A Spy Called Swallow - Murray, John

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Résumé :
Autobiography: The love affair and marriage of John Murray, an official in the British Diplomatic Service and a beautiful Stalinist spy is one of the great romantic and heroic stories of World War II. John's now re-printed reminiscences are augmented by a prologue and epilogue written by two of their sons, Leeroy and Peter, seeking clarity and continuity in their parents' love and life story. As a young businessman in Latvia and Finland, John was recruited as a courier for the British Government. Then, in 1940, he was appointed as a cypher (coder/decoder) at the British Embassy in Moscow. Targeted by Stalin's secret police, in the form of a young spy named Nora (code name 'The Swallow') John tried, but could not resist her. Passionately in love, and against the backdrop of war torn countries, intrigue and deceit, and against dangerous odds, he saves Nora from an inevitably dreadful fate.

Biographie:
John has been married to his wife Rita for over 61years. They have two children, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Originally from the U.K. they now reside in White Rock, British Columbia, on the west coast of Canada.Educated in England, John went on to study theology in Birmingham, U.K. and in Toronto, Canada. His life experience has been in business, in journalism, in pastoral ministry and overseas missions.For the last twenty years before retiring he served as the Executive Director for Eurovangelism Canada, a mission working in Eastern Europe. He travelled extensively from Russia in the north to Albania in the south. Some of the stories in the book, Miracles: Coincidence or Divine Intervention are from his days travelling in Eastern Europe. His many years of speaking engagements took him to ten countries, which included Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and the Caribbean.Since retiring in 2006 John has concentrated on his writing and is full-time Caregiver to his wife Rita. Invitation to Joy is his sixth book.

Sommaire:
John Murray born of Greek/Irish parents and brought up in Edwardian England soon found himself working in Latvia. Having achieved a commercial education at Pitman's College he was put in charge of managing a cigarette factory. Later, he became its owner while also running an import export business in the Baltic States. As war loomed large in Europe his fortunes changed. He was called upon to work for the British Government eventually finding himself as a cypher in the British Embassy, Moscow. During this time, John a highly insightful self-made individual succumbed to the entreaties of a desperate human being and found himself engulfed in the intricacies of Soviet WWII espionage and counter-intelligence....