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The Ingenious Mr. Pyke: Inventor, Fugitive, Spy Hardcover – May 5, 2015

by Henry Hemming (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars 89 ratings
Editors' pick Best History
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The untold story of an enigmatic genius who changed warfare forever

In the World War II era, Geoffrey Pyke was described as one of the world's great minds -- to rank alongside Einstein. Pyke was an inventor, adventurer, polymath, and unlikely hero of both world wars. He earned a fortune on the stock market, founded an influential pre-school, wrote a bestseller, and came up with the idea for the US and Canadian Special Forces. In 1942, he convinced Winston Churchill to build an aircraft carrier out of reinforced ice.

Pyke escaped from a German WWI prison camp, devised an ingenious plan to help the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War, and launched a private attempt to avert the outbreak of the Second World War by sending into Nazi Germany a group of pollsters disguised as golfers.

And he may have been a Russian spy.

In 2009, long after Pyke's death, MI5 released a mass of material suggesting that Pyke was in fact a senior official in the Soviet Comintern. In 1951, papers relating to Pyke were found in the flat of "Cambridge Spy" Guy Burgess after his defection to Moscow. MI5 had "watchers" follow Pyke through the bombed-out streets of London, his letters were opened, and listening devices picked up clues to his real identity. Convinced he was a Soviet agent codenamed Professor P, MI5 helped to bring his career to an end.

Henry Hemming is the first reporter to sift through this extraordinary new information and finally tell Pyke's astonishing story in full: his brilliance, his flaws, and his life of adventures, ideas, and secrets.
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  1. Print length
    512 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    PublicAffairs
  4. Publication date
    May 5, 2015
  5. Dimensions
    6.25 x 1.5 x 9.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1610395778
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1610395779
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“It is as if [Geoffrey Pyke] had been invented by G. K. Chesterton and given posthumous fame by John le Carré - which underlines the extraordinary accomplishment of his actual biographer Henry Hemming.”—Sir Michael Holroyd

“Reads wonderfully like an adventure story…Hemming…turn[s] the story of a nerdish chameleon into a page-turner.”—Guardian

“[Pyke's] was not a lucky life but, in his biographer, he has gained a little bit of posthumous luck. This admirable and thoroughly enjoyable book should rescue a weirdly original and innovative talent from oblivion.”—The Sunday Times (London)

"Well-written…throws fascinating light on a forgotten hero of the Second World War."—The Independent (UK)

“[A] masterful biography…Hemming's superlative text is nearly as nimble as Pyke's mind, and he reveals who this remarkable innovator really was.”—Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

“An unlikely tale of true espionage… Fans of Graham Greene and Alan Furst will revel in this well-told true-life story.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Biographer Henry Hemming makes Geoffrey Pyke a fascinating object of study.”—Columbus Post Dispatch

About the Author

Henry Hemming is the author of five works of nonfiction including Agent M and The Ingenious Mr Pyke, which landed on the New York Times monthly espionage bestseller list. He has written for the Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, the Times, the Economist, FT Magazine, and the Washington Post, and has given interviews on Radio 4's Today Programme and NBC's Today Show and spoken at schools, festivals and companies including RDF Media, The RSA, Science Museum, Frontline Club, and The School of Life. Henry lives in London with his wife, daughter and son.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ PublicAffairs; First Edition (May 5, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 512 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1610395778
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1610395779
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.5 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 89 ratings

About the author

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Henry Hemming

Henry Hemming

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Henry Hemming is the bestselling author of seven works of non-fiction including 'The Ingenious Mr Pyke', 'Agent M', and the forthcoming 'Four Shots in the Night'. For more, visit: henryhemming.com

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
89 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the biography engaging, with one describing it as a thought-provoking account of Geoffrey Pike's life. The book receives positive feedback for its readability, with one customer noting it reads like an action story.

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8 customers mention "Interest"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the biography engaging, with one customer describing it as a thought-provoking account of Geoffrey Pike's life.

"Interesting piece of history" Read more

"...The author did a good job of investigating and telling the narrative of Geoffrey Pike's life. Three sections were extremely lively and interesting...." Read more

"I have to be the naysayer here. Oh, the subject was great: Pyke was a real character, and deserves his plaudits as a brilliant yet poorly understood..." Read more

"I had never heard of Pike. The book was interesting and I learned some things about WWII I did not know." Read more

8 customers mention "Readability"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well written and interesting, with one customer noting it reads like an action story, while another mentions its many twists and turns.

