The untold tale of MI6’s involvement in the rise of Spanish fascism. It is known that a British plane took Francisco Franco from the Canaries to Morocco at the start of the coup. What is not known is that the plane was chartered by an MI6 agent and that British secret services continued working behind the scenes in Spain through to World War II, to ensure British interests were maintained. Crucially, MI6 paid bribes to Spanish generals to keep Spain neutral, thus reaping the benefits for Britain from 1939-45. Franco’s Friends reveals how Britain made a dubious moral choice that would have repercussions on the outcome of the Second World War.

Peter Day is a writer and journalist, he writes regularly for the Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday He lives in London, England.