some cases he also referred to code names (often two code names, one employed by Allied and the other by Axis spymasters), as well as military rank (e.g. “the major”).
Perhaps this would not have been such a problem were there not, as mentioned before, so many people involved. Prefacing the first chapter is a rather daunting list of Dramatis Personnae -- some sixty key players. But wait, double that already formidable challenge by using first, last, and code names. Add all the various wartime acronyms (BSC, MI6, ONI, MID, SD, OKW, SOE, etc) into the mix and even a reader with considerable background might wish to throw in the towel.
This first-last-&-code-name habit produces some almost comically befuddling passages. In truth, I began to dog-ear pages with the most egregious examples and soon became something of an aficionado. My personal favorite was a reference pretty much out of the blue to “Erwin.” That’s Rommel, if you please. Priceless!
“J. Edgar” for Hoover, “Ewan” for Montagu, and “J.C.” for Masterman are a few of the more entertaining examples of gratuitous first-name familiarity. I got the biggest kick out of the “du”-ing of figures in the German high command, however. Alas, never a reference to an “Adolf.” I suppose that would be going a bit too far.
At another point I did a double take, uncertain if the “Ian” just mentioned was Fleming or Popov’s primary handler, Ian Wilson. (It was the latter.) Still, it gave rise to some entertaining speculation on my part. Did the author feel some psychological closeness to these spies and handlers which led to his using their first names? Alternatively, did he perhaps hope to instill in the reader some sense of intimacy with them? Or did he simply have an aversion to personal pronouns? Perhaps some basic confusion in matters of pronoun reference led him to cast about for alternative methods? Such speculations provided diversion, I’ll admit, as I slogged my way determinedly through the book.
Add to this confusion of names some confusions of time and place. Pay, as I might, very close attention to the account, I found myself backtracking frequently for clarification. For a time I thought perhaps I was being a careless reader, but after berating myself for this a half dozen times or so, I began to analyze where and why I’d gotten confused. And you know what? There were strange jumps in time and place. In the midst of a day-by-day account of Popov’s moves, for example, I found myself in Paris in one paragraph then – voilà! – in London in the next. Magic carpet time!
Then there were the chapter-ending false “cliffhanger” gambits that grew really old, really fast. Many chapters were given racy and mysterious headings such as “Turn Around Slowly.” And, at the end of that particular chapter, Popov (who feared his double-agent status had been revealed) would be standing looking out a window when he hears those very words.
Only it would turn out that he wasn’t being apprehended. No, his spy handler had just entered the room with a pet monkey on his shoulder and was cautioning Popov not to move quickly as it might frighten the pet.
This sort of faux climax occurs multiple times and, as I said, soon becomes a bit ridiculous, as do some other stylistic quirks which are no doubt meant to add to the atmosphere of danger and intrigue but come off, more often than not, rather clumsily.
Also baffling are many of the photos interspersed throughout the text. Now, I really do appreciate good photos accompanying biographies and histories. I recently read a book by Candice Millard, Hero of the Empire, for example, that included some photographs of young Winston Churchill, photos that made me realize just how young (and thin!) the great man had been when he served as a correspondent during the Boer War.
Some of the photos included in In the Lion’s Mouth are, regrettably, not of a similar caliber. There are multiple photos of the exteriors of hotels and casinos that Popov frequented, for example: some stately-looking buildings set among other stately-looking buildings. I count about a half dozen of these, and they are innocuous enough, but what was the point?
What is harder to fathom, though, is the inclusion of many blurry (sometimes bordering on illegible) reproductions of hand-written notes, reports, charts, questionnaires, micro-dot enlargements, and other spy-related material. More often than not, the author has already quoted anything relevant from these documents, and usually at great length. Squint at them as I might, I couldn’t really glean much other than that, yes, these are spy documents all right. There were a lot of them.
One final bafflement I have dubbed “The Competition.” That is to say, the strange need to come up with THE “real-life inspiration for James Bond,” not to mention decide who was THE “greatest WWII double agent.” Why is this necessary? What’s the point?
It’s fairly clear that Popov was the inspiration for the famous casino scene in Casino Royale and that he possessed many of the attributes of Fleming’s Bond. But why the fixation on claiming Bond was based primarily on Popov? It’s fairly common knowledge that Fleming gathered inspiration, magpie-like, from multiple sources. But here, in Appendix 3 of Loftis’ book, is a painstaking compilation of charts and commentary on why Popov above all should be considered the “one man ‘rumored to have inspired the character of James Bond.’”
Of course, tying Dusko Popov to James Bond is a nice marketing strategy, but be forewarned that other than in one chapter and the appendix mentioned above, there’s scant material here for Bond fans.
So, why did I finish this book? Well, partly because “hope springs eternal” and I kept thinking that it would improve. There were some intriguing episodes, particularly recounting Popov’s run-ins with his arch nemesis, J. Edgar… er, Hoover. I’ve read a number of accounts of the Double-Cross system, Operation Fortitude, and other WWII spies, so the narrative often provided that warm glow of entering familiar territory.
But mostly I found this a curious example of how, even with the best intentions and feedback from many peers and helpers, an author can lose sight of his readers’ needs and probable reactions. That was intriguing, in an unintended way.
What a wasted opportunity. So much research went into this book, yet the resulting narrative was disjointed, muddied, and (for me) at times downright annoying.
Listen, I understand that writing an account of such complex events – which enmeshed scores of people (many of whom went by several names), spanned several continents, and involved multiple warring nations as well as “neutral” nations such as Spain and Portugal and their diplomatic and intelligence services – must have been an extremely challenging task. Not to mention that super-spy Dusko Popov, the subject of Larry Loftis’ book, was a complex person.
Yet the task of the author is to lighten the load for his readers, not add to it. Details should complement the narrative, not bog it down. While reading Into the Lion’s Mouth I was reminded of a comment once made by Hugh Trevor-Roper in regard to another book, “He piles on the illustrative (or irrelevant) detail. He cannot leave anything out. Every person mentioned must have a potted biography. Every place must be equipped with atmosphere, furniture, associations."
Thus, in Loftis’ account, the reader learns far more than she ever needed to about the all the hotels and resorts Popov frequented, what amount of cash he was given (and from whom and when and how), the multiple ways he was to formulate invisible ink for secret missives, what code words he was to use with his handlers and each of his contacts, and all the various “systems of codes and clandestine meetings” detailed in loving but often useless detail.
Such details were supposed to build atmosphere, not to mention buttress Loftis’ claim that Popov was the model for Ian Fleming’s James Bond. However, “this passion for inessential detail” (Trevor Roper again) irritated rather than intrigued me.
But that was only one problem.
Just as confounding was the author’s strange habit of referring to people by both their first and last names, alternatively from sentence to sentence. Then in some cases he also referred to code names (often two code names, one employed by Allied and the other by Axis spymasters), as well as military rank (e.g. “the major”).
Perhaps this would not have been such a problem were there not, as mentioned before, so many people involved. Prefacing the first chapter is a rather daunting list of Dramatis Personnae -- some sixty key players. But wait, double that already formidable challenge by using first, last, and code names. Add all the various wartime acronyms (BSC, MI6, ONI, MID, SD, OKW, SOE, etc) into the mix and even a reader with considerable background might wish to throw in the towel.
This first-last-&-code-name habit produces some almost comically befuddling passages. In truth, I began to dog-ear pages with the most egregious examples and soon became something of an aficionado. My personal favorite was a reference pretty much out of the blue to “Erwin.” That’s Rommel, if you please. Priceless!
