My Family And Other Spies, Alistair Wood
My Family And Other Spies, Alistair Wood
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My Family And Other Spies

Author: Alistair Wood

Narrator: David Rintoul

Unabridged: 10 hr 34 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 05/08/2025


Synopsis

Brought to you by Penguin.

The unforgettable memoir of life in a family like no other, and their extraordinary, eccentric part in half a century of espionage . . .

‘It has always been inculcated into me that no good could ever come of having anything to do with my father …’

As a boy, Alistair Wood lived within the (very high) walls of a Secret Intelligence Service – or MI6 – training camp, surrounded by some of the most senior - and colourful - characters in SIS history. After all, he was family. His mother was one of a handful of women to have operated behind the lines in post-war Berlin. His father, once one of Britain’s most highly-regarded intelligence officers, was an absent and perplexing figure, the reasons for his sudden departure from the Service still classified to this day. But Wood’s search for the truth took him on a journey more remarkable than even he had imagined.

My Family and Other Spies is a gripping exploration of an extraordinary, scarcely believable life, a globe-trotting spy story that spans a half century from the gathering storm before the Second World War to the fall of Communism, and a son’s reckoning with the secrets of the past.

"Simply stunning ... might be the best non-fiction book I’ve ever read about post-war SIS" - CHARLES BEAUMONT

© Alistair Wood 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Reviews

Goodreads review by Robert on July 17, 2025

Prompted by a 'Friend's' review on GR, I ordered this from the library thinking it would be right up my street. The story is but sadly not written this way. I'm writing this while Raynor Winn's The Salt Path is much in the news. Say what you like about that book but it was never 'meh'. She described......more

Goodreads review by Mandy on June 23, 2025

I found this a great read, and a quite fascinating one. A remarkable story of a remarkable – and enigmatic – man. Part coming-of-age tale, part family saga, part thriller, part insight into spycraft and the workings of the secret service, all written in an accessible and eminently readable style wit......more

Goodreads review by Andy on July 08, 2025

enjoyed reading about a different and time......more

Goodreads review by Mark on August 20, 2025

A very good read. Started off rather slowly but became more absorbing as I read past the halfway point.......more

Goodreads review by Gerard on May 20, 2025

An interesting recounting of the life of the author's father. It provides an insight into the secret service from the Second World War......more


Quotes

This book is simply stunning. It might be the best non-fiction book I’ve ever read about post-war SIS, and Alistair’s unique (an overused word, but in this sense, entirely justified) perspective allows him to draw back the curtain on one of the most secretive organisations in the world, in a way that nobody else has done, or could do. The story of JBW is picaresque, intriguing, dramatic and a window onto the frontlines of World War II and Cold War spying, offering insights I have never before seen on the printed page. It’s also a moving personal story about a son’s attempt to understand his father, and very funny in an understated, British way. This is a book that everyone interested in British Intelligence will devour, shaking their heads in disbelief at the extraordinary stories as they do so Charles Beaumont

A brilliant memoir Daily Express

My Family and Other Spies is a remarkable insight into British intelligence in the Cold War, eloquently told through the unlikely but compelling medium of a family memoir and with all the intrigue and suspense of a truly gripping espionage novel

A compelling personal journey to uncover the truth and an intimate view into one of Britain’s most secretive organisations Helen Fry, author of Spymaster and MI9

A very English Mr and Mrs Smith… makes a fabulous romp… it’s a tale elegantly told Observer

The intriguing story of how the author peels back the cloak of mystery surrounding his father, a member of the Secret Intelligence Service – that’s MI6 to you and I. A very good book … strongly recommended

An intriguing memoir London Standard

[A] fabulous romp of a book, part John le Carré and part Ealing comedy Sunday Times