Reilly, Ace of Spies
About twenty years ago, maybe more, there was a British television series produced and broadcast in Canada as well as elsewhere, titled "Reilly, Ace of Spies". My husband watched it, I did not because I don't actually watch all that much television, preferring instead to sit close by him, but to give most of my attention to reading material. I do recall, however, the music associated with the series and I very much liked it. As, indeed, I admire and like most music associated with various British-produced television series. Let's hear it for the BBC.Sam Neill played the part of Sidney Reilly, spy extraordinaire, and it was likely his most memorable role. Now, so many years later (although at the time my husband did do a little bit of research on the character of Sidney Reilly, finding out not an awful lot but, I suppose sufficient to staunch his curiosity) my husband picked up a book second-hand with the same title (upon which the television series was based), authored by one Robin Bruce Lockhart, evidently a long-time and highly respected newsman-cum stockbroker (now likely stone-cold, since the book was originally published as an acclaimed biography of a most mysterious figure in 1967).
An enigma, this man was called, as no one knew too much about his personal life, although his extraordinary exploits with the British Secret Intelligence was a much-celebrated fact. He was also described as 'sinister', although he was reputed to be a man of exemplary manners, outstandingly charming, well educated, and a bon vivant. He was a ladies' man par excellence, women seemed to fall all over themselves in their frantic anxiety to share his bed. He did marry, and more than once; without, alas, obtaining a divorce, making him a bigamist, a condition he felt was to be kept hushed, but his own business.
He was thought to have died at the hands of the Russian Secret Police in September of 1925, but as often happens when hard information is sketchy, he was also reported as being seen quite alive, by various people in various locales. Books other than this one were published based on his exploits, one by a former mistress titled 'The Gadfly', which enjoyed great popularity and was highly respected as a literary piece at the time. There was even a cartoon based on his character. The writer of this current biography claimed to have known Reilly when he was a child, living in Prague.
From the author's description, M.I.5 became highly dependent upon Sidney Reilly's expertise as an infiltrator, an agent, double-agent and agent provocateur. Winston Churchill was said to have known and respected Sidney Reilly, talk about moving in elevated circles. During WWI he managed to enveigle himself into the high ranks of the German Army, thanks to his proficiency with language, and his ability to exert charm and an air of authority along with an impeccable sense of timing, and utter fearlessness. His enterprise and determination to rid Russia of the Bolsheviks after the Revolution brought him great additional respect. He travelled the world in the service of M.I.5, and privately, for his own designs.
He was so famous for being deviously brilliant that Ian Fleming is said to have told the author of this book that: "James Bond is just a piece of nonsense I dreamed up. He's not a Sidney Reilly, you know!".
Well, doesn't this man sound like one in a million? An exciting, unpredictable and highly successful man in pursuit of his own brilliant persona, if such a thing can be said. He was born in Russia within the bosom of a patrician, well-regarded family, and lived a comfortable life until he was 17, and that is when he discovered thanks to a deliberate indiscretion by another family member, that he was really the illegitimate child of a highly respected Jewish doctor who had attended his mother (a mutual love affair). His world was shattered; like most Russians of the time he scorned Jews and all he was taught they 'stood for', and here he was, a lowly Jew. He severed all ties with the rest of his family and went overseas to drown himself in the horror of his discovery - and eventually his many adventures led him to his destiny.
Hey, this is really interesting, isn't it? I mean with all these ingredients doesn't this make a fascinating story? A true one, too. Which was why I couldn't understand why my husband offered to give me the book, to read myself. Which was fine (other than the fact that when he reads something that interests him he often tells me all about it, in excruciating detail, when we're out hiking; whether it's a novel, a biography, a newspaper or magazine article) but I demurred, since I knew he hadn't yet finished the book. He insisted, I began reading it, and before I got halfway through (I'm getting a little slow, I know), plodding up to that point, I understood why he didn't finish it. Apart from the fact that the author overindulges in exclamations which irritate the hell out of me (!!!! damn near finishes off the end of every sentence!!!) the book is dry, dry, dry and fundamentally flawed. It's a bloody bore!!!
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, May 12, 2005
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