WWII is such an interesting time period for me. Hearing the info and story about a real spy who was able to get in and help Britain was so interesting. I like it read all I can on the time period and war and this was definitely worth the read!

Author Robert Hutton https://www.roberthutton.co.uk published the book “Agent Jack: The True Story of MI5’s Secret Nazi Hunter” in 2019. This is his third book and first novel.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this book as ‘G. The book is the story of Eric Roberts and his career with MI-5 during WWII.

Roberts was a bank clerk when he was recruited by MI-5 to identify fascists and communists in Britain. At first, he was only working in the evenings for MI-5. Eventually, he became a full-time agent. He had the ability to make people trust him. Later he pretended to be a Gestapo agent hiding in England trying to build a network of Nazi supporters.

The British government feared that they would have to deal wit a German fifth column. This threat was the stimulus for most of Roberts' later undercover work. He was able to find some in Britain with clear Nazi sentiments. He never found the organized covert support for Germany that the British government feared.

I enjoyed the 10.5+ hours I spent reading this 323-page WWII history. This was a part of WWII history I had not come across before. The real adventures of Roberts read more like fiction than history. The way the author wrote this book made it very readable. It was like reading a novel instead of a history book. I do like the chosen cover art. I rate this book as a 4 out of 5.

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Robert Hutton brilliantly tells the true story of a secret MI5 operation during WWII. This operation centers around Eric Roberts, known as Jack King during the operation, and his efforts to find Nazi sympathizers in Britain.
He started out by presenting himself as a fascist supporter and joining fascist groups during WWI. This gave him a legitimate history that aided him during Operation Fifth Column when he was questioned and doubted by those he was duping. Then during WWII, he pretended to be a Gestapo agent working to learn British secrets to pass to Germany. Over the course of this operation, he had 500 people who reported to him. Because of his work, MI5 was able to keep tabs on people who they otherwise may not have known about until they did something drastic.
This operation was kept classified until 2014. Robert Hutton did an incredible job researching and talking to people who could help him piece together the story. If you are interested in history, World War II, Great Britain, espionage, or anything of the sort then this is the book for you.

Based on recently released WWII records, this is the gripping historical account of a seemingly ordinary bank clerk named Jack Richards, who became a highly effective spy for the British Secret Service. He was able to provide information that was hugely valuable in the effort to win the war against Nazi aggression. This true account is a glimpse into a world of deep secrecy that few knew existed until very recently when related documents were released. Even Churchill was not privy to this information at the time.
Agent Jack infiltrated several groups of British citizens who were Nazi sympathizers, referred to as the “fifth column”, who were living in England and actively helping the Nazis in their quest to take over England. He gained so much credibility that he was able to convince them to use him as a conduit of information to and from the Nazi regime. Of course, this info went directly to MI5, while the Nazi’s received false or misleading information. He also posed as a Gestapo agent and was able to do much more.
This is so fully packed with information that I had to take some notes to keep track of all the characters and who they were pretending to be. I also read only a few chapters at a time so that I would not get lost. It’s not an easy read, but there is so much jaw-dropping information in there that it’s worth a bit of extra effort to read it.

Note: I received an advance copy of the ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the overall story and the concept to share some history from 100 years ago. Interesting to read about some of the challenges that England was phased with during the World Wars in dealing with some of their own citizens.

Several years ago, I helped a man research information on the British Union of Fascists and Oswald Mosley. That was the first time I had ever heard of Nazi sympathizers and agitators in England during World War II. At the time, I found it mildly interesting but not enough to do further research of my own, so I was happy to dive into this dry but fascinating book about Agent Jack.

The cloak-and-dagger element of the undercover agent whose work was so secret that no one knew about it for decades is a definite hook to get people to pick up the book. I found the first couple of chapters to be a little dry, with lots of names and strands of stories introduced. However, it all starts to come together and results in a solid historical offering. Recommended.

I am not sure why, but I picked this book up numerous times and just could not get into it. The history was interesting, Hutton writes well, and the people being discussed lead seemingly interesting lives. I would recommend this to others that may find this type of history entertaining or would like more information about the time period and the methods of spy work that Agent Jack explores.

