The Hornet's Sting: The Amazing Untold Story of World War II Spy Thomas Sneum

Even fictional spy masters James Bond and Jason Bourne would be hard-pressed to match the real-life adventures of Thomas Sneum (1917-2007), a Danish national who spied for the British during WWII. His first mission was self-assigned, risking his life to photograph a German Freya radar station and catch a daring plane flight from Denmark to England in order to trade intelligence for an opportunity to serve as a Royal Air Force pilot. British Intelligence, however, had other plans for Sneum, convincing him to return to Denmark and continue his espionage. The twists and turns his life takes after parachuting back into Nazi-occupied Denmark are more involved and excruciating than Fleming or Ludlum could dream; Sneum himself says, ""There were times during the war when James Bond would have gone back. I carried on."" This involving chronicle from UK writer Ryan, based on extensive interviews with Sneum, is an excellent example of the old truth-and-fiction adage, and a treat for fans of wild WWII yarns.