Uncover the captivating stories and enduring legacy of Sir William Stephenson through our curated list of recommended resources.
Table of Contents
Videos
The Man Who Started the Cold War – WW2 Documentary Special
What if I told you that a new conflict will sweep the globe in less than a year? It will open not with gunshots but with silent, shadowy espionage. The man who will kick off the Cold War is a quiet Canadian pilot, millionaire, and spymaster. A trusted aide to Churchill and FDR. I bet you haven’t heard this name before. William Stephenson.
Shadow Man: William Stephenson and the Art of Political Warfare
Shadow Man: William Stephenson and the Art of Political Warfare tells the story of Stephenson’s clandestine endeavors that have had a profound impact on history…
https://superchannel.ca/show/77817005/shadow-man-william-stephenson-and-the-art-of-political-warfare
Secret Secretaries – Documentary
To the outside world, they were just secretaries. But these women played a vital role in ending World War II, working for Canada’s most famous spy William Stephenson – aka “the man called Intrepid.” More than 800 women were recruited from across Canada by Stephenson to work in his top-secret intelligence organization. They are one of Canada’s best-kept secrets and no one can keep a secret like they can … until now.
William Stephenson – WWII Mastermind
Sir William Stephenson – The Uncut Interview with Lynn Philip Hodgson
The True Intrepid – Sir William Stephenson
Affiliations
Sir William Stephenson Library
Opened in 1997, the Sir William Stephenson Library at 765 Keewatin Street serves northwest Winnipeg with diverse collections, public programs, and Canada’s first library drive-through, all in tribute to the war hero known as “Intrepid.”
Learn more: http://librarything.com/venue/22928/Sir-William-Stephenson-Library
CAMP X Collection – Richard Brisson
Curated by Richard Brisson, this page highlights historical materials and personal artifacts related to Camp X, the top-secret World War II espionage training facility located in Whitby, Ontario.
Known officially as STS 103 under the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), Camp X played a critical role in Allied intelligence operations, training over 500 agents in sabotage, spycraft, and covert communication.
This collection also showcases related memorabilia from the Camp X Military Museum Society, British Security Coordination (BSC), and other wartime intelligence efforts—offering a unique lens into Canada’s legacy in global intelligence and clandestine operations.
Learn more: http://www.campx.ca/campx.html
The William Stephenson Agricultural Research Centre
The William Stephenson Agricultural Research Centre, located in Rosser, honors Sir William Stephenson, the Winnipeg-born spymaster whose wartime intelligence efforts inspired James Bond. The research center is a proprietary crop research and development facility owned by Paterson GlobalFoods
On Nov. 17, 2019, Andrew Paterson received the Intrepid Award here, recognizing his contributions to preserving Stephenson’s legacy. The Paterson family also played a significant role in the war effort. Donald Paterson, Andrew’s father, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service.
Learn More: pgfsirwilliamfarm.com
Intrepid Statue Project (2021) – Whitby, Ontario
Explore the 2021 Intrepid statue project in Whitby, Ontario. This bronze statue, created by Ruth Abernethy, commemorates Sir William Stephenson. Learn more about the making of the statue and Sir William Stephenson’s remarkable legacy.
Sir William Stephenson, A Man Called Intrepid
Created by Ruth Abernethy
2021
Bronze
104″ L x 44″ D x 96″ H
Learn more: https://ruthabernethy.com/sir-william-stephenson.html
Featured Reading
The War We Won Apart: The Untold Story of Two Elite Agents Who Became One of the Most Decorated Couples of WWII
This 416-page book, recently launched at McNally’s in Grant Park, was written by former Winnipegger, Nahlah Ayed.
Reconstructed from unpublished interviews and hundreds of archival and personal documents, the story tells about the ravaging costs of war paid for disproportionately by the young. But,The War We Won Apart is also a story about love: two secret agents who were supposed to land in enemy territory together, but were fated to fight the war apart.
On opposite sides of the pond, Sonia Butt, an adventurous young British woman, and Guy d’Artois, a French-Canadian soldier are preparing for war. From different worlds, their lives first intersect during clandestine training to become agents with Winston Churchill’s secret army, the Special Operations Executive. As the conflict unfolds, Sonia and Guy learn how to parachute into enemy territory, kill, blow up rail lines, and eventually . . . love each other. But not long after their hasty marriage, their love is tested by separation, by the invasion—and by indiscretion.