“J. Edgar” for Hoover, “Ewan” for Montagu, and “J.C.” for Masterman are a few of the more entertaining examples of gratuitous first-name familiarity. I got the biggest kick out of the “du”-ing of figures in the German high command, however. Alas, never a reference to an “Adolf.” I suppose that would be going a bit too far.
At another point I did a double take, uncertain if the “Ian” just mentioned was Fleming or Popov’s primary handler, Ian Wilson. (It was the latter.) Still, it gave rise to some entertaining speculation on my part. Did the author feel some psychological closeness to these spies and handlers which led to his using their first names? Alternatively, did he perhaps hope to instill in the reader some sense of intimacy with them? Or did he simply have an aversion to personal pronouns? Perhaps some basic confusion in matters of pronoun reference led him to cast about for alternative methods? Such speculations provided diversion, I’ll admit, as I slogged my way determinedly through the book.
Add to this confusion of names some confusions of time and place. Pay, as I might, very close attention to the account, I found myself backtracking frequently for clarification. For a time I thought perhaps I was being a careless reader, but after berating myself for this a half dozen times or so, I began to analyze where and why I’d gotten confused. And you know what? There were strange jumps in time and place. In the midst of a day-by-day account of Popov’s moves, for example, I found myself in Paris in one paragraph then – voilà! – in London in the next. Magic carpet time!
Then there were the chapter-ending false “cliffhanger” gambits that grew really old, really fast. Many chapters were given racy and mysterious headings such as “Turn Around Slowly.” And, at the end of that particular chapter, Popov (who feared his double-agent status had been revealed) would be standing looking out a window when he hears those very words.
Only it would turn out that he wasn’t being apprehended. No, his spy handler had just entered the room with a pet monkey on his shoulder and was cautioning Popov not to move quickly as it might frighten the pet.
This sort of faux climax occurs multiple times and, as I said, soon becomes a bit ridiculous, as do some other stylistic quirks which are no doubt meant to add to the atmosphere of danger and intrigue but come off, more often than not, rather clumsily.
Also baffling are many of the photos interspersed throughout the text. Now, I really do appreciate good photos accompanying biographies and histories. I recently read a book by Candice Millard, Hero of the Empire, for example, that included some photographs of young Winston Churchill, photos that made me realize just how young (and thin!) the great man had been when he served as a correspondent during the Boer War.
Some of the photos included in In the Lion’s Mouth are, regrettably, not of a similar caliber. There are multiple photos of the exteriors of hotels and casinos that Popov frequented, for example: some stately-looking buildings set among other stately-looking buildings. I count about a half dozen of these, and they are innocuous enough, but what was the point?
What is harder to fathom, though, is the inclusion of many blurry (sometimes bordering on illegible) reproductions of hand-written notes, reports, charts, questionnaires, micro-dot enlargements, and other spy-related material. More often than not, the author has already quoted anything relevant from these documents, and usually at great length. Squint at them as I might, I couldn’t really glean much other than that, yes, these are spy documents all right. There were a lot of them.
One final bafflement I have dubbed “The Competition.” That is to say, the strange need to come up with THE “real-life inspiration for James Bond,” not to mention decide who was THE “greatest WWII double agent.” Why is this necessary? What’s the point?
It’s fairly clear that Popov was the inspiration for the famous casino scene in Casino Royale and that he possessed many of the attributes of Fleming’s Bond. But why the fixation on claiming Bond was based primarily on Popov? It’s fairly common knowledge that Fleming gathered inspiration, magpie-like, from multiple sources. But here, in Appendix 3 of Loftis’ book, is a painstaking compilation of charts and commentary on why Popov above all should be considered the “one man ‘rumored to have inspired the character of James Bond.’”
Of course, tying Dusko Popov to James Bond is a nice marketing strategy, but be forewarned that other than in one chapter and the appendix mentioned above, there’s scant material here for Bond fans.
So, why did I finish this book? Well, partly because “hope springs eternal” and I kept thinking that it would improve. There were some intriguing episodes, particularly recounting Popov’s run-ins with his arch nemesis, J. Edgar… er, Hoover. I’ve read a number of accounts of the Double-Cross system, Operation Fortitude, and other WWII spies, so the narrative often provided that warm glow of entering familiar territory.
But mostly I found this a curious example of how, even with the best intentions and feedback from many peers and helpers, an author can lose sight of his readers’ needs and probable reactions. That was intriguing, in an unintended way.
November 7, 2022
This is a super hard book to follow. Very complex, convoluted read. Much as the person Popov (Dusko) was. Intrepid and savvy brilliant of course, but quite beyond that into 5 or 6 languages charming to mesmerizing at the same time. And despite months, years, decade more intimacies and friendships- little to almost nothing of a reveal about his own "identity" or onus or depth in background or family. Even to his most intimate youth to graduate student best friend. Johnny Jebsen who introduced him into the German intelligence portions of his long, long associations. Both in his life's "work" and in social spheres.
The book is not as easy to read or to comprehend in continuity as his Odette and Alise spy biographies which were 4 or 5 star level. Those spy experts had a short run and it was a much later period of involvement and on a far smaller scale of intersects. But Popov! His started way before the war and some of the most intriguing microdot method reveals were prior to American entry into the war. Hoover knew about Pearl Harbor as a target. For sure. The documentation and massive lengths of pages of the documents themselves (at the end those and the sources are almost a third of the book length)! My Dad always said that Roosevelt knew too. Until his dying day he made it a habit to tell again and again. Most especially before each election day. And of his witness of information about Patton's assassination. He was in Trieste (1945-1947) after the European theater folded and headed a district for repatriating German or Axis soldiers back to their respective country entities or not (it depended on dozens of factors) from Italian prisoner of war camps. He said he saw proofs too in papers about speculation for the possible dates in these same circles of older documentations. Roosevelt and Hoover both had their reasons and the Depression was NOT getting better in USA, but worse in 1940 and 1941. Plus, the Allies side multitudes were imploring for the USA to get into the war. Quickly.
This man Dusko Popov (Serbian core elite family, most of which were doctors or surgeons like his Father) was so multi sided that it is hard to keep all the code names and surnames straight. Yet to even get into all the vast distance interplays between them all. And try to understand where and how Dusko's family in Belgrade and Dubrovnik were fating at the same time and/or how he was trying to trade people out. (All moving pieces, endlessly- most especially with his brother Ivo.) (Ivo was either in the forest as an insurrectionist or in prisons. Ivo's wife and baby were scheduled to be shot or hung- three different times unless he gave up positions/ information.) There are 10 levels of intermix that you can't keep straight while reading. And Dusko is on 3 continents at various periods of 3 months to 4 months each for nearly 20 years. So how did he ply his conversations to all and in each of 20 different places? With at least a dozen to two dozen women girlfriends at the same time? Some of the same ones, in rotations. He loved it. The only time he was slow to leave was the year plus in the USA when he had the Hollywood actress Simon. But even in those months he was within at least 5 different cities by his own rotations within the USA alone. NYC, Hollywood were always two of them. In Europe he was anywhere from England to Egypt. Each place more than twice. Some within a 6 week period- 5 or 6 places. And the money to do this? That is a book alone. More than novel length to understand the money transfers and schemes. That was half of all spies subterfuge, IMHO- in man or woman hours. Does that give you pause to think about the downsides of digital currency and present tech? Or how authority can just "shut it off"- like they can fuel.
But the best thing about this book and also the two others of his (Loftis) I have read are the Lisbon chapters (not all together whatsoever). (This is the place that is featured in the 007 movie Casino Royale). I can't imagine all those juxtapositions of intelligence and spycrafts or enemies from manufacture, to trade, to dangerous slip of the tongue, all in one place. On the ocean and within those sets of hotels and resorts. Paris and Rome, too. But always that Estoril, Portugal complex itself! The book is worth reading for those 1000's of particulars of Estoril and Lisbon in "neutrality" alone. All in one place. And the associations and visas exchanges to get there too.
