The Eagle in the Mirror

About this book

‘The Eagle in the Mirror immerses readers in spycraft and molehunts and emerges as a captivating biography. Acknowledging the challenges in reevaluating the life and work of the besmirched Ellis, Fink does a more than admirable job, ultimately offering a book capable of opening minds.’Booklist‘A fine summary of a controversial case.’ Studies in Intelligence, Center for the Study of Intelligence, CIA‘This tense, absorbing book digs into the facts, seeking to determine if one of Britain’s greatest spies was also one of its greatest traitors.’BookBub'Great tale of espionage. The Eagle in the Mirror is a successful rehabilitation of a master spy who was unfairly accused of being a double agent, and even a triple agent, at the service of Germany and the Soviet Union... after a relentless investigation, Jesse Fink's book does justice to Ellis.'Taline Ter Minassian, author of Most Secret Agent of Reginald Teague-Jones, Master Spy of the Great Game'A highly significant contribution to the literature of intelligence... Fink has performed some extremely important research.'Antony Percy, author of Misdefending the How MI5's Incompetence Enabled Communist Subversion of Britain's Institutions during the Nazi-Soviet Pact'The Eagle in the Mirror traces the life of spymaster Dick Ellis, an Australian-born Brit who became one of MI6’s most senior officers and helped found both the American OSS and Australian SIS. Jesse Fink meticulously pieces together hundreds of fragments and mentions of Ellis to construct a mosaic image of one of the 20th-century intelligence community’s most elusive and controversial figures.‘Despite his towering accomplishments, Ellis stands accused of being not only a double agent for the Nazis but a triple agent for the Soviet Union. Fink spent years collecting and making sense of the entire body of evidence against Ellis—including a great deal of circumstantial evidence and unsubstantiated innuendo—and then methodically and clearheadedly analyses each piece of it in an effort to determine once and for all if Ellis was or wasn’t one of the greatest traitors of our time.‘This book is a fascinating and comprehensive look at one of the most private and undocumented figures of the 20th century. Fink is scrupulous in citing his sources, verifying each fact to the fullest possible extent and faithfully reporting conflicting information, which he leaves to the reader to weigh and decide what is closest to the truth.‘A rollercoaster ride of “did he or didn’t he,” this ambitious biography reads more like a high-stakes spy novel as Fink winds through the web of secrets and treachery that finally ensnared Ellis and left both his career and reputation in ruins. By examining the man’s life and work in their totality, Fink definitively paints a picture of whether or not Ellis was a traitor or the victim of a smear campaign that was at best petty and at worst an attack from within the Kremlin itself.‘This fascinating glimpse inside the world of real spies and the dangerous, convoluted, silent wars they wage on behalf of their countries will mesmerise you from start to finish. Tackling the life of an extremely private man who left little to no record of his life behind was a monumental task, but one Fink was fully up to in this brilliantly executed biography. This enthralling story finally brings clarity to one of the muddiest episodes in modern intelligence history. A must-read for anyone with an interest in World War II, the Cold War, or in understanding the nuance and complexity of the world spies inhabit.’Cindy Dees, New York Times bestselling author of Second Shot and Double Tap'An important book on a figure who deserves proper historical attention.'Giles Scott-Smith, dean, Leiden University College, The Hague'This engrossing book makes a powerful case for Ellis to be seen as a hero.'Simon Caterson, The Australian'Forensic and engrossing. The point of Fink's work is to convincingly demolish various attacks on Ellis's reputation, especially the self-serving accusations of treacherous dealings, first with the Nazis and then the Soviet Union, made by a phalanx of bitter, or simply gullible, "insiders"... it was all nonsense, if Fink is to be believed, and I think he can be... Ellis, who died in 1975, was interrogated in 1966. Nothing of any substance was found. But the mere fact that he'd been questioned spawned an orgy of bestselling "exposés", penned for profit by men who had never felt at home with truth or loyalty. Fink's comprehensive exoneration, while as complex as the subject demands, is written by a fellow who clearly values both.'Pat Sheil, The Sydney Morning Herald'Jesse Fink's passion to uncover the true story of Dick Ellis is an engaging journey through espionage in the post-World War I and World War II era. The highlight of the stor...