Spies of the Kaiser

by William Le Queux

Overview

'Classics of Espionage' is a reprint series designed to recover lost and long forgotten texts that have been influential in the history and popular culture of modern espionage. The criteria for 'classic' status reflects judgements about readability, literary merit, historical impact and the uniqueness of the story as an account of the still-hidden realm of modern espionage. Each text will be accompanied by a scholarly introduction explaining the book's significance and production history, and highlighting the author's career.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781023246583
Publisher:	Anson Street Press
Publication date:	03/28/2025
Pages:	196
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.42(d)

About the Author

William Le Queux (1864-1927) was an Anglo-French journalist, novelist, and radio broadcaster. Born in London to a French father and English mother, Le Queux studied art in Paris and embarked on a walking tour of Europe before finding work as a reporter for various French newspapers. Towards the end of the 1880s, he returned to London where he edited Gossip and Piccadilly before being hired as a reporter for The Globe in 1891. After several unhappy years, he left journalism to pursue his creative interests. Le Queux made a name for himself as a leading writer of popular fiction with such espionage thrillers as The Great War in England in 1897 (1894) and The Invasion of 1910 (1906). In addition to his writing, Le Queux was a notable pioneer of early aviation and radio communication, interests he maintained while publishing around 150 novels over his decades long career.

Table of Contents

	Illustrations	vi
	Introduction	vii
	If England Knew	xxxiii
1.	How the Plans of Rosyth were Stolen	1
2.	The Secret of the Silent Submarine	20
3.	The Back-Door of England	39
4.	How the Germans are Preparing for Invasion	58
5.	The Secret of the New British Aeroplane	75
6.	The Secret of the New Armour-Plates	91
7.	The Secret of the Improved 'Dreadnoughts'	107
8.	The German Plot against England	124
9.	The Secret of our New Gun	140
10.	The Secret of the Clyde Defences	160
11.	The Peril of London	173
12.	How Germany Foments Strife	184
13.	Our Wireless Secrets	199
14.	Playing a Desperate Game	212

Editorial Reviews

A wildly paranoid tale, first published in 1909, in which patriotic British heroes battle German secret agents who are plotting the invasion of Britain. Historian Nicholas Hiley's introduction describes the novel (which Le Queux believed to be factually- based) as pivotal to the formation of M15, Britain's counter- espionage organization, which instigated a nationwide hunt for a non-existent enemy. Paper edition (unseen), $16.95. Distributed by ISBS. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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