You get a tiny bit of Dusko's ending days after about 1960, but the majority of the copy is 1930-1950. The man lead at least 5 lifetimes in that one period alone. But you will need a brain like his to get through all the nuances and code names and codes to languages in this one. Quite beyond the personalities. I could have used more photos. Especially of Johnny and Dusko's brothers. Most of Johnny's course is still a mystery. Dusko, our James Bond, ended being naturalized as an English citizen. As did most of his birth family. More accurately, he was 003.
The book is not as easy to read or to comprehend in continuity as his Odette and Alise spy biographies which were 4 or 5 star level. Those spy experts had a short run and it was a much later period of involvement and on a far smaller scale of intersects. But Popov! His started way before the war and some of the most intriguing microdot method reveals were prior to American entry into the war. Hoover knew about Pearl Harbor as a target. For sure. The documentation and massive lengths of pages of the documents themselves (at the end those and the sources are almost a third of the book length)! My Dad always said that Roosevelt knew too. Until his dying day he made it a habit to tell again and again. Most especially before each election day. And of his witness of information about Patton's assassination. He was in Trieste (1945-1947) after the European theater folded and headed a district for repatriating German or Axis soldiers back to their respective country entities or not (it depended on dozens of factors) from Italian prisoner of war camps. He said he saw proofs too in papers about speculation for the possible dates in these same circles of older documentations. Roosevelt and Hoover both had their reasons and the Depression was NOT getting better in USA, but worse in 1940 and 1941. Plus, the Allies side multitudes were imploring for the USA to get into the war. Quickly.
This man Dusko Popov (Serbian core elite family, most of which were doctors or surgeons like his Father) was so multi sided that it is hard to keep all the code names and surnames straight. Yet to even get into all the vast distance interplays between them all. And try to understand where and how Dusko's family in Belgrade and Dubrovnik were fating at the same time and/or how he was trying to trade people out. (All moving pieces, endlessly- most especially with his brother Ivo.) (Ivo was either in the forest as an insurrectionist or in prisons. Ivo's wife and baby were scheduled to be shot or hung- three different times unless he gave up positions/ information.) There are 10 levels of intermix that you can't keep straight while reading. And Dusko is on 3 continents at various periods of 3 months to 4 months each for nearly 20 years. So how did he ply his conversations to all and in each of 20 different places? With at least a dozen to two dozen women girlfriends at the same time? Some of the same ones, in rotations. He loved it. The only time he was slow to leave was the year plus in the USA when he had the Hollywood actress Simon. But even in those months he was within at least 5 different cities by his own rotations within the USA alone. NYC, Hollywood were always two of them. In Europe he was anywhere from England to Egypt. Each place more than twice. Some within a 6 week period- 5 or 6 places. And the money to do this? That is a book alone. More than novel length to understand the money transfers and schemes. That was half of all spies subterfuge, IMHO- in man or woman hours. Does that give you pause to think about the downsides of digital currency and present tech? Or how authority can just "shut it off"- like they can fuel.
But the best thing about this book and also the two others of his (Loftis) I have read are the Lisbon chapters (not all together whatsoever). (This is the place that is featured in the 007 movie Casino Royale). I can't imagine all those juxtapositions of intelligence and spycrafts or enemies from manufacture, to trade, to dangerous slip of the tongue, all in one place. On the ocean and within those sets of hotels and resorts. Paris and Rome, too. But always that Estoril, Portugal complex itself! The book is worth reading for those 1000's of particulars of Estoril and Lisbon in "neutrality" alone. All in one place. And the associations and visas exchanges to get there too.
You get a tiny bit of Dusko's ending days after about 1960, but the majority of the copy is 1930-1950. The man lead at least 5 lifetimes in that one period alone. But you will need a brain like his to get through all the nuances and code names and codes to languages in this one. Quite beyond the personalities. I could have used more photos. Especially of Johnny and Dusko's brothers. Most of Johnny's course is still a mystery. Dusko, our James Bond, ended being naturalized as an English citizen. As did most of his birth family. More accurately, he was 003.
April 5, 2016
Into the Lion's Mouth is the remarkable story of Dusko Popov. Part spy, part patriot, his exploits inspired the creation of James Bond. The book packs the punch of a cyanide capsule. Larry Loftis’s rich prose leaves you paralyzed, physically unable to tear yourself from a narrative so vivid that you actually smell the cigarette smoke hovering above the baccarat tables. And feel the weight of the Luger hanging beneath your arm.
Joshua Hood
Joshua Hood
April 1, 2016
See this review and more at www.TheRealBookSpy.com
Many don't know this, I certainly didn't before reading Larry Loftis' new book, but James Bond--the character created and made famous by Ian Fleming--is based on a real person. Dusko Popov is the real 007 (though he was never given that code name), and the true story of his life and career as a double agent is far more compelling than anything Fleming, or anyone else for that matter, could ever dream up.
I don't read many biographies, which I freely admit, because most of the time I find fiction to be far more entertaining than real life. A friend of mine, who was in the military and is now a police officer, often tells me how boring those jobs are in real life compared to when they are fictionalized for entertainment. "It's not like it is in the movies," he tells me--and this is coming from a guy who works on a full-time SWAT team.
A few weeks ago I got an advance copy of Loftis' book and didn't know what to think, so I started it without any expectations and was completely and utterly blown away. Into The Lion's Mouth is one of the most fascinating things I've ever read, period. Larry Loftis wrote a thriller novel--which just so happens to be a completely true and accurate depiction of the life of Dusko Popov.
If you love historical fiction, thrillers, or spy novels, Into The Lion's Mouth is one of the true must-read books of the summer.
The Story
"He (Popov) had steel within, the ruthlessness and the cold-blooded courage that enabled him to go back to the German Secret Service Headquarters in Lisbon and Madrid time and time again, when it was likely that he was blown; it was like putting his head into the lion's moth."
Larry Loftis opens his book with this chilling quote from Lieutenant-Commander Ewen Montagu, who served on the British Double-Cross Committee. It perfectly sums up the kind of nerves Popov had, allowing him to live a life of double-crossing without so much as batting an eye--and kill without a conscience.
Within a few sentences of the preface, Loftis makes it clear that his book is different than any biography you've ever read. His writing style, pacing, and structure make Into The Lion's Mouth feel like a Vince Flynn or Daniel Silva novel. That is, until you realize the story unfolding is actually true, which takes this incredible tale to the next level for readers. It's unreal how thrilling this real story is!
Early on, we learn that Dusan "Dusko" Miladoroff Popov, born in 1912, was the second of three sons, and grandson to a wealthy banker and industrialist. Without question, it's easy to see where Fleming took inspiration from Dusko, who was handsome, a fast talker, charismatic, charming, a womanizer, and well educated with expensive taste. Those are the Bond-like qualities that made him successful in fooling and deceiving everyone around him, and why he's such an interesting man to study and read about.
Dusko was a natural when it came to embodying the traits that make a spy successful. That's another area that Loftis talks about, the difference between a soldier--who serves with patriotism and courage--versus a spy, who operates in the shadows and thrives on spewing deceit and lies.
Soldiers serve with bravery, often channeling their love for country in regard to their service. Spies, on the other hand (at least back then), operated much like criminals, but with a cause and a purpose.
The problem is that sometimes a spy's cause and purpose had nothing to do with his country, but with other motives--which can be bought or manipulated. Such was the case for Popov, who pretended to give German officials sensitive British military information, while in reality he was working as a double agent for Britain's MI6 during World War II.