Sonia plunges into Nazi-occupied France and slinks into black market restaurants to throw off occupying Nazi forces, while at the same time participating in sabotage operations against them; as Guy, in another corner of France, trains hundreds into a resistance army.
Amazon: $25 hard cover; Indigo: $27 hard cover; McNally’s: $36 hard cover
Ian Fleming: The Complete Man by Nicholas Shakespeare
This Intrepid Society-recommended recent book by biographer Nicholas Shakespeare is well-written and thoroughly researched. The 864-page biography focuses on the “other” life of James Bond series author Ian Fleming from his childhood through his impressive experiences in Naval intelligence to his career as a thriller writer, which occupied only the last 12 years of his life. Shakespeare has utilized the Fleming archive and uncovered material that brings a new perspective to Fleming’s complete life and fictional spy creation.”
Available on Amazon.ca: Hard cover – $53.31; Paperback – $30.17.
Unlikely Soldiers by Jonathan F. Vance
This well-researched book from 2008 offers the heroic stories of Frank Pickersgill and Ken Macalister, two Canadians who trained with and worked for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the Second World War.
The book is available currently from Amazon.ca in paperback, hardcover and kindle.
Books on Sir William Stephenson
| Author | Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hyde, H. Montgomery | The Quiet Canadian: The Secret Service Story of Sir William Stephenson | 1962 |
| MacDonald, Bill | Intrepid’s Last Secret: Then and Now – History, Spies and Lies | 2019 |
| MacDonald, Bill | The True Intrepid: SWS and the Unknown Agents | 2002 |
| Stevenson, William | A Man Called Intrepid | 1976 |
| Stevenson, William | Intrepid’s Last Case | 1983 |
Books on Camp X
| Author | Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hodgson, Lynn-Philip | Inside Camp X | 2000 |
| Hodgson, Lynn-Philip | The History of Special Operations in Canada | 2014 |
| Hodgson, Lynn-Philip | The Birth of Special Operations in Canada | 2018 |
| Hodgson, Lynn-Philip / Alan P. Longfield | Camp X: The Final Battle | 2001 |
| Stafford, David | Camp X: OSS, Intrepid, and the Allies North American Training Camp for Secret Agents, 1941-45 | 1986 |
| Stafford, David | Camp X: Canada’s School for Secret Agents 1941-45 | 1986 |
| Stafford, David | Camp X: The incredible and true story of Canada’s School for Secret Agents 1941-45 | 1987 |
Books on British Security Coordination
| Author | Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hyde, H. Montgomery | Room 3603: The Incredible True Story of Secret Intelligence Operations During World War II (Reprint) | 2001 |
| Stephenson, William Samuel | British Security Coordination: The Secret History of British Intelligence Americas 1940 – 45 | 1999 |
Recommended Reading List
Alan Parkin, President, Intrepid Society, will lend these personally-owned reference books to Intrepid Society members on a temporary loan basis. He may be contacted at [email protected], [email protected] or 204-294-2944 to arrange a book loan.
