Into the Lion's Mouth: The True Story of Dusko Popov: World War II Spy, Patriot, and the Real-Life Inspiration for James Bond
by Larry Loftis
James Bond has nothing on British double agent Dusko Popov. As an operative for the Abwehr, SD, MI5, MI6, and FBI during World War II, Popov seduced countless women―including agents on both sides―spoke five languages, and was a crack shot, all while maintaining his cover as a Yugoslav diplomat...
On a cool August evening in 1941, a Serbian playboy created a stir at Casino Estoril in Portugal by throwing down an outrageously large baccarat bet to humiliate his opponent. The Serbian was a British double agent, and the money―which he had just stolen from the Germans―belonged to the British. From the sideline, watching with intent interest was none other than Ian Fleming...
The Serbian was Dusko Popov. As a youngster, he was expelled from his London prep school. Years later he would be arrested and banished from Germany for making derogatory statements about the Third Reich. When World War II ensued, the playboy became a spy, eventually serving three dangerous masters: the Abwehr, MI5 and MI6, and the FBI.
On August 10, 1941, the Germans sent Popov to the United States to construct a spy network and gather information on Pearl Harbor. The FBI ignored his German questionnaire, but J. Edgar Hoover succeeded in blowing his cover. While MI5 desperately needed Popov to deceive the Abwehr about the D-Day invasion, they assured him that a return to the German Secret Service Headquarters in Lisbon would result in torture and execution. He went anyway...
Into the Lion's Mouth is a globe-trotting account of a man's entanglement with espionage, murder, assassins, and lovers―including enemy spies and a Hollywood starlet. It is a story of subterfuge and seduction, patriotism, and cold-blooded courage. It is the story of Dusko Popov―the inspiration for James Bond.
INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS
**Review
**Praise for Into the Lion's Mouth
**"For those wanting to know the real-life inspiration for Ian Fleming's James Bond, here it is. ... A work of non-fiction that's more thriller than biography. It's well-researched, but provides just enough historical background to prep us for Popov's dangerous exploits into espionage, politics and warfare."
—USA Today
"Gripping ... This one will keep you planted in your reading chair from start to finish."
—Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Excellent book—very impressive research ... A scholarly thriller."
—Dr. Robert Kuckuck, Director, Los Alamos National Laboratory (ret.)
"Loftis recounts the exploits of the model for Ian Fleming’s James Bond character with great skill. ... Will have readers on the edge of their seats and immersed in this sometimes unbelievable tale."
—Library Journal
"Who needs fiction. Truth is a thousand times better, and this true-life adventure has it all. Action, history, secrets, conspiracies—a sizzling piece of entertainment that's real."
—Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author
**"Sifting through declassified documents from World War II — as well as hotel bills, letters and long-forgotten memoirs — Loftis painstakingly pinpoints the exact moment Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming, first encountered this real-life 007."
—New York Post
"Superspy Dusko Popov—The Real-Life James Bond."
—Parade
"Excellent integration of primary and archival sources ... Impressive evidence ... Highly readable."
—Naval Historical Foundation
"The real-life inspiration for James Bond proves to be every bit as riveting as any of Ian Fleming's creations ...One of the most remarkable books we've read all year... Although Into the Lion's Mouth reads more like an intelligence caper than a biography, the book is impeccably researched and cited, making it an excellent read for even the most discriminating history buffs."
*—*BestThrillers.com
"Sometimes truth is not only stranger, but more exciting than fiction. If one is an Ian Fleming aficionado and a World War II history buff, you will find Into the Lion's Mouth a merger of the most exciting and fascinating aspects of both genres. '007's' exploits in the fourteen James Bond books almost pale in comparison to the actual exploits of Dusko Popov."
—Admiral R. J. Zlatoper, U.S. Navy (ret.)
"The description of UK's successful attack on the Italian Fleet at Taranto and how that served as the model for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor provide an interesting insight. Most shocking, however, is the fact that J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI Director, was provided this key intelligence by Dusko Popov four months before the Japanese attack, and apparently didn't tell anyone. Many thousands of lives could have been saved and the war in the Pacific could have been brought to a successful conclusion much sooner."
—Admiral James A. Lyons, Jr., U.S. Navy (ret.)
"007 inspiration: Bolder than James Bond."
—*Orlando Sentinel*
"Gripping, thrilling, and too crazy to be true—except that it is...Reads less like a biography and more like a thriller...One of the most fascinating things I've read, period."
—*The Real Book Spy*
"Packs the punch of a cyanide capsule."
—Joshua Hood, author of Clear by Fire and* Warning Order
"James Bond is not the amalgamation of several bits and parts from people like Frankenstein’s monster, but based on one individual ... Reads much like a novel, and a thrilling one at that."
—The Big Thrill
"A true tale fraught with danger, suspense, beautiful women, and a fateful summer encounter at a certain Casino Estoril in 1941. ... Loftis makes the strongest case yet for why Bond fans should consider Popov as Fleming’s true inspiration."
—James Bond Radio***
"An espionage book that seems so highly improbable it could only be true. ... Even without the Fleming/Bond connection, Into the Lion’s Mouth is hard to put down and the exploits ... incredible."
*—The James Bond Dossier ***
About the Author
Larry Loftis is an author and attorney. He has published legal articles in the University of Florida Law Review, Suffolk Transnational Law Journal, Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law, Florida Bar Journal, National Law Journal, and Florida Banking. He received a BA from the University of Florida, an MA from Reformed Theological Seminary, and a JD from the University of Florida Law School, where he served on the Law Review as the senior executive editor and senior articles editor. He also served at the law school as a teaching fellow for Legal Research and Writing/Appellate Advocacy. He also has taught law as an adjunct professor for Belhaven University.
