Based On Fact


I am currently watching Reilly Ace Of Spies on UK-Drama and I'm amazed at just how prolific Reilly was. A question to anyone who knows any of the history or has read deeper - just how historically accurate is the series and did Reilly really get involved in everything depicted on screen?

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I've read a few books about him and the reality is quite a bit different, but still very interesting. The series is based on a book written by Robin Bruce Lockhart, son of Robert Lockhart in the series. The book was taken largely from stories Reilly himself told Robert Lockhart. At the time of the book's writing, there was very little available to confirm or deny the stories, and Robin Lockhart went off his father's papers and interviews with people who knew Reilly.

As time went on, a lot more information came out of the British government and, when the Soviet Union collapsed, they got a goldmine of Reilly information. A few more thoroughly researched books were published within the last few years. (Books by Richard B. Spence and Andrew Cook are the most recent and well documented.) Basically, Reilly was an amoral opportunist and far from heroic in any sense of the word. He is still a fascinating character, none the less, and did involve himself in some of the major events of the early 20th century. If you like the series, I think you'd find the real story equally interesting.

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Thank you flippesea for such a comprehensive reply. I posted the question with a view to reading a book on Reilly and your answer has convinced me. I'll be scouring Ebay and Amazon later today for the books you recommended. Thank you.

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Yea, he really was amoral wasn't he? Betraying friends, and fellow spies. The Visiting Fireman was a heartbreaker.

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While much of his early life is not quite as depicted on the show, his activities in Communist Russia are well known thanks to those who knew him (and official records). While Cummings was uncertain of Reilly, he proved to be a real asset and procured considerable amounts of information for the British. His daring plan to decapitate the Russian leaders was very risky and might have worked. Sadly he and others were betrayed by a French journalist. Unlike what was shown on the show, when he and Hill got back there was no recrimination. In fact Cumming,although most of the spy network had been sacked by the Checka,realized how valuable such activities could be. It helped Cummings prove why his department was valuable and deserved funding after the war ended.

Much of what he told Lockhart that became the book about his past exploits were likely exaggerations at best fabrications at worst. Entertaining though!


Mark E. Taylor

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Oh, I certainly watched 'Reilly: Ace of Spies' with keen interest myself. Not only for the artistry, but the fascinating subject, being a long time James Bond fan.
The Wikipedia article on Sidney Reilly is quite good, with an extensive bibliography. He certainly has captured people's imaginations over the years. I wonder if Ian Fleming had not mentioned Reilly he would have been as infamous? I've thought that apochryphal stories go with the territory in regards to espionage. It also occurred to me that espionage agents need to be decadent as there is no telling what they might be required to do. They must use their opponents' tactics against them, as with police for example, they must often use criminal tactics, which can easily corrupt. Sidney Reilly was a quite intelligent unscrupulous person from a troubled milieu who was somewhat desperate. I imagine his real story is lost, and might have been even during his lifetime. Reilly was also quite romantic. He allegedly collected artifacts of Napolean, a hobby as an admirer, but also presumably as investment. I'm sure his romantic nature also made him psychotic. I also imagined that he might not have been all that certain about his past, what with his continual need for a cover story, and self deceit to appease his conscience.
He certainly captured my imagination. He reminds me of Aleister Crowley, a similar contemporary British figure.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Reilly

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