Rogue Agent: From Secret Plots to Psychological Warfare, The Untold Story of Robert Bruce Lockhart
James Crossland
Robert Bruce Lockhart lived through and participated in some of the most important events of the twentieth century. After the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, he became the British government’s unofficial “Agent” in Russia, tasked with both befriending Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky and conspiring with MI6’s “Ace of Spies”, Sidney Reilly, to bring down their revolutionary regime. Following the spectacular failure of this brazen plot to destroy the world’s first Communist state, Lockhart continued to work in the shadows during the 1920s and 30s, facing down the other great ideological force of the age – Fascism. Together with a band of like-minded government officials, spies and journalists, Lockhart foresaw the danger of Mussolini and Hitler, and waged a war of words and ideas against them. This campaign culminated in 1942, when Lockhart was appointed head of the Political Warfare Executive (PWE) – a top secret organisation commissioned by Winston Churchill to use fake news, subversion and propaganda to take the fight for Europe’s hearts and minds to the Third Reich.
From the jungles of Malaysia to the snow-driven streets of Moscow, from the private clubs of Prague to the secret bunkers of Britain’s countryside, Lockhart’s story is one of scandals and subversion, bitter truths and cunning deceptions, scattered across an age of war, revolution and extremism. It is also the tale of a sometimes brilliant yet always flawed upstart, a gifted writer and notorious charmer with a penchant for wine, women and song who, as the press baron Lord Beaverbook put it, ‘could well have been prime minister’ if not for the grip these vices had on him. Drawn from years of research into private papers, top secret documents and the memoirs and diaries of those who knew him best, as well as the numerous works penned by Lockhart himself, Rogue Agent is the first biography of one of the most unconventional heroes of the world’s darkest hours.
Book Details:
- Author: James Crossland
- Published Year: 2024
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Rights Sold
- UK: Elliott & Thompson
James Crossland
James Crossland is a Reader in International History at Liverpool John Moores University and Co-Director of the Centre for Modern and Contemporary History. He has a broad interest in the history of political violence, intelligence, propaganda, subversion and the politics of warfare, and has authored three books – The Rise of Devils: Fear and the Origins of Modern Terrorism (MUP, 2023), War, Law and Humanity: The Campaign to Control Warfare, 1853-1914 (Bloomsbury, 2018) and Britain and the international Committee of the Red Cross, 1939-1945 (Palgrave, 2014).
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Book Reviews
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"This biography, detailed and engagingly written, gives us the man, warts and all: a restless spirit who might well have achieved more with fewer women and less wine. "
Telegraph -
"Inspiring, sympathetic and expertly balanced … James Crossland’s Rogue Agent is a surprisingly brisk read that shines a light on an enigmatic figure in British espionage history who has hitherto remained in the shadows. Highly recommended."
All About History -
"Great credit to author James Crossland, for it is clear that a tremendous amount of research has gone into bringing us Robert Lockhart's story. It is an intriguing and fascinating read, which I very much enjoyed."
History Book Chat -
"This riveting account of Lockhart’s adventures in revolutionary Russia … reads like a thriller."
Julia Boyd, author of A Village in the Third Reich -
"A mesmerising tale of espionage and journalism."
James Hawes, author of The Shortest History of Germany -
"Compelling and meticulously researched, the riveting life of a maverick Scottish spy."
Charles Cumming -
"In this rigorously researched yet lively and highly readable account, James Crossland cuts through the myth and legend to tell a compelling story."
Professor Rory Cormac, author of How to Stage a Coup -
"In Rogue Agent, James Crossland unravels a man who bestrode two world wars as a diplomat, spy, author, and lover – the colorful story of Robert Bruce Lockhart is illuminated by meticulous research and lucid, elegant prose."
Andrew Hammond, Historian and Curator of the International Spy Museum