I read most of the book. It was OK read but it took me too much time to read it. I would say this: it is a book definitely for those who love that kond of plot. I was intrigued but this story did not wow me. It was just another plot for me.
Male readers will love this one.

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Agent Jack: The True Story of MI5’s Secret Nazi Hunter by Robert Hutton is the true story of Eric Roberts, a bank clerk who worked with MI5 to try and find Nazi sympathizers and informers in wartime Britain. Mr. Hutton is a political correspondent for Bloomberg.

This book is about another unknown here for World War II, a man pretending to be a Gestapo agent in England. Eric Roberts, a bored clerk, starts to work for the intelligence services by infiltrating fascists movements, analyzing whether or not they can do damage to national security.

Mr. Roberts worked under his real name, but when it came to take on the personality of a Gestapo agent, he went under “Jack King”. Agent Jack: The True Story of MI5’s Secret Nazi Hunter by Robert Hutton tells his story in a compelling and fascinating manner. MI5 has been worried about the “fifth column”, a group of people trying to undermine the English government from within, welcoming the Nazis once they invade.

While I’m sure that working undercover, especially with extremists, is dangerous. However many of Mr. Roberts’ contacts were just bumbling Nazis trying to gain favor when the invasion happen. Every now and then Mr. Roberts would encounter an actual competent traitor, such as Marita Perigoe, who could have done serious damage to England if she wasn’t stopped. While the rest were fumbling around, some of the information they gave to the fake Gestapo agent would have been very meaningful and damaging if it fell into the wrong hands.

What was interesting to me, and the author did touch on it, was how Mr. Roberts could explain his lack of uniform to the people surrounding him. As it were, he said he was a consciousness objector, which made the life of his family, especially that of his school age son, very difficult as many of the other fathers were serving on the front-lines.

The book is expertly researched with extensive notes and bibliographical information. There are many photos and illustrations throughout as well as a list of characters to make it easier to follow. While I thought the narrative was a bit dry here and there, I realized that no one ever said that the inner workings of real spy agencies are glamorous to being with.

Princess Fuzzypants here: If you are a fan of spy stories, here is a book that is sure to hold your interest and it is all true. It is the story of a rather ordinary unassuming bank clerk who is enlisted into the game originally to keep tabs of members of the Union of British Fascists. This ordinary man had extraordinary skills and intelligence so that he was able to work his way through the ranks while convincing those on whom he was spying that he was one of them.
Graced with an amazing memory and ability to keep things organized, his initiation proved valuable during the years leading to WWII but absolutely critical after war commenced. Under the alias of Jack King, he was able to convince some of the most rabid Nazi sympathizers that he was an undercover Gestapo agent recruiting fifth columnists to send secrets back to the Reich and undermine the war effort in Britain. At one time he had 500 sub-agents who would report back to him. They thought he was passing along the information to Germany when he was, in fact, passing it to MI5. These were truly dangerous people who might have done serious damage without him.
Until recently his story was never told. He never received credit for his achievements nor did he reap rewards. But he was far more effective and important than a host of the Upper Class/Right School twits who ran many of the organizations. It was only when the files were declassified and the story came out that his heroism and patriotism was known. But then he had died, at his home on Vancouver Island in Canada.
It is a fascinating tale the author has cobbled together from documents and interviews with the children of those involved. .It is time he got his due. Four purrs and two paws up.

Agent Jack is a fascinating look into the true life exploits of a covert spy operation, known as the Fifth Column. Concocted at the start of the Second World War, the ultra secretive operation monitored and manipulated members of a fascist movement in Britain, who’s goal was to assist the German army in the war. At the heart of it all is the humble Eric Roberts, a like able chap, who’s unlikely and humble background make him a perfect spy. He joined the ranks of MI5, a secret spy network dedicated to monitoring domestic insurgents. His easygoing, like able nature led him to lead an illustrious career with MI5, where he was in charge of over 500 “agents” who were throughly convinced Eric Roberts was a German agent known as Jack King. This is an intriguing story since it isn’t one that is terribly well known. Since the case files are incomplete and this story has missing pieces we aren’t able to string the story together seamlessly, but Robert Hutton gives us a fairly comprehensive story of the heroic and important efforts of a secret spy agency manipulating people and intelligence in secret. Definitely a worthy read for fans of WW11 genres. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Agent Jack tells the true story of Eric Roberts, a seemingly forgettable bank clerk who worked undercover investigating Nazi sympathizers in England during World War II.