During his career, Popov was vital to the success of D-Day, and was nearly successful in tipping off the FBI about the impending attack on Pearl Harbor. But that's just the tip of the iceberg, and Loftis covers all of it in gripping fashion.
The magic of Loftis' writing is in the way he tells the story. He doesn't just tell you where Popov was first confronted by his German controller, he paints a scene and then drops you smack dab in the middle of it. The tension is palpable, and I found myself genuinely nervous at times while reading along.
If nothing else, I learned very quickly that I most definitely do not have what it takes to be a spy or a double agent. Heck, my heart was pumping hard enough waiting for Popov to be discovered that it doesn't seem possible to me that any man could actually live his life under such stress and uncertainty. Yet it happens, and Popov did it with flair and expertise for several years like it was nothing.
Why I loved it
Larry Loftis hit the ball out of the park with this book. The story of Popov's life is already incredible, but some people have the natural ability to make things more interesting with their delivery--and Loftis is one of them. Never before has the nonfiction account of someone gripped me the way Into The Lion's Mouth did.
Why you should read it
If you love spy novels and political thrillers, then you've got to read this book! Popov is real, and his story is as much fun to read about as any adventure following Mitch Rapp, Gabriel Allon or Cotton Malone.
I actually finished this book a couple weeks ago, but waited to write the review until I compared Into The Lion's Mouth to another biography written about Dusko Popov. In the end, there is no comparison--Larry Loftis smokes the competition.
Many don't know this, I certainly didn't before reading Larry Loftis' new book, but James Bond--the character created and made famous by Ian Fleming--is based on a real person. Dusko Popov is the real 007 (though he was never given that code name), and the true story of his life and career as a double agent is far more compelling than anything Fleming, or anyone else for that matter, could ever dream up.
I don't read many biographies, which I freely admit, because most of the time I find fiction to be far more entertaining than real life. A friend of mine, who was in the military and is now a police officer, often tells me how boring those jobs are in real life compared to when they are fictionalized for entertainment. "It's not like it is in the movies," he tells me--and this is coming from a guy who works on a full-time SWAT team.
A few weeks ago I got an advance copy of Loftis' book and didn't know what to think, so I started it without any expectations and was completely and utterly blown away. Into The Lion's Mouth is one of the most fascinating things I've ever read, period. Larry Loftis wrote a thriller novel--which just so happens to be a completely true and accurate depiction of the life of Dusko Popov.
If you love historical fiction, thrillers, or spy novels, Into The Lion's Mouth is one of the true must-read books of the summer.
The Story
"He (Popov) had steel within, the ruthlessness and the cold-blooded courage that enabled him to go back to the German Secret Service Headquarters in Lisbon and Madrid time and time again, when it was likely that he was blown; it was like putting his head into the lion's moth."
Larry Loftis opens his book with this chilling quote from Lieutenant-Commander Ewen Montagu, who served on the British Double-Cross Committee. It perfectly sums up the kind of nerves Popov had, allowing him to live a life of double-crossing without so much as batting an eye--and kill without a conscience.
Within a few sentences of the preface, Loftis makes it clear that his book is different than any biography you've ever read. His writing style, pacing, and structure make Into The Lion's Mouth feel like a Vince Flynn or Daniel Silva novel. That is, until you realize the story unfolding is actually true, which takes this incredible tale to the next level for readers. It's unreal how thrilling this real story is!
Early on, we learn that Dusan "Dusko" Miladoroff Popov, born in 1912, was the second of three sons, and grandson to a wealthy banker and industrialist. Without question, it's easy to see where Fleming took inspiration from Dusko, who was handsome, a fast talker, charismatic, charming, a womanizer, and well educated with expensive taste. Those are the Bond-like qualities that made him successful in fooling and deceiving everyone around him, and why he's such an interesting man to study and read about.
Dusko was a natural when it came to embodying the traits that make a spy successful. That's another area that Loftis talks about, the difference between a soldier--who serves with patriotism and courage--versus a spy, who operates in the shadows and thrives on spewing deceit and lies.
Soldiers serve with bravery, often channeling their love for country in regard to their service. Spies, on the other hand (at least back then), operated much like criminals, but with a cause and a purpose.
The problem is that sometimes a spy's cause and purpose had nothing to do with his country, but with other motives--which can be bought or manipulated. Such was the case for Popov, who pretended to give German officials sensitive British military information, while in reality he was working as a double agent for Britain's MI6 during World War II.
During his career, Popov was vital to the success of D-Day, and was nearly successful in tipping off the FBI about the impending attack on Pearl Harbor. But that's just the tip of the iceberg, and Loftis covers all of it in gripping fashion.
The magic of Loftis' writing is in the way he tells the story. He doesn't just tell you where Popov was first confronted by his German controller, he paints a scene and then drops you smack dab in the middle of it. The tension is palpable, and I found myself genuinely nervous at times while reading along.
If nothing else, I learned very quickly that I most definitely do not have what it takes to be a spy or a double agent. Heck, my heart was pumping hard enough waiting for Popov to be discovered that it doesn't seem possible to me that any man could actually live his life under such stress and uncertainty. Yet it happens, and Popov did it with flair and expertise for several years like it was nothing.
Why I loved it
Larry Loftis hit the ball out of the park with this book. The story of Popov's life is already incredible, but some people have the natural ability to make things more interesting with their delivery--and Loftis is one of them. Never before has the nonfiction account of someone gripped me the way Into The Lion's Mouth did.
Why you should read it
If you love spy novels and political thrillers, then you've got to read this book! Popov is real, and his story is as much fun to read about as any adventure following Mitch Rapp, Gabriel Allon or Cotton Malone.
I actually finished this book a couple weeks ago, but waited to write the review until I compared Into The Lion's Mouth to another biography written about Dusko Popov. In the end, there is no comparison--Larry Loftis smokes the competition.
June 4, 2016
The real-life inspiration for James Bond proves to be every bit as riveting as any of Ian Fleming’s creations. Larry Loftis’ tale of true espionage, assassination and seduction is one of the most remarkable books we’ve read all year.
Born a Serb, Popov’s fingerprints are all over 20th century history in this who’s who of spycraft. A master of five languages and seducer of women, Popov was schooled in London before making his way to Germany, where he was initially exiled by the Third Reich before his eventual re-recruitment into the Nazi spy machine. Months before Pearl Harbor, he Abwehr sent Popov there to gather intelligence. Three years later, he fed disinformation back to Germany about the upcoming allied invasion of Europe. Conveying false information about preparation, approach and leadership of the upcoming attack, Popov may be an unheralded hero of the D-Day invasion at Normandy.
Check out the rest of my review at BestThrillers.com
Born a Serb, Popov’s fingerprints are all over 20th century history in this who’s who of spycraft. A master of five languages and seducer of women, Popov was schooled in London before making his way to Germany, where he was initially exiled by the Third Reich before his eventual re-recruitment into the Nazi spy machine. Months before Pearl Harbor, he Abwehr sent Popov there to gather intelligence. Three years later, he fed disinformation back to Germany about the upcoming allied invasion of Europe. Conveying false information about preparation, approach and leadership of the upcoming attack, Popov may be an unheralded hero of the D-Day invasion at Normandy.
Check out the rest of my review at BestThrillers.com
February 10, 2021
An engaging, readable and dramatic history of Popov’s incredible career, told in a novelistic style.
