Praise for Cracking the Nazi Code:

"I love books that promise 'untold stories.’ This one does and it delivers. Who knew that a Canadian was the first to warn the world what the Nazis were up to, and to do it years before anyone else was even talking about Nazis? Winthrop Bell is a name you should know, and thanks to Jason Bell and his deep dive research you now will."

– Peter Mansbridge, former chief correspondent for CBC News and anchor of The National

“The investigative work the author has done has produced a biography suited to the best of the current-day spy novels. Well-written and interesting and deserves to be devoured.”

– New York Journal of Books

“A hitherto unknown story about how Bell, who had been interned in Germany during World War I, used his excellent German and many connections to describe the country’s turmoil after the war for the benefit of the British secret services and government. The core story is remarkable in itself, but the wealth of detail about Germany in the years after World War I and the inner workings of British espionage makes it doubly so.”

– Foreign Affairs

"Is Winthrop Bell the most—or least—obvious spy name? It’s hard to say. As early as 1939, when he was working for Britain’s MI6 as Agent A12, the Halifax-born Bell was already sounding the alarm about Hitler’s plot to obliterate all non-Aryan people from the earth. Author Bell (no relation), a New Brunswick professor, posits that the intelligence his subject gathered may have been crucial to the Allies winning the war.”

– The Globe and Mail

“A firecracker of a Canadian story and a path-breaking look at the inner workings of British intelligence between the two world wars. A doozer of a tale. [Jason Bell] argues convincingly that ‘a good spy can prevent a war so quietly that hardly anyone realizes it.’ The author makes a compelling and exciting case for the effectiveness of Bell’s work.”

– Peterborough Examiner

"Brilliantly researched, Cracking the Nazi Code upends our conventional, often inaccurate, understanding of the Nazis’ rise to power after WWI. It took the stunning intelligence work of Winthrop Bell, a Canadian spy working for MI6 in Germany, to decipher what was really going on. How did Hitler, an insignificant minion, manage to climb the ladder of power? How wide-ranging was his genocidal intent? As Bell pursues the truth, the twists and turns of his life are fascinating. We come away with a deep respect for intelligence work at its finest. A page-turner, one of those books not to be missed."

– Rosemary Sullivan, author of Stalin's Daughter

"Written with uncommon verve, wonderful detail, and deep insight gained from previously inaccessible archival records, Cracking the Nazi Code reveals the key spy work of Winthrop Bell. His secret fieldwork revealed insurrection, revolution, and the rise of the vile ideology that would underpin the Nazi party. Bell’s dangerous missions saved countless lives, supported battered democratic regimes, and provided British spymasters and Canadian political leaders with crucial information to avert disaster. Cracking the Nazi Code reminds us of the fragility of nations after war and how easily they can slide into chaos as demagogues prey upon the vulnerable, helpless, and hopeless."

– Tim Cook, author of Vimy: The Battle and the Legend

"A remarkable account of the life of Winthrop Bell (1884–1965), a spy also known as A12 who uncovered the emerging Nazi conspiracy. The book vividly documents the spy’s efforts to alert the British of Nazi plans. A gripping account of the spy, who also was an academic at Harvard and McGill. An extraordinary story of one man’s efforts to stop the Nazi regime."

– Library Journal (starred review)

"If you think you know everything about World War II, you need this book. Jason Bell’s account of how a philosophy professor alerted world leaders to the true threat of the rising Nazi movement is a first-rate spy story. Cracking the Nazi Code takes you along on one man’s dangerous quest to discover the truth and convince world leaders of perils to come."

– Gregory A. Freeman, author of The Forgotten 500

"In this fascinating first-ever biography of Winthrop Bell, historian Jason Bell introduces readers to the shadowy one-time Harvard-philosophy-professor-turned-secret-agent who became one of Nazi Germany’s biggest enemies."

– Ken Cuthbertson, author or Blood on the Coal: The True Story of the Great Springhill MIne Disaster

"An amazing book. Winthrop Bell was a harbinger of fate, a prophet in his times. Spy stories’ addicts, history buffs, researchers and readers blessed with even a quantum of curiosity—should read this extraordinary ouvrage and reflect on its meaning for our past, but also for our future."

– Michael Bar-Zohar, author of Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service

“Fascinating. Cracking the Nazi Code is the result of many years of research, a magnetic and magisterial recounting of Winthrop Bell’s heroic life. It is worth every word.”

– The Winnipeg Free Press

“With the help of recently declassified documents, Jason Bell’s book is the first to shine a light on the intelligence work of Winthrop.”

– The Chronicle Herald