Mihir Bose's Blog, page 21

Mihir talks about his new book – Silver: the spy who fooled the Nazis

To watch Mihir talking about his researches into Silver the only quintuple agent of the Second World War and his fascinating new discoveries about this remarkable man, please click here.

Secrets and lies of a master spy: the agent who fooled the British, Russians, Italians, Japanese and the Nazis during WW2

Telegraph Magazine

In 1943, Peter Fleming, brother of Bond creator Ian, recruited a promising-looking Indian intelligence officer and code-named him Silver. His new recruit was a master of deception who worked for all the Axis powers as well as for the Soviets and the British - and fooled them all. Meet the only quintuple agent of the Second World War.

On the afternoon of February 22, 1941, a small, clean-shaven man walked down an alleyway in Kabul, knocked on the back door of the Italian embassy and told the guards he was a cook sent to work for the ambassador.

The guards, gathered around the back entrance smoking, had little reason to doubt he was a local – he was certainly dressed like one, in his traditional fur cap, long shirt and flowing trousers. They showed him into a high-ceilinged room where the ambassador was sitting behind a large desk framed by the Italian flag and a picture of Prime Minister Benito Mussolini.

Inside the home (and mind) of world chess champion Magnus Carlsen

Financial Times – Saturday At Home. Magnus Carlsen, the world chess champion, has a great capacity for putting people at ease. Flight delays have made me an hour late, but there he is at the top of the stairs of his Oslo home, holding open the door and saying: “It’s all right, I understand.” Yet […]

Inside the home (and mind) of world chess champion Magnus Carlsen

Financial Times - Saturday At Home

Magnus Carlsen, the world chess champion, has a great capacity for putting people at ease. Flight delays have made me an hour late, but there he is at the top of the stairs of his Oslo home, holding open the door and saying: “It’s all right, I understand.” Yet this is, probably, the greatest player in the game, mobbed by screaming fans wherever he goes and in such commercial demand that his black cotton jacket is a veritable advertising billboard. On one breast is the logo of a law firm, on another an investment bank, on one arm an electrical company, and on the other a prominent Oslo newspaper — just some of the deals that earn him about £1m a year.

Was Gandhi a racist?

Mihir discussed this and other issues on the BBC World Service weekend programme.  To hear the full programme please click on part 1 here part 2 here and part 3 here.    

Weekend programme BBC World Service

Mihir was a panel guest on the BBC World Sevice Weekend radio programme.  To hear the full programme please click on part 1 here part 2 here and part 3 here.    

BBC News Channel – The Papers

Mihir was on the panel for the BBC News Channel programme The Papers on 29th August.  To listen to the programme please click here.

The success of team GB

BBC Radio

Mihir was interviewed on Good Morning Wales this morning, talking about the wonderful success being enjoyed by team GB, and other Olympic highlights.

The perfect sporting title

Mihir was interviewed for The Stack, Monocle 24's weekly radio show on the world of print, and featuring people and players shaping the future of print media. In the Olympics season he discusses how to produce the perfect sporting title. To hear the interview please click here

The Nepali beermaker who says Joanna Lumley was wrong on Gurkhas

Financial Times

Mahanta Shrestha could not be more grateful for what Britain has done for him. “I came,” says the Nepalese restaurateur and beer manufacturer, “40 years ago — with nothing — from Kathmandu to work as a chef. This country gave me everything.”