EJ Thorpe (47), a local resident of the Swartland coastal town of Yzerfontein, has just published his second book, Spies and Heroes as part of a trilogy.
Thorpe, who started writing in 2023, published his first offering, From Coalminer to General in November 2024.
Writing on a full-time basis, his latest book has been a journey, one rooted not only in historical research and imagination, but also in the quiet, powerful stories passed down through his family.
Growing up Thorpe listened to tales told in fragments — stories of courage, of sorrow, of friendships forged in war and quiet strength that held families together. Some were shared around dinner tables, others hinted at in old photographs, medals or letters carefully tucked away.
“These stories became part of me, shaping how I saw history,” Thorpe related, “not as distant battles or faceless soldiers, but as deeply personal moments that defined the people I came from.”
Spies and Heroes is a tribute to that legacy, he added. While the characters are fictional, many are inspired by real figures in his family. Men and women who lived through the turbulence of the Second World War.
Their voices echo through the pages, in the defiance of Colonel Bert Marx, the brilliance of Una Thorne, the quiet strength of Jamie Thorne and the larger-than-life presence of Major Edward Stewart. In them he hopes readers will see not just characters, but reflections of the countless individuals who stood for something greater than themselves.
He explained: “This is not just a story about war, but identity, sacrifice, love and what it means to endure. It is about the spies in the shadows and the heroes in plain sight.”
What is the story about? World War II rages across continents, and the fates and destinies of soldiers, spies and families are intertwined in a battle not only for victory, but honour, love and legacy.
Colonel Bert Marx, a German officer-turned-Allied spy, walks a treacherous line inside the heart of the Reich.
Una Thorne, a brilliant MI6 cryptographer and daughter of a British general, risks everything behind enemy lines.
Together, they ignite a powerful resistance and a love that defies the war and its effects around them.
From the skies above Britain to the trenches of North Africa, from the resistance networks of Berlin to the final liberation of Europe, Spies and Heroes follows the Thorne brothers – Henry, the fearless RAF ace, and Jamie, the battle-hardened colonel – as they lead with valour and confront the brutal cost of war.
Torn between duty and heartache, sacrifice and survival, their journeys collide in a final act of courage that will define a generation.
From Coalminer to General and the digital version of Spies and Heroes are available on Amazon.
The printed publication of Spies and Heroes will be available soon.