Loftis covers Popov’s role in such well-known episodes as the Pearl Harbor intelligence failures, the TRICYCLE network, the double-cross system and drawing German attention away from Normandy during the planned invasion. He also does a fine job conveying Popov’s charisma, charm and womanizing habits. Loftis also discusses the qualities that separate soldiers from spies, and how these applied to Popov. He covers Popov’s use of deceit, manipulation, and his mixed motives, as well as the various assassination plots he managed to dodge. He also does a good job explaining the problems in relying on Popov’s memoir.
As the title suggests, Loftis argues that Popov served as the inspiration for Fleming’s Bond. His evidence for this seems well-documented but when you add it all up it does seem rather circumstantial. Also, Loftis tends to refer to Popov by his first name, last name, and codenames, even in the course of a single paragraph. Loftis includes a helpful list of figures that come up in the narrative, but the way the narrative itself is written forces the reader to refer to the list quite often. And at one point the HMS Queen Elizabeth is called a submarine.
An intriguing and well-researched work, both thrilling and at times humorous.
Loftis covers Popov’s role in such well-known episodes as the Pearl Harbor intelligence failures, the TRICYCLE network, the double-cross system and drawing German attention away from Normandy during the planned invasion. He also does a fine job conveying Popov’s charisma, charm and womanizing habits. Loftis also discusses the qualities that separate soldiers from spies, and how these applied to Popov. He covers Popov’s use of deceit, manipulation, and his mixed motives, as well as the various assassination plots he managed to dodge. He also does a good job explaining the problems in relying on Popov’s memoir.
As the title suggests, Loftis argues that Popov served as the inspiration for Fleming’s Bond. His evidence for this seems well-documented but when you add it all up it does seem rather circumstantial. Also, Loftis tends to refer to Popov by his first name, last name, and codenames, even in the course of a single paragraph. Loftis includes a helpful list of figures that come up in the narrative, but the way the narrative itself is written forces the reader to refer to the list quite often. And at one point the HMS Queen Elizabeth is called a submarine.
An intriguing and well-researched work, both thrilling and at times humorous.
June 4, 2016
A fascinating book for Bond fans and historians alike. Loftis explores the real life story of Dusko Popov and makes an very strong case for why Fleming drew from Popov for Casino Royale. We also get a real close look at the vital role espionage played during WWII and some surprising revelations ensue. Popov lived the life of a double agent and he did it in a way that defies some of our real world pre-conceptions of spies. He was every bit the lady's man and enjoyed luxury accomodations almost every where he went. He deceived the Germans with misinformation and proved to be one of the Allies best assets during the war. Loftis meticulously goes into detail about the Bond connection pinpointing specific times where Fleming and Popov were likely to have been at the same place notably featuring the Casino at Estoril, where Fleming had famously said he based much of Casino Royale on an encounter there with Nazi spies. Find out what the reality of that encounter was and find out much more about Popov's life of intrigue and mystery in Larry Loftis's excellent book.
August 16, 2024
Yugoslavian playboy and double agent Dusko Popov was a considerable part of the model for Ian Fleming’s James Bond character. Several books have been written about him, but I hadn’t read any. I picked this one. It was probably not the best choice among the alternatives.
The research appears to be first rate. The writing and storytelling are not. The author is clearly trying, but I think he just doesn’t have the gift. It more frequently comes off as an indiscriminate info dump than an engrossing narrative.
To further aggravate the poor writing, many characters have at least four names: first, last, plus Allied and Axis code names. The author tries to avoid repeating these in close succession while inexplicably also avoiding using pronouns. This leads to many tortured and confusing passages.
On the positive side, I think the author deserves credit for unflinchingly showing J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI as a bunch of self-serving screwups.
I am glad I read a book about Popov, but I would recommend other readers choose a different one.
The research appears to be first rate. The writing and storytelling are not. The author is clearly trying, but I think he just doesn’t have the gift. It more frequently comes off as an indiscriminate info dump than an engrossing narrative.
To further aggravate the poor writing, many characters have at least four names: first, last, plus Allied and Axis code names. The author tries to avoid repeating these in close succession while inexplicably also avoiding using pronouns. This leads to many tortured and confusing passages.
On the positive side, I think the author deserves credit for unflinchingly showing J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI as a bunch of self-serving screwups.
I am glad I read a book about Popov, but I would recommend other readers choose a different one.
January 19, 2018
This is a fun read. Keep focused in the beginning to know who the characters are so you do not have to flip back to refresh their role as the author uses their last names often and there are many characters to keep track of.
There is always "a guy" that makes a bigger impact than what the map shows as to where armies are placed and who holds the advantage in which ocean. Dusko Popov is that guy. And it is just as glamorous as Bond, but perhaps not as falsely action packed.
This guy is the real deal, handling Nazi interrogations, playing both sides for the Allied cause, recruiting and all the while keeping a beautiful girl in tow. The winning side owes this man a lot.
There is always "a guy" that makes a bigger impact than what the map shows as to where armies are placed and who holds the advantage in which ocean. Dusko Popov is that guy. And it is just as glamorous as Bond, but perhaps not as falsely action packed.
This guy is the real deal, handling Nazi interrogations, playing both sides for the Allied cause, recruiting and all the while keeping a beautiful girl in tow. The winning side owes this man a lot.
July 30, 2018
Ok
Did not think this book was that great. Not that the subject matter was not interesting, but the telling was tedious-almost a stream of consciousness of one event, letter and\ or incident without any unifying story line. And the James Bond connection was tenuous and a small part of the book(which was not as advertised).
Did not think this book was that great. Not that the subject matter was not interesting, but the telling was tedious-almost a stream of consciousness of one event, letter and\ or incident without any unifying story line. And the James Bond connection was tenuous and a small part of the book(which was not as advertised).
March 6, 2019
The actual story is amazing. I suppose the writing could have been a bit better; I cannot pinpoint what if any problems there were, but I just didn't feel as compelled to read the book as expected given the incredible story. Dusko Popov really was James Bond. Casino Royale must be modeled on him. And his work, tied to Pearl Harbor and D-Day, was so important. Mystery, intrigue, women, high stakes. This double agent was the real deal.
July 11, 2016
Into the Lion's Mouth: The True Story of Dusko Popov: World War II Spy, Patriot, and Real-Life Inspiration for James Bond read more like a thriller than a biography. Loftis draws you into this world of intrigue. While sometimes at the beginning it was a little hard to keep track of all the players, there was always plenty of action. I had read a couple of books about Soviet-English double agent Kim Philby, but didn't really know anything about Popov's doubling for England against Germany. One of the most interesting interesting things to me, was the warning that Popov delivered to the US about Japan's interest in Pearl Harbor. A clearer warning to the US could not have been delivered, but J Edgar Hoover buried it in the FBI files as he tried to protect the Bureau's turf.
I highly recommend this book.
Full disclosure: I won a free copy in a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I highly recommend this book.
Full disclosure: I won a free copy in a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
July 5, 2020
Exhaustive and exhausting level of detail in recounting the amazing career of Popov, probably the greatest double agent of World War II. I'd read a briefer account in Ben Macintyre's book: Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies|13154628 and still found this book well worth the reading.
I have a particular love of true spy stories and tend to devour them whole. This was no exception. I will, however, warn off those who want just the exciting bits and not all the "tedious" details that make spy craft endlessly fascinating.
Dusko, and his whole family for that matter, are larger than life characters and their courage and, at times, foolhardy willingness to do whatever it took to defeat the Nazis make for fascinating reading.Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies
I have a particular love of true spy stories and tend to devour them whole. This was no exception. I will, however, warn off those who want just the exciting bits and not all the "tedious" details that make spy craft endlessly fascinating.