"...Very creative. An extremely easy read with many twists and turns...." Read more

"An excellent read. Arrived sooner than expected and packaged securely to prevent possible damage. Five stars out of five. Thank you." Read more

"...However, this well written book should remedy that problem...." Read more

"This was a well Written book that followed an odd duck genius who invented or conceptualized snowmobiles, underground oil pipes, public opinion polls..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Garrett
    5.0 out of 5 stars Biography readers rejoice!!!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I am starting to become an avid biography reader. I first read about this one in popular science magazine. I honestly had never heard of this influential man before, one of the unsung heroes of World War 2. This book totally reads like an action story. It becomes difficult to put down at times even, which is the opposite of what some may think typical of this type of book. I enjoy the colors of the cover of the book too. Very creative. An extremely easy read with many twists and turns. I'm not a man who usually rereads books, but I may actually decide in the future to actually do so. Thank you Henry Hemming!
    One person found this helpful
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  • M. Tarnow
    4.0 out of 5 stars little known but very interesting
    Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting piece of history
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  • Brunswick Maine
    5.0 out of 5 stars Stellar service
    Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    An excellent read. Arrived sooner than expected and packaged securely to prevent possible damage.
    Five stars out of five.
    Thank you.
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  • Kindle Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating individual
    Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    A good historical treatment of a man who was far too intelligent for his time. But, paradoxically, is likely only to have found the successes that he had in the cauldron of the '30s and '40s.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Barbara
    4.0 out of 5 stars Thought Provoking Biography
    Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    A most interesting obscure historical figure. The author did a good job of investigating and telling the narrative of Geoffrey Pike's life. Three sections were extremely lively and interesting. There were some slow places in the story that bogged down with too much minutiae about his suspected spying activities. Definitely a good companion to much of the recent books about Churchill, Roosevelt and the 1st and 2nd World Wars.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Metman
    5.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting book
    Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This is a bio about a character I knew nothing about and it is astonishing that that was true. However, this well written book should remedy that problem. Pyke was involved in so many things from escaping from a WW1 prison camp to developing an approach to early childhood education. But that isn't all. He is credited with founding Speical Ops Warfare, the Pluto pipeline and Mulberry harbors that made D-Day possible and all of this happened while MI5 had him under investigation as a Soviet spy!
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  • Hugh Mclaughlin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Historical figure that I never heard of
    Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This was a well Written book that followed an odd duck genius who invented or conceptualized snowmobiles, underground oil pipes, public opinion polls, and several D Day innovations! A Zelig in real life
    One person found this helpful
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  • Gil Cabrera
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2015
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    Excellent narrative. How is it that something this grand during WWII was thoroughly unknown to the public?
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars What an ingenious man!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 9, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Brilliant book, he certainly was an ingenious man! Well written and entertaining.
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  • JAG
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book!
    Reviewed in Canada on January 28, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This is a great book. It reads well and is marvellously researched. Pyke was a very interesting character and is well brought to life by the author. My only two criticisms are the pictures (blurry - but that may be a Kindle issue) and the authors thinly disguised leftish bias. The latter does not detract from the enjoyment of the book, and is really only apparent in the way he frames the Spanish Civil War and in his making no attempt to acknowledge the horrific failures of communism. Definitely recommended reading!
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  • Bill C
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in Canada on September 12, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting narrative of an unlikely and deserving individual who like many of his time could not be recognized for the contribution he made on so many levels. The other interesting aspect of the book is the nature of English society making the transition from a stayed, conventional and assuming nature to one that was more accepting of new ideas; albeit the transition was typically English, slow but steady.

    Towards the end of the book the author becomes repetitious but we must forgive because a summary is necessary.
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  • Lorraine Helgason
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on July 30, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    A wonderful read ...Truth is definitely much stranger than fiction !
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  • David Briggs
    3.0 out of 5 stars NOT SO INGENIOUS
    Reviewed in Canada on September 29, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    GOOD SPY THRILLER WRITTEN IN A 3RD PERSON WAY.
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