The True 'Intrepid': Sir William Stephenson And The Unknown Agents

by Bill MacDonald

The true story of Winnipeg born William Stephenson (known as 'Intrepid'), his career, and the secret World War II espionage organization, British Security Coordination, which he established in the heart of New York City.

Truth can be elusive - especially during wartime. Regarded as a founder of the CIA by the organization's own historians, Stephenson has remained a mysterious figure.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

429 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1998

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Stephenson was a Canadian who lived in England before and during World War II. He was a very successful businessman who moved in influential circles. During World War II when the United States was still a neutral country, Winston Churchill sent him to New York City to set up a secret intelligence agency. Stephenson hired over 800 Canadians, trained them at Camp X in Canada and then employed them in office, cipher breaking, and other jobs. Eventually, he established branch offices in other parts of the United States, Central America, and South America. After the war, he returned to civilian life. There is some controversy as to who he really was and what part he played in the war effort. Several books have been written about Stephenson. Macdonald, a Canadian author, did extensive research to try to uncover the true story. He relates interviews with various people who were involved in one way or another with the agency and Stephenson. I found it a very intriguing and interesting book. Macdonald’s style of writing makes the book easy to read.

[Gwen Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

First point - put aside everything you ever learned about Sir William Stephenson from the biography done by William Stevenson - Bill Macdonald exposes the errors. Second point - if you start this book, look for the page of abbreviations (364) - you'll need them.

This is an astonishing examination of Stephenson and the operation and staff of the British Security Coordination (BSC) offices in New York City. Unfortunately, it's clumsily organized and in need of editing, but if someone could unscramble all this it would make a terrific movie. Some of the stories of intrigue, of meetings in bars and travels to South America conjure up film noir from the 1940s. I was expecting Peter Lorrie and Humphrey Bogart to step from the pages.

Best of all it's Canadian. Stephenson, master intelligence officer, was Canadian, born in Winnipeg in 1896 and adopted by an Icelandic family. Little is known about his early years and he kept it that way. Stephenson, whom the Britannica refers to as a Canadian industrialist, was a very private and secretive man who moved quietly and calmly while charming everyone he met. Some were famous people of the day - Alexander Korda, filmmaker; Noel Coward, playwright; Ian Fleming, spy story writer; Winston Churchill, prime minister. There is some evidence that he was personally asked by Churchill to be the liaison in 1940 between Churchill and President Roosevelt and to establish operations (largely covert) through BSC in the US. The immediate aim was to counter the influence of the American Isolationists in order that the United States would support Britain during the war. BSC expanded into much more as it trailed myriads of German spies and obtained resources for the war.

Hundreds of Canadian women were hired for the office work - coding and decoding, filing, translating, counterfeiting; and many other Canadians, men and women, were recruited as agents and held top positions. Stephenson. also created CampX outside Whitby, ON, as a training camp for spies and communications centre.

Macdonald structured the book into two parts. Part one is biographical, though often it is a critique of other biographies. Part two are transcripts of interviews (it seems) with people who worked for Stephenson and BSC during the war.

The book is very disjointed but always fascinating. Anyone interested in the WW II period, intrigue and intelligence, and activities in Canada and the United States will want to read this book attentively.

[Rob Tesselaar · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredible tale of a basically unknown Canadian and the organization he built to help win the Second World War.

[Kurt Rossebo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dry

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

While informative, text is disjointed and at times repetitive, putting information about the same topics given by different sources at different points in the book.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for background information on Camp X as the book I'm reviewing for my next book club meeting (Every Secret Thing) mentions this historical setting. This book talks a lot about misinformation given in other books written about Sir William Stephenson. I found this a bit confusing at times as some of the corrections seemed a bit petty but I realize it is an important aspect for the reader to have the correct information. Noone really knows the truth as the individual is dead and when he was alive, he was not very forthcoming about his life and role in WWII. It is unfortunate we as Canadians are not aware of his valuable role. But, it seems many of the participants in this secret service area were sworn to secrecy and many of the Canadians working in New York during the war were simply unaware of what others were doing. They were positioned in areas of the same building but separate enough that even their own role was a enigma even to them. They were closely watched by other members and if a woman began a relationship with a American, she was often brought into the office and told to drop him. Interesting times and we will never know the truth but should be very proud of the role our ancestors had.

[Diz White · Rating 3 out of 5]

A doorstop of a book - interesting but felt it could have benifitted from a more severe edit. Still good insight into the beginnings of government spy networks development.