An Evening with Ben Macintyre

We are thrilled to be welcoming back by popular demand the renowned historian Ben Macintyre, returning to Winchester to talk about his latest captivating book: Redwood.

Lauded by Mick Herron as “The pre-eminent historian of the secret world,” Ben’s latest book delves into a little-known yet fascinating Cold War narrative—one that reveals how a single, enigmatic spy altered the course of history and averted nuclear disaster.

The year is 1981. Tehran is in violent turmoil in the wake of the Iranian Revolution. The Soviets are planning to overthrow the Ayatollah’s fledgling Islamist regime. If they do so, one response from America – unknown to the public – would be to use nuclear weapons. This is the story of how, at the height of the Cold War, one mysterious double agent, known to MI6 as ‘Redwood’, revealed the Kremlin’s secret plot and prevented Armageddon.

Drawing on never-before-seen material from archives in multiple countries, and interviews with officers from MI6 and MI5, the KGB and CIA, Redwood lifts the lid on how espionage really works, and on an unknown and highly significant  Cold War victory. For without Redwood, our world would be very different – and might not exist at all.

Don’t miss out on an evening that promises to be as enlightening as it is thrilling!

Tickets will go on sale Thursday, 3 September.