Impeccably researched using newly released records and family papers, this biography tells not only the story of Roberts’ (a.k.a., Jack King’s) life, but also the stories of his associates—both true Fascists and those who pretended to be. The three-page list of characters and their associations at the beginning of the book is daunting, but it’s surprisingly easy to keep everyone straight. And it’s disturbingly easy to like some of these German sympathizers. What is confusing, though, is the ways in which some of these individuals are double and even triple crossed.

Sadly, Roberts died in relative obscurity (and poverty) in Western Canada, his heroic actions unrecognized and unknown. Fascinating though the story is, it is non-fiction, so it may not appeal to all readers. #NetGalley #AgentJack

Eric Roberts...aka Agent Jack is a bank clerk. He becomes an agent for the British MI5. He actually infiltrates groups of communists and fascist. Then after WWII breaks out he becomes a Gestapo Agent...or does he. He is actually a double agent reporting everything to the MI5 agency.


Most of Agent Jack's story was classified until 2014. I cannot imagine trying to research about this fascinating man and all his exploits. This book is so well researched and full of compelling information. However, I did get a little tired of some of the details. It is slow going in some areas. But, it is an interesting part of WWII which seems to have been overlooked. And Agent Jack is a true hero! Without his work and expertise, the war could have turned out very differently.

I received this biography from St. Martin's Press for a honest review.

I received a free ARC of Agent Jack: The True Story of MI5's Secret Nazi Hunter from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Layers upon layers. Deceit hidden within deceit. Years of lies and half-truths that must be remembered. Spies hiding in plain sight. Nazis unwittingly working for British intelligence. These are the elements of the British efforts to curtail German spying on British soil in the 1930s and 1940s.

Eric Roberts was just an ordinary guy. He wasn't particularly well educated and he certainly did not come from an upper crust background. His employment as a bank teller was quite boring and required him to be at his betters' mercy. But, prior to World War II, Roberts became an undercover agent for MI5 tasked with investigating and infiltrating groups such as the British Union of Fascists, a pro German association that appealed to many ordinary Brits. Furthermore, It was believed by many that there was a "Fifth Column," German sympathizers hidden within ordinary British society who would assist German forces if Germany invaded. Many of the more overt fascists were interred on the Isle of Man but there were many more who were unknown to British authorities. Roberts' job was to find these supporters.

By the time war actually started, Roberts' role became that of spy runner who actually contained his recruits. They believed they were working for the Nazis but in reality they reported via Roberts to MI5. Any potential information they accumulated did not go to Germany but stayed within Britain. Some authorities were concerned that a mission like Roberts' crossed an ethical line and encouraged anti-British, pro-Nazi behaviors. Consequently Roberts had to appear to support his recruits without encouraging treason or allowing any real acts of sabotage. Initially working under his own name, Roberts constantly walked a fine line between restraining willing German spies and saboteurs while discovering everything they wanted to share with Germany. This balancing act required fast thinking, smooth talking and building of long-term relationships with people with pro-Nazi views. For many, a deep antisemitism served as the core of their pro-Nazi beliefs.

The conclusion of the war resulted in Roberts unwilling to return to his rather humdrum life. His family had sacrificed much in terms of reputation because of his open and unexplained alliance with fascism. Roberts' service to his country remained largely unknown for decades.

The success of Roberts and his fellow MI5 agents with controlling and containing Nazi spies in Britain during war is a remarkable tale. Agent Jack is a thrilling read.

Agent Jack by Robert Hutton is billed as the True Story of MI5's Secret Nazi Hunter and it certainly lives up to that billing. I am not normally a reader of non-fiction but this title enthralled me and I found it deceptively easy to read. The style was narrative and very engaging-what a great story and true. It is so easy to get lost in the Holocaust that many of us forget the greater picture of World War II and England is a huge part of that as the next target on Hitler's list. England suffered so much during World War I and then to turn around and face it all again...Also so sad is how many from the homeland were prepared to welcome Hitler with open arms, particularly as exemplified in this story of Agent Jack.

