Beverly Hills Spy: The Double-Agent War Hero Who Helped Japan Attack Pearl Harbor

"A beguiling tale of espionage and double-dealing in the years leading up to World War II. ... Strap in for a narrative that demands a suspension of disbelief—and richly rewards it." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review); Best Books of February Selection

The untold story of the World War I hero who became a fixture of high society in Golden Age Hollywood—all while acting as a double agent for the Japanese Empire as it prepared to attack Pearl Harbor

Frederick Rutland’s story is a rags-to-riches coup for the ages—a lower-class boy from England bootstraps his way up the ranks of the British military, becoming a World War I pilot, father of the modern aircraft carrier, cosmopolitan businessman, and Hollywood A-list insider. He oversaw this small empire from his mansion on the fabled Bird Streets of Beverly Hills. Snubbed for promotion in the Royal Air Force due to little more than jealousy and class politics, Rutland—to all appearances—continued to spin gold from straw, living an enviably lavish lifestyle that included butlers, wild parties, private clubs, and newswor­thy living . . .

. . . and it was all funded by the Japanese Empire.

Beverly Hills Spy reveals the story of Rutland’s life of espi­onage on behalf of the Axis, selling secrets about fleet and aircraft design to the Japanese Imperial Navy that would be instrumental in its ability to attack Pearl Harbor, while col­lecting a salary ten times larger than the best-paid Japanese admirals. Based on recently declassified FBI files and until-now untranslated documents from Japanese intelligence, Ronald Drabkin brings the scope of this unforgettable tale into full focus for the first time. Rutland hides in plain sight, rubbing elbows with Amelia Earhart and hosting galas and fundraisers with superstars like Charlie Chaplin and Boris Karloff, while simultaneously passing information to Japan through spy networks across North and Central America. Countless opportunities to catch Rutland in the act are squandered by the FBI, British Intelligence, and US Naval Intelligence alike as he uses his cunning and charm to mis­direct and cast shadows of doubt over his business dealings, allowing him to operate largely unfettered for years.

In the end, whether he fully intends to or not, Rutland sets in motion world events that are so monumental, their consequences are still being felt today.

Beverly Hills Spy is a masterpiece of research on spy craft, a shocking narrative about an unknown but pivotal figure in history, and brings new information to light that helps us understand how Pearl Harbor happened—and how it could have been prevented.

How did one of Britain’s greatest war heroes become Japan’s most valuable spy?

• A Shocking Double Agent: Discover how Frederick Rutland, celebrated as the hero ‘Rutland of Jutland,’ leveraged his status to sell vital naval secrets to the Imperial Japanese Navy.
• Golden Age Hollywood Espionage: Go inside the lavish Beverly Hills mansion where Rutland hosted Charlie Chaplin and Boris Karloff, all while running a spy ring under the noses of his famous friends.
• The Path to Pearl Harbor: Uncover the critical intelligence on aircraft carriers and fleet design that Rutland provided, which directly enabled Japan’s devastating attack.
• Declassified WWII History: Based on recently unearthed FBI files and never-before-translated Japanese documents, this is the definitive story of a pivotal but unknown figure in military history.

Ronald Drabkin is the author of Beverly Hills Spy and peer-reviewed articles on Japanese espionage. His obsession with espionage history started when he was as a child in Los Angeles, where he vaguely understood that his father had been working for the US military in counterintelligence. Later he discovered that his grandfather had also been in “the business,” and it drove a voyage of discovery into previously classified documents on three continents. His career prior to writing was at early stage startups in the US, where he was an early adopter of Google and Facebook advertising. He currently lives in Tokyo.