August 1941: Casino Estoril, Portugal
An affluent Serbian playboy throws down an outrageously large baccarat bet to humiliate his opponent and creates a stir in the casino. What nobody knows is the Serbian in question is actually a British double agent by the name of Dusko Popov, and the money―which he just stole from the Germans―belongs to the British.

From the sidelines, watching with intent interest, is none other than Ian Fleming, who would be inspired by the curious figure and this exact night and location to create his most famous and recognizable character: James Bond. Author Larry Loftis examines international spy and double agent Dusko Popov’s life and work in INTO THE LION’S MOUTH: The True Story of Dusko Popov: World War II Spy, Patriot, and the Real-Life Inspiration for James Bond.

As a youngster, Dusko Popov 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 German Abwehr, the British MI5 and MI6, and the US FBI.

On August 10, 1941, the Abwehr sent Popov to the United States to construct a spy network and, specifically, to gather information on the defense installations at Pearl Harbor. What they didn’t know was that Popov was actually working as a double agent for the British. Upon arrival in New York, Popov contacted the FBI and warned them that the Germans wanted this information on behalf of Japan, and that an attack was imminent. The FBI ignored this, and then-FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, who did not trust him, 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 the account of one extraordinary man’s globe-trotting entanglement with espionage, murder, assassins, and lovers―including enemy spies and a Hollywood starlet. It is a story of subterfuge, seduction, patriotism, and courage—themes that Ian Fleming would incorporate into the tales involving his iconic hero, James Bond.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Larry Loftis is an attorney, author, and adjunct professor of law. 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 Reviewas 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.