Dusko, and his whole family for that matter, are larger than life characters and their courage and, at times, foolhardy willingness to do whatever it took to defeat the Nazis make for fascinating reading.Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies
August 13, 2018
For any fan of history, biography, and, of course, James Bond, this is a must read. Loftis presents the story of Dusko Popov, Ian Fleming's model for the character of James Bond. As you read this story, you'll feel as if you are right in the middle of a Bond thriller... except everything here actually happened. I'd heard snippets of the Popov story from other WWII books I'd read, so was aware of who he was and his relationship to Ian Fleming. But that's all that I'd had on him - snippets. This book tells his full story. Loftis' narrative, as mentioned, reads like a Bond novel so you'll never be bogged down and the pace will keep you turning the page. Maybe more interesting than his exploits in WWII is the post-war chapter of his life. This one was well worth the read!
August 2, 2019
For the Bond fans out there, Dusko Popov was the real life inspiration for the 007 character. Loftis recounts how the Serbian double agent passed disinformation to Germany on behalf of Britain's MI6. Along the way we learn of many of the anecdotes that ultimately became famous scenes in the Bond franchise. This is the third spy/intelligence related book I have recommended this year, and I would place it second on my recommendations with the Spy and the Traitor being my top pick and Code name LIse being third.
June 27, 2020
Couldn't put this one down and finished in a day! Dusko Popov's life is far more interesting than the fictional escapades of one James Bond.
The book also sheds light on the events leading up to Pearl Harbor as well as the D-Day invasion. Popov's intel played a large part in the latter and clearly, may have prevented the travesty of the former.
Loftis does a great job of recognizing all of Popov's achievements, in terms of WWII espionage. The book is a biography, a history lesson, and a real-life spy tale all in one. Cannot recommend it enough!
The book also sheds light on the events leading up to Pearl Harbor as well as the D-Day invasion. Popov's intel played a large part in the latter and clearly, may have prevented the travesty of the former.
Loftis does a great job of recognizing all of Popov's achievements, in terms of WWII espionage. The book is a biography, a history lesson, and a real-life spy tale all in one. Cannot recommend it enough!
May 21, 2017
Fascinating.
Also, America was apparently The Worst at the spy game/information gathering (no comment) and Hoover was a... thing I will not write here. Be assured, it is all uncomplimentary!
Everything I read about the SOE and the British spies just makes me want to know more. And this was a great story.
Also, America was apparently The Worst at the spy game/information gathering (no comment) and Hoover was a... thing I will not write here. Be assured, it is all uncomplimentary!
Everything I read about the SOE and the British spies just makes me want to know more. And this was a great story.
October 3, 2017
This is a great read, especially for history buffs! It's amazing how much this one man did to help win WWII.
July 18, 2017
The James Bond Origin Story
Having appeared in countless movies always embodying the aspects that make him the manliest man amongst all men, Bond seems like a larger-than-life kind of entity that could have only spawned from the wild imagination of the artist in Ian Fleming. In truth, the character was actually based on someone very real: Dusko Popov.
Reality is consistently more surprising than fiction; Bond couldn't hope to hold a candle to Popov's accomplishments. He was so adept at his secretive work that many of his actions, some of which certainly shaped history, have been outrageously-overlooked not only during the last few decades, but even during the period they took place in.
A Life Made for a Novel
To start things off, whenever it comes to a historical book such as this one the first that pops up is the veracity of the information. While every topic has blanks to fill in, in our case I assure you that everything is 100% factual, accurate and thoroughly researched, with there even being 75 pages of notes and sources added for those of us who want to follow up on what we learn. He doesn't use his imagination to stuff the few informational voids he encountered, sticking solely to the historical truth.
With that being said, Popov's life needed no embellishments, being unique and eventful enough to be turned into a work of literature. He was the perfect spy and model for James Bond to be: a womanizer, talented shooter, big spender, seemingly eccentric, and working simultaneously undercover for the FBI, MI5, MI6 as well as the Abwehr (the Third Reich's intelligence agency), pretending to play every side of the fence while truly furthering the Allies' cause.
He undertook countless extremely dangerous missions demanding extreme finesse, intelligence and manipulation, voluntarily jumping from the frying pan into the fire. His ability to inform the Allies and misinform the Axis made Popov a key player in countless strategic operations... had he not deceived the Germans about D-Day, it might have taken a wholly different route. In short, Dusko's life story was one that demanded immeasurable courage and was filled with espionage, intrigue, assassins, lovers and eternal enemies.
A Story Worth Knowing
While it is true that the best spies remain secret, Popov’s work has still gone criminally-unacclaimed. Many of his exploits came to light over numerous years, overshadowed by the bigger historical figures of those days.
What Larry Loftis does here is quite necessary, educating us about one of the most important and least recognized men in those times. Thankfully, he opted to do it through a thrilling narration, a course of action taken by more and more historical authors. He took his time in crafting the perfect prose, making all the sentences blend together and flow seamlessly with the help of precise and simple vocabulary. There is never a dull moment, nor are we treated to useless details and descriptions; the focus is largely directed towards advancing Dusko's incredible story.
Ultimately, you'll learn more from this than any old boring history book. Loftis knows exactly how to keep your attention, withholding the right information, nearly always keeping us on the edges of our seats and wondering how our protagonist will deal with the new impossible challenges before him. And the best part is that none of it is fictional, a fact one must keep reminding him or herself.
Some Final Words
All in all, this is one book that should sit on the shelves of all those who are even slightly interested in the topic of WWII espionage. To see Popov as the mere inspiration for a fictional character doesn't do him justice; he was very much his own unique person that influenced countless lives and even entire countries from the shadows, constantly putting himself in harm's way to do what he believed to be right. This is without a doubt one of the best (and very few) books written about this person, making it arguably the best place to become acquainted with the man who can claim in good conscience the title of world's best spy.
If you are curious to know more about the author and his book you can read the short interview we've conducted with him here: https://bookwormex.com/larry-loftis-i...
Having appeared in countless movies always embodying the aspects that make him the manliest man amongst all men, Bond seems like a larger-than-life kind of entity that could have only spawned from the wild imagination of the artist in Ian Fleming. In truth, the character was actually based on someone very real: Dusko Popov.
Reality is consistently more surprising than fiction; Bond couldn't hope to hold a candle to Popov's accomplishments. He was so adept at his secretive work that many of his actions, some of which certainly shaped history, have been outrageously-overlooked not only during the last few decades, but even during the period they took place in.
A Life Made for a Novel
To start things off, whenever it comes to a historical book such as this one the first that pops up is the veracity of the information. While every topic has blanks to fill in, in our case I assure you that everything is 100% factual, accurate and thoroughly researched, with there even being 75 pages of notes and sources added for those of us who want to follow up on what we learn. He doesn't use his imagination to stuff the few informational voids he encountered, sticking solely to the historical truth.
With that being said, Popov's life needed no embellishments, being unique and eventful enough to be turned into a work of literature. He was the perfect spy and model for James Bond to be: a womanizer, talented shooter, big spender, seemingly eccentric, and working simultaneously undercover for the FBI, MI5, MI6 as well as the Abwehr (the Third Reich's intelligence agency), pretending to play every side of the fence while truly furthering the Allies' cause.
He undertook countless extremely dangerous missions demanding extreme finesse, intelligence and manipulation, voluntarily jumping from the frying pan into the fire. His ability to inform the Allies and misinform the Axis made Popov a key player in countless strategic operations... had he not deceived the Germans about D-Day, it might have taken a wholly different route. In short, Dusko's life story was one that demanded immeasurable courage and was filled with espionage, intrigue, assassins, lovers and eternal enemies.
