The Traitor of Arnhem cover art

The Traitor of Arnhem

WWII’s Greatest Betrayal and the Moment That Changed History Forever

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

The Traitor of Arnhem

By: Robert Verkaik
Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £17.94

Buy Now for £17.94

About this listen

 Sunday Times Bestselling author of The Traitor of Colditz Robert Verkaik reveals the incredible never-before-told story of the role played by the Cambridge Spies in the British defeat at Arnhem

'A breath-taking review of WWII's greatest betrayal and the moment that changed history forever.' Sunday Post

"A bombshell book." Daily Mail

"Original, thought-provoking and exceedingly well written." Robert Kershaw

"Sensational." Daily Express

"Robert Verkaik's best book yet, a testament to his investigative skills, journalistic nous for a compelling story, and impressive understanding of the spy world." Richard Kerbaj

***

The end of the Second World War is in sight.

Following the overwhelming victory on D-Day, Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin all seek to shape the global future to their own ends and win the race to Berlin.

The British launch Operation Market Garden, the greatest airborne operation the world has ever seen. It is a bold roll of the dice, which, if successful, will end the war in weeks. But behind the scenes, spies are working, and plans are betrayed, the operation fails and thousands of Allied soldiers die.

The Traitor of Arnhem tells a never-before-told story of this iconic operation, and of the very different figures working in secret to cause the catastrophic defeat. One traitor a terrifying giant of a man, a supposed hero of the resistance who sent hundreds of fellow freedom fighters to torture and death, the other an aristocrat and an English gentleman, working from inside the heart of the Allied war effort in London. Both of them working for the Russians.

Drawn from unseen records and shedding fresh light on the operation and the spies responsible for its failure, this is an incredible account of the battle that would go on to shape the twentieth century.

***

"Breathtaking." Sunday Post

"This history book serves as a powerful and timely reminder of how the failure to tackle Joseph Stalin's threat to the West at the end of World War 2 has forced the free world to face up to the aggression of Vladimir Putin today." Bill Browder, author of Red Notice and Freezing Order

"Excellent ... a remarkable answer through considerable research to the vexed question: why were the Nazis unexpectedly lying in wait?" The Jewish Chronicle

"The strongest point of the book is the story about 'Josephine'. We will probably never be sure who 'Josephine' was, if it even was a person, but... Robert proves the case as far as circumstantial evidence allows one." Bob de Graaff, Holland's foremost expert on intelligence and the official historian of the Dutch intelligence services.

"I have not read such a convincing portrayal of the German intelligence war in Holland ... A worthwhile read." Robert Kershaw, author of It Never Snow In September 20th Century Espionage Military & War Modern True Crime War Exciting Stalin Military Imperialism Winston Churchill Russia

Critic reviews

Original, thought-provoking and exceedingly well written ... I have not read such a convincing portrayal of the German intelligence war in Holland, the author is to be congratulated. He makes a convincing case for Blunt's involvement ... This book is a positive and original contribution to what over the years has become quite an emotive debate ... A worthwhile read.
This history book serves as a powerful and timely reminder of how the failure to tackle Joseph Stalin's threat to the West at the end of World War 2 has forced the free world to face up to the aggression of Vladimir Putin today.
The strongest point of the book is the story about 'Josephine'. We will probably never be sure who 'Josephine' was, if it even was a person, but... Robert proves the case as far as circumstantial evidence allows one.
Excellent ... a remarkable answer through considerable research to the vexed question: why were the Nazis unexpectedly lying in wait?
A bombshell book.
Sensational.
Breathtaking.
Vivid and arresting ... Building a convincing case for the identity of the agents who ensured the frustration of the Allied military operation at Arnhem, Robert Verkaik has delivered a well-researched and intriguing book.
Robert Verkaik's best book yet, a testament to his investigative skills, journalistic nous for a compelling story, and impressive understanding of the spy world. He has uncovered an espionage scoop that for decades was totally missed by other historians.
Unnerving findings about one of the great failed Allied operations of WWII. A disturbing reevaluation of an iconic World War II battle.
Verkaik uncovers a startling new dimension to a well-known story of betrayal in this riveting account. He homes in on spy Anthony Blunt, whose reputation after the war Verkaik alleges was whitewashed as a noble communist merely helping an Allied nation, when in reality, according to Verkaik, Blunt betrayed Operation Market Garden to the Nazis at the Soviets' behest, leading to thousands of British deaths. Verkaik offers fine-grained accountings of both Blunt's and Lindemans's actions. It's an explosive and paradigm-shifting account.
All stars
Most relevant
I had never realised the full extent of the defeat of Market Garden or the consequences of the treachery of the spies who enabled it. This historical writing is superb exposing what really happened. The story captivated me and educated me to the facts and Jonathan’s narration was as ever excellent. Thank you.

Treachery Exposed

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Well worth a listen. Well narrated and informative. Many facts I was previously unaware of.

Detailed and dramatic

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Well presented and argued. The cover up over Anthony Blount was thoroughly explored. The role of those in power in avoiding embarrassing facts shout one of their own is clearly illustrated.

A good summary of the Arnhem betrayal

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
narrator was excellent and story very interesting. I've read lots on Arnhem and always wondered why the SS division was there. I always believed it was an intelligence leak.

Brilliant, well constructed in 3 parts to make excellent points on something I didn't know

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A thoroughly well written, well read book Having a great deal of interest in The Battle for Arnhem this flips the story, well worth it

Well defined book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews