My Family and Other Spies

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

The unforgettable memoir of life in a family like no other, and their extraordinary, eccentric part in half a century of espionage . . .

‘It has always been inculcated into me that no good could ever come of having anything to do with my father …’

As a boy, Alistair Wood lived within the (very high) walls of a Secret Intelligence Service – or MI6 – training camp, surrounded by some of the most senior - and colourful - characters in SIS history. After all, he was family. His mother was one of a handful of women to have operated behind the lines in post-war Berlin. His father, once one of Britain’s most highly-regarded intelligence officers, was an absent and perplexing figure, the reasons for his sudden departure from the Service still classified to this day. But Wood’s search for the truth took him on a journey more remarkable than even he had imagined.

My Family and Other Spies is a gripping exploration of an extraordinary, scarcely believable life, a globe-trotting spy story that spans a half century from the gathering storm before the Second World War to the fall of Communism, and a son’s reckoning with the secrets of the past.

"Simply stunning ... might be the best non-fiction book I’ve ever read about post-war SIS" - CHARLES BEAUMONT

© Alistair Wood 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Critics Review

This book is simply stunning. It might be the best non-fiction book I've ever read about post-war SIS, and Alistair's unique (an overused word, but in this sense, entirely justified) perspective allows him to draw back the curtain on one of the most secretive organisations in the world, in a way that nobody else has done, or could do. The story of JBW is picaresque, intriguing, dramatic and a window onto the frontlines of World War II and Cold War spying, offering insights I have never before seen on the printed page. It's also a moving personal story about a son's attempt to understand his father, and very funny in an understated, British way. This is a book that everyone interested in British Intelligence will devour, shaking their heads in disbelief at the extraordinary stories as they do so
Charles Beaumont
A brilliant memoir
Daily Express
My Family and Other Spies is a remarkable insight into British intelligence in the Cold War, eloquently told through the unlikely but compelling medium of a family memoir and with all the intrigue and suspense of a truly gripping espionage novel
Alex Gerlis, bestselling author of Agent in Berlin and Every Spy A Traitor
A compelling personal journey to uncover the truth and an intimate view into one of Britain's most secretive organisations
Helen Fry, author of Spymaster and MI9
A very English Mr and Mrs Smith... makes a fabulous romp... it's a tale elegantly told
Observer
The intriguing story of how the author peels back the cloak of mystery surrounding his father, a member of the Secret Intelligence Service - that's MI6 to you and I. A very good book ... strongly recommended
Robert Lyman
An intriguing memoir
London Standard
[A] fabulous romp of a book, part John le Carre and part Ealing comedy
Sunday Times

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