A Story Worth Knowing
While it is true that the best spies remain secret, Popov’s work has still gone criminally-unacclaimed. Many of his exploits came to light over numerous years, overshadowed by the bigger historical figures of those days.
What Larry Loftis does here is quite necessary, educating us about one of the most important and least recognized men in those times. Thankfully, he opted to do it through a thrilling narration, a course of action taken by more and more historical authors. He took his time in crafting the perfect prose, making all the sentences blend together and flow seamlessly with the help of precise and simple vocabulary. There is never a dull moment, nor are we treated to useless details and descriptions; the focus is largely directed towards advancing Dusko's incredible story.
Ultimately, you'll learn more from this than any old boring history book. Loftis knows exactly how to keep your attention, withholding the right information, nearly always keeping us on the edges of our seats and wondering how our protagonist will deal with the new impossible challenges before him. And the best part is that none of it is fictional, a fact one must keep reminding him or herself.
Some Final Words
All in all, this is one book that should sit on the shelves of all those who are even slightly interested in the topic of WWII espionage. To see Popov as the mere inspiration for a fictional character doesn't do him justice; he was very much his own unique person that influenced countless lives and even entire countries from the shadows, constantly putting himself in harm's way to do what he believed to be right. This is without a doubt one of the best (and very few) books written about this person, making it arguably the best place to become acquainted with the man who can claim in good conscience the title of world's best spy.
If you are curious to know more about the author and his book you can read the short interview we've conducted with him here: https://bookwormex.com/larry-loftis-i...
March 8, 2019
The spunky female spy in Larry Loftis' new book, CODE NAME: LISE, sparks new interest in his 2016 book about Dusko Popov, the double agent spying for Britain and Germany in World War II. Promoted as the true story of the inspiration for James Bond, INTO THE LION'S MOUTH, also features the equally important historical warning Pearl Harbor could have provided for 9/11.
After the British destroyed Italy's Taranto harbor base in November, 1940, Japan pestered Germany for details of the attack. Using Taranto as a model, Germany sent Popov to Washington, D.C. with a questionnaire about Pearl Harbor. By August, 1941, J. Edgar Hoover and his FBI had Popov's questionnaire. Jealously guarding agency turf from encroachment by the newly forming CIA predecessor and the U.S. military, the FBI hung onto and concealed the questionnaire. Similar to the lack of shared information between the FBI and CIA prior to 9/11, the lack of inter-agency cooperation sixty years earlier led to the loss of 2,388 lives on December 7, 1941.
As a real life James Bond stereotype, Dusko Popov does not disappoint. He was tall, good looking, confident, rich, and well-educated. He had an agile mind and a woman in every city. In CASINO ROYALE, Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond books, recreated a scene he and Popov actually witnessed at the baccarat table in Lisbon's Casino Estoril.
Every spy book treats readers to an insider's look at tradecraft operations. INTO THE LION'S MOUTH is no different. It explains the functions of Britain's MI5 and MI6 and tells how to make and use invisible ink, how to convey information about dates and times using complicated codes, how to hide a cyanide capsule in an artificial tooth to commit suicide rather than disclose secret information, and how to build automatic guns into a desk.
Loftis' extensive research bogs down the narrative from time to time. But the complex requirements of: 1) Dusko Popov's double agent profession, 2) his concern for the safety of relatives and friends back home in enemy held territory, and 3) his love life quickly pull readers back into the lion's mouth.
After the British destroyed Italy's Taranto harbor base in November, 1940, Japan pestered Germany for details of the attack. Using Taranto as a model, Germany sent Popov to Washington, D.C. with a questionnaire about Pearl Harbor. By August, 1941, J. Edgar Hoover and his FBI had Popov's questionnaire. Jealously guarding agency turf from encroachment by the newly forming CIA predecessor and the U.S. military, the FBI hung onto and concealed the questionnaire. Similar to the lack of shared information between the FBI and CIA prior to 9/11, the lack of inter-agency cooperation sixty years earlier led to the loss of 2,388 lives on December 7, 1941.
As a real life James Bond stereotype, Dusko Popov does not disappoint. He was tall, good looking, confident, rich, and well-educated. He had an agile mind and a woman in every city. In CASINO ROYALE, Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond books, recreated a scene he and Popov actually witnessed at the baccarat table in Lisbon's Casino Estoril.
Every spy book treats readers to an insider's look at tradecraft operations. INTO THE LION'S MOUTH is no different. It explains the functions of Britain's MI5 and MI6 and tells how to make and use invisible ink, how to convey information about dates and times using complicated codes, how to hide a cyanide capsule in an artificial tooth to commit suicide rather than disclose secret information, and how to build automatic guns into a desk.
Loftis' extensive research bogs down the narrative from time to time. But the complex requirements of: 1) Dusko Popov's double agent profession, 2) his concern for the safety of relatives and friends back home in enemy held territory, and 3) his love life quickly pull readers back into the lion's mouth.
October 6, 2021
I’ve been a fan of Dusko’s story since I read his autobiography many years ago. He didn’t like the comparison of his real adventures to the too fanciful fictional James Bond that Ian Fleming modeled after him. “In some ways It’s an insult to my intelligence to be known as the real-life James Bond.” I agree, impossible superheroes leave me cold, while uncovering the gritty truth turns me on. That’s why I’m so enthralled by this new, well researched book by Larry Loftis. He uses the now declassified files and interviews with surviving friends and family to get behind the myth to the real events that Dusko was unable or unwilling to relate. James Bond was a bland, upper crust Brit, whereas Dusko was a complex weave of Balkan ethnicity with aristocratic opportunities and education. While as much a randy playboy as Bond, he was less reptilian and fell hard for some of his paramours, like the movie star Simone Simon, but the duties of his secret life in a genocidal war that directly impacted his family and friends prevented his holding just one love until after the smoke cleared. Of course, the casual reader should skim over some of the detailed notes and cross references given here, unless he wants to probe deeper into the complex web of characters, like the jealous narcissist J. Edgar Hoover, who betrayed him and stained the FBI’s reputation by not passing on Dusko’s timely warning about Axis interest in Pearl Harbor. All true heroes are flawed humans like the rest of us, but this triple cross spy fooled the Nazis to pave the way for the Allied invasion of Normandy, among other fantastic coups, which would have been bloodier and more costly otherwise. Enjoy!
May 28, 2023
Dusan ("Dusko") Popov was a Serbian who spied as a "double agent" for both MI 5 and MI 6 during WWII. He was trusted both by the Nazis and the British. Most of his spying activity was carried out in Lisbon, Portugal but he traveled to the United States and London both for the Nazis and for the British. A real life playboy, Dusko had many girlfriends during his spying career.
On behalf of the British, he carried a questionnaire from the Japanese given to the Germans and then given to Dusko in August 1941 that had specific questions about Hawaii and Pearl Harbor that indicated that the Japanese planned to carry out a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. J Edgar Hoover, the FBI director stupidly disregarded the questionnaire and "buried" the evidence of his failure after the attack was successful. Dusko was frustrated that his efforts to notify the US President Roosevelt about the attack were thwarted by Hoover.
Dusko was part of the successful effort to mislead the Germans about the date and focus of the D-Day invasion and helped tie-up German armies in the Calais France area where they could not be effective.
He also participated in the Operation Mincemeat deception by the British to help the landings in Sicily. The British awarded Dusko an Order of the British Empire medal in secret.
Ian Fleming was exposed to Dusko through his work on the British "Double Cross" Committee and through MI6. Many of the details of Dusko's exploits ended up in Ian Fleming's James Bond books.
Good Reading and I recommend this book.