On a cool August evening in 1941, a Serbian playboy created a stir at Casino Estoril in Portugal by throwing down an outrageously large baccarat bet to humiliate his opponent. The Serbian was a British double agent, and the money―which he had just stolen from the Germans―belonged to the British. From the sideline, watching with intent interest was none other than Ian Fleming...
The Serbian was Dusko Popov. As a youngster, he was expelled from his London prep school. Years later he would be arrested and banished from Germany for making derogatory statements about the Third Reich. When World War II ensued, the playboy became a spy, eventually serving three dangerous masters: the Abwehr, MI5 and MI6, and the FBI.
On August 10, 1941, the Germans sent Popov to the United States to construct a spy network and gather information on Pearl Harbor. The FBI ignored his German questionnaire, but J. Edgar Hoover succeeded in blowing his cover. While MI5 desperately needed Popov to deceive the Abwehr about the D-Day invasion, they assured him that a return to the German Secret Service Headquarters in Lisbon would result in torture and execution. He went anyway...
Into the Lion's Mouth is a globe-trotting account of a man's entanglement with espionage, murder, assassins, and lovers―including enemy spies and a Hollywood starlet. It is a story of subterfuge and seduction, patriotism, and cold-blooded courage. It is the story of Dusko Popov―the inspiration for James Bond.
INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS
**Review
**Praise for Into the Lion's Mouth
**"For those wanting to know the real-life inspiration for Ian Fleming's James Bond, here it is. ... A work of non-fiction that's more thriller than biography. It's well-researched, but provides just enough historical background to prep us for Popov's dangerous exploits into espionage, politics and warfare."
—USA Today
"Gripping ... This one will keep you planted in your reading chair from start to finish."
—Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Excellent book—very impressive research ... A scholarly thriller."
—Dr. Robert Kuckuck, Director, Los Alamos National Laboratory (ret.)
"Loftis recounts the exploits of the model for Ian Fleming’s James Bond character with great skill. ... Will have readers on the edge of their seats and immersed in this sometimes unbelievable tale."
—Library Journal
"Who needs fiction. Truth is a thousand times better, and this true-life adventure has it all. Action, history, secrets, conspiracies—a sizzling piece of entertainment that's real."
—Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author
**"Sifting through declassified documents from World War II — as well as hotel bills, letters and long-forgotten memoirs — Loftis painstakingly pinpoints the exact moment Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming, first encountered this real-life 007."
—New York Post
"Superspy Dusko Popov—The Real-Life James Bond."
—Parade
"Excellent integration of primary and archival sources ... Impressive evidence ... Highly readable."
—Naval Historical Foundation
"The real-life inspiration for James Bond proves to be every bit as riveting as any of Ian Fleming's creations ...One of the most remarkable books we've read all year... Although Into the Lion's Mouth reads more like an intelligence caper than a biography, the book is impeccably researched and cited, making it an excellent read for even the most discriminating history buffs."
*—*BestThrillers.com
"Sometimes truth is not only stranger, but more exciting than fiction. If one is an Ian Fleming aficionado and a World War II history buff, you will find Into the Lion's Mouth a merger of the most exciting and fascinating aspects of both genres. '007's' exploits in the fourteen James Bond books almost pale in comparison to the actual exploits of Dusko Popov."
—Admiral R. J. Zlatoper, U.S. Navy (ret.)
"The description of UK's successful attack on the Italian Fleet at Taranto and how that served as the model for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor provide an interesting insight. Most shocking, however, is the fact that J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI Director, was provided this key intelligence by Dusko Popov four months before the Japanese attack, and apparently didn't tell anyone. Many thousands of lives could have been saved and the war in the Pacific could have been brought to a successful conclusion much sooner."
—Admiral James A. Lyons, Jr., U.S. Navy (ret.)
"007 inspiration: Bolder than James Bond."
—*Orlando Sentinel*
"Gripping, thrilling, and too crazy to be true—except that it is...Reads less like a biography and more like a thriller...One of the most fascinating things I've read, period."
—*The Real Book Spy*
"Packs the punch of a cyanide capsule."
—Joshua Hood, author of Clear by Fire and* Warning Order
"James Bond is not the amalgamation of several bits and parts from people like Frankenstein’s monster, but based on one individual ... Reads much like a novel, and a thrilling one at that."
—The Big Thrill
"A true tale fraught with danger, suspense, beautiful women, and a fateful summer encounter at a certain Casino Estoril in 1941. ... Loftis makes the strongest case yet for why Bond fans should consider Popov as Fleming’s true inspiration."
—James Bond Radio***
"An espionage book that seems so highly improbable it could only be true. ... Even without the Fleming/Bond connection, Into the Lion’s Mouth is hard to put down and the exploits ... incredible."
*—The James Bond Dossier ***
About the Author
Larry Loftis is an author and attorney. He has published legal articles in the University of Florida Law Review, Suffolk Transnational Law Journal, Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law, Florida Bar Journal, National Law Journal, and Florida Banking. He received a BA from the University of Florida, an MA from Reformed Theological Seminary, and a JD from the University of Florida Law School, where he served on the Law Review as the senior executive editor and senior articles editor. He also served at the law school as a teaching fellow for Legal Research and Writing/Appellate Advocacy. He also has taught law as an adjunct professor for Belhaven University.