Here’s our writing masterclass post from Nigel West which focusses on his title Cold War Counterfeit Spies!

What inspired you to write it?

Examination of ne newly-declassified MI5 files at the National Archives.

What interesting facts have you uncovered during your research?

That the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) played a key role in the plot to assassinate Hitler in July 1944, and that one of the German plotters had been recruited as a British agent in 1942.

What was the hardest part about writing this book?

Avoiding distraction by a dozen fascinating sub-plots.

Is there a unique angle to this book and if so, what is it?

That the German wartime intelligence service, the Abwehr, has been misjudged and under-estimated by most British and American historians.

What has researching this book taught you?

That there are plenty of secrets and surprises hidden in British and American archives.

What part of the book are you most proud of?

The identification of a secret Abwehr headquarters, codenamed BELINDE, at the Schloss Baruth, as this was where the Abwehr plotters met to plan their putsch and replace the Nazi regime with a restored monarchy.

View all books by Nigel West here.