Double Cross in Cairo: The True Story of the Spy Who Turned the Tide of the War in the Middle East

By Nigel West

Book Overview

An Italian Jew who held a British passport and spied for four different countries, Renato Levi was known to the Germans as Robert but codenamed Cheese by MIG. As one of the most successful double agents of the Second World War, Levi created an imaginary spy ring across North Africa and the Middle East to mislead the Axis. He exaggerated Allied strengths by inventing non-existent military units, reporting on bogus deployments and making false claims about future strategy. In doing so, he hoodwinked the Afrika Korps, duped the Luftwaffe to save Malta, then under siege, and tied down enemy forces in the Balkans, diverting them from Normandy. An adventurer, playboy and plausible rogue, Levi became a vital source of intelligence for the Abwehr, and a highly effective instrument of deception for MI5's regional organisation, Security Intelligence Middle East. Featuring fascinating material from recently declassified files, Double Cross in Cairo uncovers the heroic exploits of one of the most closely guarded secrets of the Second World War. Book jacket.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 178590518X
• ISBN13: 9781785905186
• Release Date: July 2020
• Publisher: Biteback Publishing
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 4.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.0" x 7.7"