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The most remarkable double agent of World War II, Eddie Chapman was witty, handsome, and charming. Too bad he was also a con man, womanizer, and safe-cracker. To the British, though, he was known as ZigZag, one of MI5's most valuable agents. To the Abwehr--German military intelligence--he was known as Fritzchen (Little Fritz), and was believed to be one of their most valued and trusted spies. For three long years, Eddie played this dangerous double game, daily risking life and limb to help the Allies win the war. He was so charming that his German handler, Baron Stefan von Gröning, thought of Fritzchen as the son he never had. The Germans even awarded him the Iron Cross for spying for the Reich! They sent him to Britain, with the mission to blow up the De Havilland aircraft factory. How he and MI5 convinced the Germans that he had accomplished his mission stands as one of history's greatest acts of counterintelligence. Until now, Eddie Chapman's extraordinary double life has never been told, thwarted by the Official Secrets Act. Now all the evidence--including Eddie's MI5 file--has finally been released, paving the way for Nicholas Booth's enthralling account of Eddie's long and extraordinary life. A film of ZigZag is in the works with Tom Hanks producing and Mike Newell directing.… (more)
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Where I take issue with the story is in the motivations of its protagonist, Eddie Chapman. From a pre-war life of petty crime, and complete disregard for civility, we are asked to believe that Chapman (while languishing in a hell-hole
Considering Chapman's behaviour leading up to the fateful moment when he offers his talents (among which is an active familiarity with explosives) to German Intelligence immediately after they overrun the Channel Islands, the intelligent and discerning reader cannot help but question his motives. In fact, all the way through the book, it is evident that Chapman's sole motivation is either to get himself out of a bad situation (as in the Jersey jail cell), or to enrich himself (by going back to Germany after he has been apprehended by British Intelligence, and then Chapman patriotically offers himself up as a double agent). Of course, he brags to all and sundry that the Germans owe him a king's ransom for "blowing up" the factory producing DeHavilland's mighty Mosquito fighter-bomber.
In every incident throughout the war, Chapman shows himself to be nothing more than an opportunist. Yes, it is likely that he did aid British Intelligence in a couple of minor ways, but it seems highly likely that Eddie Chapman's main concern and motivation was nothing more than to live a life of luxury and self-importance, without regard for the consequences.