25: The Lebensborn Spy with Christopher McIntosh

On Episode 25 of the Spybrary Spy Podcast, host Shane Whaley talks to author Christopher McIntosh about his cold war spy thriller 'The Lebensborn Spy'

What is the Lebensborn Spy all about then?

'The Lebensborn Spy is a novel based on a real situation during the Cold War, in which former inmates of the Nazi Lebensborn maternity and children's homes were used as spies by the East German intelligence service. The story involves one such spy, who goes to Denmark to carry out espionage for the German Democratic Republic and to find his mother, who he believes to be a Danish woman who had a love affair with a German soldier during the wartime occupation and then gave her infant son away to the Lebensborn. There is a parallel thread to the story, involving another young man living in East Berlin. The two men and the Danish family become caught up in a web of deception, betrayal and love. The story, which is also about the search for one's origins and one's native homeland, moves to a dramatic climax, which reaches a startling dénouement in the re-united Berlin of 1990.'

In this engaging interview for Spybrary, Christopher McIntosh shares with us:

• Why his book is dedicated to all former Lebensborn children’ For those of our listeners who are not familiar with Lebensborn Christopher tell us more. (Check the resources section below for more links on this.)
• How Der Spiegel inspired him to write the book
• Why lovers of spy thrillers will enjoy his book.
• What kind of research he completed for this book.
• His own insight into the main characters of the Lebensborn Spy.
• How a former GDR stasi prisoner (who was bought by the West) helped him with research on the GDR.
• What was the hardest part of writing his book.
• What was his favorite chapter (or part) to write and why
• His advice for aspiring authors?

And Much More!