![]() ![]() He was a man of awesome ambition, intelligence and wit, a man who reveled in his world of lies, deception and espionage. Sidney Reilly was a legend in his own lifetime, sometimes as fabulously wealthy as he was without funds at others. He was a British secret agent but some said he had been a Russian counterspy all along. (But some say he was spotted alive as late as World War II). He was believed killed by the Russians in 1925 as he tried to topple Bolshevik rule and throw out Lenin. He moved through the European world of Edwardian imperialism and through the forbidding gates of the Kremlin to obtain the most audacious intelligence of any spy – ever. He used women shamelessly – he had at least three wives and countless mistresses- and didn’t hesitate to kill if he thought it necessary. During the infancy of the British Secret Service, he lived on his wits and thrived on danger. He was probably the greatest spy in history and, not surprisingly, therefore little known to the world. ![]() Who is this notorious Sidney Reilly that PBS is bringing us a 12-part “MYSTERY!” series based on his exploits? And that Fleming should speak so admiringly of him?Īs you will hear host Vincent Price preface at the start of “Reilly: Ace of Spies” on Thursday night, Sidney Reilly is not a fictitious creation. To quote 007’s creator, British Secret Service alumnus and author Ian Fleming: “James Bond is just a piece of nonsense I dreamed up. ![]()
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