The exploits of great spies were one of the most popular inspirations for books and films throughout the 20th century. The truth is that real spies exist in a murky world of espionage that is often nasty, brutal and short. The great clashes of nationalism, imperialism, communism and fascism provided the backdrop for the 20th century spy. We will probably never know the names of some of the greatest spies. If they did their work well enough, their exploits will remain forever unknown. But the stories of some that are known are extraordinary enough. The lives of Mata Hari, Sidney Reilly and Lawrence of Arabia are just a few of the colourful characters in our survey of the most daring and outrageous individual spy cases to have been publicised in the 20th Century.
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