Spy Counter-spy

By Duško Popov

Book Overview

A wealthy lawyer, debonair ladies' man, consummate actor, and courageous gambler, Dusko Popov played the role of playboy among the top echelons of British society to become one of Germany's most... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B000SOJKO0
• Release Date: January 1975
• Publisher: Fawcett
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.39 lbs.

Customer Reviews

I loved this book

Plain and simple this book is awesome...I truly believe this is the greatest Spy book I ever read! I also believe part of Bond is based on Dusko

Inspiration of Ian Fleming's James Bond Character

I read this book in 1974 when I was 16. I thought it was a great spy novel, along with "Escape from Colditz". The title was apparently taken from "Point-Counterpoint". The author resided with his family in Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia on the Dalmation coast of Croatia (AKA Adriatic Riviera and a favorite spot of Jacques Cousteau) which was originally a Roman Seaport named Ragusa, and, after repeated enquiries, Popov described himself as Ragusan in a very Tito-like fashion. With the advent of the internet, I searched out and bought an out-of-print hardcover copy for another read. It was still a good read 30+ years later. I suspect the British Committe 20 (written committee XX), nicknamed the double-cross committee is the source for the 00 designation and its origin may be as simple as tic-tac-toe or just plain Freudian. The "M" designation in the Bond series may have originated from the names "Menzies" and/or "Masterman" who were both connected with committe 20 for training double-agents during WWII. The classic Bond casino scene is described in the book as being originated in a Lisbon casino where Popov used a substantial amount of British funds, intended for other purposes, to publicly deflate the ego of a successful, but pompous Middle-Eastern Gambler in a game of baccarat. Perhaps, Popov believed turkish cafe was the ONLY saving grace of the Ottoman occupation, who knows!? Trying to sift through Balkan history brings the word "chaos" to mind. Ian Fleming was surveilling Popov at the time of the casino encounter and Popov describes the scene, quite well in the book. I'm writing this review now after viewing the new "Casino Royale" movie which intimates the origin of the 007 myth. I believe this book would have and still will be the best jumping-off point for the fledgeling, idealistic and impetuous James Bond character in his mid-twenties during WWII developing into the wordly and vastly more experienced cold war character that Sean Connery so aptly portrayed and immortalised and has yet to be uncrowned 007.

Fascinating

As a person with Yugoslavian heritage, I find it extremely interesting to read about a Yugoslavian who tricked the Nazi's as a double-spy. Dushko writes this in a fascinating, captivating style. At no point is this book boring and mundane. He has an extremely fascinating tale to tell about his exploits. Most autobiographies by people who lead fascinating lives are exceptionally dull. It is normally because the author, while having much that is interesting to say, chokes it out by going into mundane and pointless details. Or their ego fans out the book to nothing more than fluff. But Dushko writes this in a different fashion, it is crafted in an exciting yet personal way. His own emotions and biases come through but in a smooth and well regulated fashion. I'd have to say this is the best memoir I've read yet in terms of skilfully communicating what is going on in a well-written way. I highly recommend this book for those who want an exciting story about espionage! It is James-Bond-ish, or perhaps James Bond is Spy-Counterspy-ish, which is more likely. Its a great case study of a playboy-type spy.

Spy/counterspy;:The autobiography of Dusko Popov

James Bond fans and history buffs, this is the real thing.

The Model for "James Bond"

This book is about the top Nazi master spy (and British counter spy) of WW II. "James Bond" faced fictional dangers, Dusko Popov faced the real danger of the Nazi Gestapo. The book lacks an index and a table of contents, but is exceptionally well written. I think this book is British Security Coordination's posthumous revenge on J. Edgar Hoover. It first revealed the circumstances of his encounter with Hoover and the Nazi interest in Pearl Harbor. Chapter 1 tells of his education in Freiburg University, and his arrest by the Gestapo. It was a lesson in terror: his friends pretended to barely know him, professors who previously praised him now slandered him. His father's influence saved him, but he was banned from Germany. DP was not bothered previously; he was a crack shot with the pistol. His method was to use his middle finger on the trigger and his index finger along the barrel as a pointer (p.9). DP was met by an old friend who offered him a business deal, then recruited him into the Abwehr. DP then talked to a member of the British Embassy, and became a double agent. He had a photographic memory, but it faded away (p.87). Pages 90-91 tell of the code words used to arrange meetings. Nobody should claim that all the German people accepted Hitler willingly; there would have been no Gestapo (p.105). Chapter 14 tells of his visit to New York. His audience with J. Edgar Hoover showed Hoover to be not up to standards. Pages 196-204 discuss the attack on Pearl Harbor, after DP notified the FBI of Nazi Germany's interest in this target. He believes "the sinister character" of Hoover was responsible for the failure to transmit the warning in the German Questionnaire (between pages 148-149). ("The Day of Deceit" provides another answer.) The result of all this was to wreck his mission (p.216). When he could not get sanitized information, DP lifted material from newspapers! Chapter 19 tells of the network developed in Yugoslavia by the Abwehr in order to intermix an occasional Nazi spy with smuggled refugees from Yugoslavia. These spies were captured as soon as they reached Britain. Pages 274-5 tell of an incident when a double agent was indiscreet. Immediate plans were made to eliminate the listener. At the last minute they realized the listener was another British agent! The most critical time was the spring of 1944. Would the elaborate deception continue to fool the Germans until the invasion of France? It did, and the diversion helped victory. ((His beating of Salzer, followed by his vomiting, tells me that Dusko did finish him off (p.339).)