Codebreakers/Codebreaking
| AUTHOR | BOOK TITLE | PUBLISHER | DATE | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hastings, Max | The Secret War: Spies, Codes and Guerillas 1939 – 45 | HarperCollins | 2015 | 978-0-00-750374-2 |
| Hemming, Henry | Agents of Influence | Hachette Book Group | 2019 | 978-1-5417-4214-7 |
| Hodges, Andrew | Alan Turing: The Enigma | Burnett Books Ltd | 1983 | 978 –1-78470-008-9 |
| Kahn, David | Seizing the Enigma | Thomas Congdon | 1991 | 0-395-42739-8 |
| Kahn, David | The Code Breakers | Collier-MacMillan Canada | 1967 | LC 63-16109 |
| Kippenhahn, Rudolf | Code Breaking: A History and Exploration | Overlook Duckworth, Peter Mayer Publishers | 2012 | US: 978-1-4683-0074-1 |
| Lewin, Ronald | The American Magic | Penguin Books Canada | 1982 | 0-14-00.6471-0 |
| Marks, Leo | Between Silk and Cyanide: A Codemaker’s War, 1941-45 | Touchstone | 1998 | 0-684-86422-3 |
| Masterman, J.C. | The Double Cross System: 1939-45 | Yale University Press | 1972 | |
| Parkin, Simon | A Game of Birds and Wolves | Little Brown and Co. | 2020 | 978-0-316-49209-6 |
| Sebag-Montefiore, Hugh | Enigma: The Battle for the Code | Weidenfeld and Nicolson | 2000 | 978-1-4746-0832-9 |
| Smith, Michael | The Debs of Bletchley Park | Aurum Press | 2015 | 978-1-78131-388-6 |
| Smith, Michael | The Emperor’s Codes: Breaking Japan’s Secret Ciphers | Arcade Publishing | 2000 | 978-1-55970-568-4 |
| Winterbotham, F.W. | The Ultra Secret | Dell Publishing | 1974 |
Special Operations Executive
| AUTHOR | BOOK TITLE | PUBLISHER | DATE | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blum, Howard | The Last Goodnight | HarperCollins | 2016 | 978-0-06-230767-5 |
| Brown, Anthony Cave | Bodyguard of Lies | Harper and Row | 1975 | 0-553-01311-4 |
| Conant, Jennet | The Irregulars | Simon and Schuster | 2008 | 978-0-7432-9458-4 |
| Ford, George H., Ed. | The Making of a Secret Agent | McClelland and Stewart Ltd | 1978 | 0-88780-123-4 |
| Kelso, Nicholas | Errors of Judgement: SOE’s Disaster in the Netherlands 1941-44 | Robert Hale Limited | 1988 | 0-7090-3345-1 |
| Lewis, Damien | The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare | Hachette Book Group | 2015 | 978-1-68144-392-8 |
| Mulley, Clare | The Spy Who Loved: The Secrets and Lives of Christine Granville | St. Martin’s Press | 2013 | 978-1250030320 |
| Stevenson, William | Spymistress: The Life of Vera Atkins | Arcade Publishing | 2007 | 13:978-1-55970-763-3 |
| Vigurs, Kate | Mission France: The True History of the Women of SOE | Yale University Press | 2021 | 978-0-300-20857-3 |
Resistance
| AUTHOR | BOOK TITLE | PUBLISHER | DATE | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caskie, Donald | The Tartan Pimpernel | Birlinn Limited | 1999 | 10: 1 84341 035 4 |
| Dunkel, Tom | White Knights in the Black Orchestra | Hachette Book Group | 2022 | 978-0-306-92218-3 |
| Ehrlich, Blake | Resistance: France 1940 – 45 | Little, Brown and Co. (Signet) | 1965 | |
| Fourtade, Marie-Madeleine | Noah’s Ark | E.P. Dutton & Co | 1974 | 345-24361-7-195 |
| Joukowsky, Artemis | Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War | Beacon Press | 2016 | 978-0807071823 |
| Kellow, Bob | Paths to Freedom | Self-published | 1992 | 0-9695956-0-3 |
| Marnham, Patrick | War in the Shadows | One World Publications | 2021 | 978-0-86154-058-7 |
| Moorehead, Caroline | Village of Secrets: Defying the Nazis in Vichy France | Vintage Canada | 2014 | 978-0-307-36309-1 |
| Moorehead, Caroline | A House in the Mountains: The Women who Liberated Italy from Fascism | Random House Canada | 2019 | 9780735279728 |
| Moorehead, Caroline | A Train in Winter | Vintage Canada | 2011 | 978-0-307-35695-6 |
| O’Connor, Bernard | Blackmail Sabotage: Attacks on French Industries during World War Two (Revised) | Self-published | 2016 | |
