Round the List

High profile cases such as the chemical poisonings of Alexander Litvinenko and Sergei Skripal, the unmasking of Anna Chapman as a Russian agent and the whistleblowing activities of Edward Snowden have kept spycraft in the headlines in the twenty-first century. But the heady days of wartime resistance and Cold War espionage are the true Golden Age of spying, and the thirty (well, technically thirty one) individuals featured in this chronological list all lived thrilling lives of intrigue, deception and almost unimaginable danger. From the glamour of Mata Hari to the greed of Aldrich Ames, and from the resilience of Odette Sansom to the ruthlessness of Markus Wolf, here is a selection of the twentieth century’s most fascinating spies and spymasters. YEVNO AZEF (1869-1918) By the turn of the twentieth century, Yevno Azef had risen through the ranks of a number of high profile European revolutionary organisations, taking charge of the combat wing of the Socialist Revolutionary Party in 190...

From blood and thunder rock memoirs to considered analyses of pop’s major figures, and from immersive studies of the scene to exposes of the industry, here is the hit parade of top music writing. Clothes Clothes Clothes Music Music Music Boys Boys Boys - Viv Albertine  The life and post-punk times of the legendary Slits guitarist is just as spiky, combative and raw as the music her band made. Our Band Could Be Your Life - Michael Azerrad From Sonic Youth to Fugazi, Azerrad’s breathless tour of the 80s US underground is packed full of the spit and danger of a vibrant, visceral scene. Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung - Lester Bangs  The most iconic rock journo of them all in all his acerbic, scattergun, gonzo brilliance. The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones - Stanley Booth  The classic work on the Stones in the 60s, Booth’s gripping account perfectly captures the decadence and excess of the world’s greatest rock n roll band.  White Bicycles - Joe Boyd ...