So many people are looking for a better life and often they choose the wrong path to just that. These were good people that were poorly informed, as pictured in this book. It's hard to trust your own government sometimes and many people in England did not. Churchill was not a popular choice at first. Many people wanted something different and worked hard to get it, not really understanding what Nazism was. This was a terrific read. I recommend it to any one who is a reader of history or has a particular interest in World War II or loves undercover work.

I received a free ARC of Agent Jack from Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #agentjack

This tells the story of a history that I didn't even know existed. The level of detail is incredible! It reads like a spy novel but recounts an accurate history ... you definitely get more bang for your buck with this book! The author's level of research and attention to detail are evident. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes spy novels and to those who like to read about history!

A Hidden Story of WWII Espionage

During WWII a number of individuals in Great Britain sympathized with the Nazis and were eager to supply secret information to them. This is the story of Eric Roberts, a bank clerk, who as Jack King formed these traitors into a network that supplied him with information that he passed to MI5.

Roberts was known a something of a daredevil, but was very personable and able to attract people to him. He had done some spy work for MI5 before the war and wanted to get back into the game. He got his chance and was able to infiltrate Fascist and Nazi groups. He became a leader, Hitler’s man in Britain, and was able pass on information that the traitors were trying to send to Germany. Information on Bletchley Park, a secret radar named Windows, and other to secret plans that would have severely hampered Britain’s war effort were among those Jack intercepted.

The book is exceptionally well researched. The author did an excellent job of digging deep into the past and bringing to life episodes that were classified until 2014. Sometimes the book reads like a thriller. At other times it gets bogged down in a tremendous amount of detail. Even minor characters are introduced with their full histories. If you love history, you enjoy these excursions. However, it does interfere with the flow of the narrative.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

Although the story behind the book is very interesting and needed to be told now, the book read more as a college textbook. Like everything in war, the story revolves around the fact that England had many people who sympathized with Nazism, what Germany was doing, and were interested in helping the Germans succeed. I thought there was too much detail that was extraneous to the story and was more gossip than fact. I struggled getting through the book but enjoyed the story overall.

This books is very well written with an amazing amount of detail. I really struggled finishing this book as I had trouble keeping the people straight. I will re-read this book again to see if I can better understand it. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have been an avid reader of anything to do with WWII and the Holocaust. There are very few things that could shock me about that era. Then I read Agent Jack and had my mind blown.

I don’t know why I was so surprised to read that there were Nazi sympathizers in England. I shouldn’t have been. Considering that Germany is a little over an hour (flying time) from England, it should have made sense. I will admit, it threw me off the book for a little bit. Once I was able to wrap my mind around that, I was able to get somewhat get into Agent Jack.

Agent Jack took me six days to read. Four of those six days were spent traveling. Ever travel with three kids? Then you understand why it took me so long to read. The other reason why it took me so long was that I had to force myself to read and finish the book. Which, if you have done it, isn’t a good thing. I also found it extremely dry. There was a lot of information to process.

There were parts of the book that I found interesting. It involved the MI5, which is England’s equivalent to the US’s CIA. I found it fascinating the politics that went into everything. I haven’t read a lot of books on the MI5, but what I have read caught my interest.

Agent Jack had a wide assortment of people as main characters. But the main guy, the bank clerk who was essential to everything, was fascinating. He kept tabs on 500 people without blowing his cover. Which, to me, is impressive. I can’t even keep tabs on three people without running into issues.

I liked that the author chose to portray the Nazi sympathizers in a way that explains why they felt that way. A lot of these sympathizers were refugees from WWI and harbored anger towards England. They would do anything to help Germany, which included betraying the country that took them in.

The author did a fantastic job of showing what happened to all the key players, good and bad, at the end of the book. I will say that I was incensed over how Eric Roberts was treated. That poor man gave years and to get treated like that!! Shameful.