| Olson, Lynne | Madame Fourcade’s Secret War | Random House | 2019 | 9780812994766 |
| Rose, Sarah | D-Day Girls | Random House | 2020 | 9780451495099 |
| Schoenbrun, David | Soldiers of the Night: The Story of the French Resistance | Clarke, Irvin and Co. Canada | 1980 | |
| Sullivan, Rosemary | Villa Air-Bel: World War II, Escape and a House in Marseille | HarperCollins | 2006 | 978-0-06-073251-6 |
| Tec, Nechama | Defiance | Oxford University Press | 1993 | 978-0-19-537685-2 |
Espionage, Spies and Spy Organizations
| AUTHOR | BOOK TITLE | PUBLISHER | DATE | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booth, Nicholas | ZigZag: The Incredible Wartime Exploits of Double Agent Eddie Chapman | Portrait Books | 2007 | 978-1-55970-860-9 |
| Bothwell, Robert and Granatstein, J.L., Eds. | The Gouzenko Transcripts | Deneau Publishers & Co. Lts | ND | 0-88879-069-4 |
| Braddon, Russell | Nancy Wake: One of the Great True Stories of World War Two | Cassell and Co. Ltd | 1956 | 0 330 20249 9 |
| Deacon, Richard | Spy: Six Stories of Modern Espionage | BBC | 1980 | 0 563 17729 2 |
| Douglas, Tom | Canadian Spies: Tales of Espionage in Nazi-Occupied Europe During World War II | Altitude Publishing Canada Ltd | 2003 | 1-55153-966-7 |
| Farago, Ladislas | Burn After Reading | Macfadden Books | 1961 | |
| Fry, Helen | Spymaster: The Man Who Saved MI6 | Yale University Press | 2021 | 978-0-300-25595-9 |
| Fry, Helen | The Walls Have Ears | Yale University Press | 2019 | 978-0-300-23860-0 |
| Gehlen, Reinhard | The Service: The Memoirs of General Reinhard Gehlen | The World Publishing Company | 1971 | Trans. 1972 David Irving |
| Jeffery, Keith | The Secret History of MI6: 1909-49 | Penguin Books | 2010 | 978-1-59420-274-2 |
| Johnson, Brian | The Secret War | BBC Publications | 1978 | 0 09 920790 7 |
| Jones, R.V. | Most Secret War: British Scientific Intelligence 1939-45 | Hamish Hamilton Ltd | 1978 | 0 340 24169 1 |
| Lampe, David | The Savage Canary: The Story of Danish Resistance | Transworld Publishers Ltd | 1957 | |
| Loftis, Larry | Code Name: Lise | Gallery Books | 2019 | 978-1-5011-9865-6 |
| Loftis, Larry | The Princess Spy (Aline Griffith) | Simon and Schuster | 2021 | 978-1-9821-4386-2 |
| Marshall, Bruce | The White Rabbit: A British Agents Adventures in France | Evans Brothers | 1952 | |
| Maclaren, Roy | Canadians Behind Enemy Lines: 1939-45 | UBC Press | 1981 | 0-7748-0147-6 |
| Martelli, George | Agent Extraordinary | Fontana Books | 1963 | |
| Montagu, Ewen | The man who never was | Walter Louis D’Arcy Hart & Oliver Harry Frost | 1953 | |
| Pujol, Juan | Garbo: The personal story of the most successful double agent ever | Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd | 1985 | 0-58-06630-6 |
| Purnell, Sonia | A Woman of No Importance | Penguin Books | 2019 | 9780735225312 |
| Reynolds, Nicholas | Need to Know: World War II and the Rise of American Intelligence | Mariner Books | 2022 | 978-0-06-296748-0 |
| Schellenberg, Walter | Hitler’s Secret Service | Harper & Brothers | 1956 | |
| Stinnett, Robert B, | Day of Deceit: The Truth about FDR and Pearl Harbour | Touchstone | 2000 | 0-684-85339-6 |
| Thomas, Gordon | Secret Wars: One Hundred Years of British Intelligence inside MI5 and MI6 | St. Martin’s Press | 2009 | 978-0-312-60352-6 |
| Walton, Calder | Spies: The Epic Intelligence War between East and West | Simon and Schuster | 2023 | 978-1-6680-0069-4 |
| Winterbotham, F.W. | The Nazi Connection | Dell Publishing Ltd | 1978 | 0-440-16197-5 |
| Wortman, Marc | 1941: Fighting the Shadow War | Atlantic Monthly Press | 2016 | 978-0-8021-2511-8 |
| Wright, Peter | Spy Catcher: The Candid Autobiography of a Senior Intelligence Officer | Stoddart Publishing Co. Ltd | 1987 | 0-7737-2168-1 |