Johnny
A Spy's Life
Published on 20. January 2010
Book
Hardback
512 pages
978-0-271-03569-7 (ISBN)
Description
Johann Heinrich Amadeus de Graaf, known as Johnny all his life, was born on May 11, 1894, in Nordenham, near Bremerhaven in northwest Germany. He died at age eighty-six on December 2, 1980, in Brockville, Ontario, where he and his wife ran a tourist lodge. That he lived as long as he did is miraculous, considering that he had spent many years acting as a double agent-pretending to work for Soviet intelligence while really functioning as an operative for Britain's MI6.
His life had many twists and turns, and murder, treachery, intrigue, and violence were never far from his doorstep. Eventually joining the Spartacus Bund (which evolved into the German Communist Party) in 1919, he later became a staunch anti-Communist and played a key role in undermining the efforts of Communists in Brazil to oust the government of Getulio Vargas in 1935. After retiring from MI6, he even volunteered his services to the FBI's J. Edgar Hoover in 1950.
Based on documents from multiple government archives as well as many interviews, the most important of which was a series that Gordon Scott conducted with Johnny in 1975-76, this story of the life of a spy who hid behind sixty-nine different aliases during the course of his colorful career is a gripping tale of espionage and counterespionage during a critical period of the political history of the twentieth century.
His life had many twists and turns, and murder, treachery, intrigue, and violence were never far from his doorstep. Eventually joining the Spartacus Bund (which evolved into the German Communist Party) in 1919, he later became a staunch anti-Communist and played a key role in undermining the efforts of Communists in Brazil to oust the government of Getulio Vargas in 1935. After retiring from MI6, he even volunteered his services to the FBI's J. Edgar Hoover in 1950.
Based on documents from multiple government archives as well as many interviews, the most important of which was a series that Gordon Scott conducted with Johnny in 1975-76, this story of the life of a spy who hid behind sixty-nine different aliases during the course of his colorful career is a gripping tale of espionage and counterespionage during a critical period of the political history of the twentieth century.
Reviews / Votes
"This book provides fascinating insight into the activities of an agent of Britain's foreign intelligence service (SIS or MI6) that historians of intelligence have long wanted to know more about. It should be read by anyone interested in intelligence history or the history of international relations."-Calder Walton, University of Cambridge "Johnny is a blue-collar spy whose real-life exploits are more daring than those of any fictional James Bond, and who is on the scene at more history-making events worldwide than Woody Allen's peripatetic 'Zelig.' His story is a primer on the spy's tradecraft as well."
-Charles D. Ameringer, author of U.S. Foreign Intelligence: The Secret Side of American History "Johnny fought against injustice and tyranny all his life. We are lucky to have had him in Brazil, and he is one of many unsung heroes in the 'silent service.' Former Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Cliff Harvison stated, 'Thank God he's on our side.'"
-Neil Pollock, former RCMP case officer and handler of Johnny de Graaf "Readers will be intrigued by the elaborate ruses the RCMP and Johnny devised to render Canada's pro-Nazis harmless at the height of the war."
-J. Barry Gurdin, Vancouver Sun "The book offers a raw narrative, rich in detail."
-Diogo Schelp [in Portuguese], Veja "In spite of the considerable research which went into it, Johnny retains many of the virtues and vices of an autobiography. Its story is a compelling narrative with the coherence that a single life brings; moreover, the frequent use of the subject's own words provides the specific insights which are often left out from more general histories. . . . [Johnny is] a superb contribution to the field of history, a well-researched piece of scholarship with an engaging story to tell."
-Aaron Linderman, Canadian Journal of History "This is an engrossing story, well told from beginning to end. . . . I could not put it down until I reached the final pages."
-Jim Gerwing, James Bay Beacon
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Pennsylvania
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Illustrations
73 Halftones, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 42 mm
Weight
862 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-271-03569-7 (9780271035697)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
R. S. Rose, an American, took his doctorate from the University of Stockholm. He teaches criminology and criminal justice at Northern Arizona University, Yuma.
Gordon D. Scott, a Canadian author, resides with his wife on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Gordon D. Scott, a Canadian author, resides with his wife on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Content
Contents
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Explanatory Note
Introduction
1 Wilhelmshaven
2 Merchant Marine
3 Conscripted
4 Osowiec
5 Germany in Chaos
6 Die KPD
7 The Moscow Student
8 Assignment Romania
9 British Missions
10 Berlin and Prague
11 Manchuria and China
12 Brazil One
13 Argentina
14 The Return to Moscow
15 Brazil Two
16 The War's First Years
17 The Montreal Nests
18 A Man from the Sea
19 To Catch a Submarine
20 The Control Commission
21 Home
Epilogue
. . . and the others
Aliases
Notes
Bibliography
Index
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Explanatory Note
Introduction
1 Wilhelmshaven
2 Merchant Marine
3 Conscripted
4 Osowiec
5 Germany in Chaos
6 Die KPD
7 The Moscow Student
8 Assignment Romania
9 British Missions
10 Berlin and Prague
11 Manchuria and China
12 Brazil One
13 Argentina
14 The Return to Moscow
15 Brazil Two
16 The War's First Years
17 The Montreal Nests
18 A Man from the Sea
19 To Catch a Submarine
20 The Control Commission
21 Home
Epilogue
. . . and the others
Aliases
Notes
Bibliography
Index