The amazing true story of the real “M”, William Melville, MI5’sfounding father and the inspiration for Ian Fleming’s characterin James Bond. Melville was one of the most influential counterespionagefigures of the twentieth century. From a tiny outfitbased in Victoria Street, London, the counter-intelligence organizationthat Melville lobbied the Government to create is todaya household name and one of the world’s leading intelligenceagencies. He was perfect for the job, a velvet-gloved tough guy whohad run Scotland Yard’s Special Branch and whose career hadalready taken in some of London’s great crime dramas includingthe Jack the Ripper investigations, countering Irish Republicanterrorism, assassination attempts on Queen Victoria and anarchistbomb plots. Now, with help of recently declassified records,family material and documents that have still not officially seenthe light of day, the story of his Secret Service career – includingthe breaking of German spy rings prior to the outbreak of WorldWar I—can finally be told.