On behalf of the British, he carried a questionnaire from the Japanese given to the Germans and then given to Dusko in August 1941 that had specific questions about Hawaii and Pearl Harbor that indicated that the Japanese planned to carry out a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. J Edgar Hoover, the FBI director stupidly disregarded the questionnaire and "buried" the evidence of his failure after the attack was successful. Dusko was frustrated that his efforts to notify the US President Roosevelt about the attack were thwarted by Hoover.
Dusko was part of the successful effort to mislead the Germans about the date and focus of the D-Day invasion and helped tie-up German armies in the Calais France area where they could not be effective.
He also participated in the Operation Mincemeat deception by the British to help the landings in Sicily. The British awarded Dusko an Order of the British Empire medal in secret.
Ian Fleming was exposed to Dusko through his work on the British "Double Cross" Committee and through MI6. Many of the details of Dusko's exploits ended up in Ian Fleming's James Bond books.
Good Reading and I recommend this book.
January 16, 2022
Into the Lion's Mouth by Larry Loftis
Open one of Dusko Popov's attache cases and you will find the ingredients of a Hollywood spy movie - invisible ink, coded messages, cash and extensive lists of German intelligence requirements. Open another case and it has the same basic items, but from the British. Dusko was a double agent.
What follows is the international cat and mouse game between Dusko and the German's as he works to support the allied war effort and bring down the German war machine. Feeding truth to one and misinformation to another through his network of spies, he played an instrumental role in determining the outcome of major theatres of war such as Pearl Harbour and D-Day. The stakes for Dusko were high personally and professionally, how long can he maintain multiple lives before he gets ensnared in his own web of deception.
Affable, handsome and charismatic, Dusko served as one of the inspirations for Ian Fleming's James Bond character. But the life of an international spy has a price to be paid with subterfuge, manipulation, lies leading exhaustion, torture and death but who will pay and on what scale...
Recommended for James Bond fans and readers of spy fiction looking for a non fiction read.
Rating: 3.7 / 5
#bookstagram #reading #intothelionsmouth #larryloftis #duskopopov #ianfleming #jamesbond #britishspies #doubleagent #ww2nonfiction #bookrecs #januaryreads #fivequotebookchallenge
Open one of Dusko Popov's attache cases and you will find the ingredients of a Hollywood spy movie - invisible ink, coded messages, cash and extensive lists of German intelligence requirements. Open another case and it has the same basic items, but from the British. Dusko was a double agent.
What follows is the international cat and mouse game between Dusko and the German's as he works to support the allied war effort and bring down the German war machine. Feeding truth to one and misinformation to another through his network of spies, he played an instrumental role in determining the outcome of major theatres of war such as Pearl Harbour and D-Day. The stakes for Dusko were high personally and professionally, how long can he maintain multiple lives before he gets ensnared in his own web of deception.
Affable, handsome and charismatic, Dusko served as one of the inspirations for Ian Fleming's James Bond character. But the life of an international spy has a price to be paid with subterfuge, manipulation, lies leading exhaustion, torture and death but who will pay and on what scale...
Recommended for James Bond fans and readers of spy fiction looking for a non fiction read.
Rating: 3.7 / 5
#bookstagram #reading #intothelionsmouth #larryloftis #duskopopov #ianfleming #jamesbond #britishspies #doubleagent #ww2nonfiction #bookrecs #januaryreads #fivequotebookchallenge
August 20, 2023
Generally speaking the book was good - really good! Of course, I love books about spies and espionage. Dusko Popov did a lot of things as a double agent and it was fun reading about his adventures. I'm only going to say that much about his adventures because I don't want to ruin it for anyone.
However, there was one drawback: Loftis' insistence that Popov was the real James Bond. Yes, Popov did a lot of Bond like things, he knew Ian Fleming (the creator of 007) and Fleming was in the casino where Popov played and won baccarat. And Fleming could've used that situation as an inspiration for his first Bond novel, Casino Royale - as a matter of fact I think he may have. But at the end, Loftis seemed to be pushing the inspiration angle too hard for me. In the end, I think that Dusko Popov was one of the inspirations for James Bond, but not the only one.
However, there was one drawback: Loftis' insistence that Popov was the real James Bond. Yes, Popov did a lot of Bond like things, he knew Ian Fleming (the creator of 007) and Fleming was in the casino where Popov played and won baccarat. And Fleming could've used that situation as an inspiration for his first Bond novel, Casino Royale - as a matter of fact I think he may have. But at the end, Loftis seemed to be pushing the inspiration angle too hard for me. In the end, I think that Dusko Popov was one of the inspirations for James Bond, but not the only one.
September 22, 2025
This book blew my mind! I had no idea any of this happened in history. I was hooked. It can be a little tricky to keep everyone's identities straight and to understand all their secret missions, but it is such a crazy good story if you do. I had no idea that there was warning about Pearl Harbor before it happened, and the FBI didn't do anything with that information. I was so upset when I learned this. There were so many lives that could have been saved if it wasn't for Hoover's pride and arrogance. It made me rethink everything I thought I knew about the FBI. I greatly admire Popov and all he and other agents did to help the Allied cause. They were so brave, and they gave up so much. Incredible. I'm going to watch some movies and documentaries about this now because I am so intrigued with anything about this. Again, a mind blowing book. What a guy.
July 2, 2023
It is somewhat hard to believe that one man had such an impact on the outcome of World War II as this book suggests, but the research certainly brings to light the role that Dusko Popov played especially with the information he fed to the Germans regarding the Allies invasion of Europe. No doubt he was recognized as the greatest English spy and was most likely the information for our hero, James Bond. The book also makes a definite statement that the Americans and particularly J. Edgar Hoover made a fatal mistake in ignoring Popov's information regarding Pearl Harbor. In fact, Hoover looks like a total idiot and self-serving maniac in this book and maybe there is truth in that as well. Certainly, an interesting book in regard to the world of espionage during World War II.
June 26, 2024
I really enjoyed this book, but it's a little on the slow side and at times it's almost over researched. Like the author literally has researched the research, like citing how they found some facts, etc. But it's really good! The hook for me is that real-life WWII spy Dusko Popov was the model for Ian Fleming's James Bond. Right down to the women, casinos, and playboy lifestyle. It was very enlightening about the war, and it was also really gripping, as good as any fictional WW II spy thriller. The author is very skilled at telling the story and does a great job at detailing the espionage side of the war. I highly recommend especially if you're interested in WW II, a (classic) Bond fan, or just want to read a good thriller.
May 6, 2025
The true story of Dusko Popov: World War II Spy, Patriot, and the inspiration for James Bond. A double agent for the Abwehr, MI5 and MI6, and the FBI during World War II, Popov seduced numerous women, spoke five languages, and was a crack shot, all while maintaining his cover as a Yugoslavian diplomat….
Dusko Popov alerted American intelligence to the possibility of a Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor but Hoover and the FBI did not pass this info to FDR. Popov was part of the double cross team that fooled the Germans into believing the invasion would NOT come to Normandy.
Dusko Popov alerted American intelligence to the possibility of a Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor but Hoover and the FBI did not pass this info to FDR. Popov was part of the double cross team that fooled the Germans into believing the invasion would NOT come to Normandy.
February 12, 2024
There were many interesting bits of Dusko's life in here, but the narrative always felt a bit disjointed. Not helped along by the author's habit of iterating between referring to people by first names, last names, or spy handles.
I do appreciate the author puts some research into verifying some of the claims of Dusko, so it may present a more realistic view on what his life was actually like than just reading his autobiography.
I do appreciate the author puts some research into verifying some of the claims of Dusko, so it may present a more realistic view on what his life was actually like than just reading his autobiography.
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