Arthur Mitchell Ransome English journalist, writer, intelligence officer, MI6 agent Date of Birth: 18.01.1884 Country: Great Britain

1. Arthur Ransom: British Journalist, Writer, Spy, MI6 Agent
2. Education and Early Career
3. Life and Travels in Russia
4. Role in the Russian Revolution
5. Later Life and Legacy

Arthur Ransom: British Journalist, Writer, Spy, MI6 Agent

Arthur Ransom was a prominent figure in early 20th-century British journalism and literature. Born in Leeds to a family of academics, his father Kirill Ransom was a history professor, and his mother Edith Bolton. Sadly, his father passed away when Arthur was just three years old.

Education and Early Career

Ransom attended Windermere School before moving on to the prestigious Rugby School. Although he spent a year at university, he chose to leave and instead worked as an office assistant at a publishing company. It was during this time that he published his book "Bohemia in London" in 1907, which explored the literary scene in the city.

Life and Travels in Russia

In May 1913, Ransom embarked on a journey to St. Petersburg, where he spent three months. Upon returning to England, he published "Old Peter's Russian Tales," a collection of Russian folk tales translated by him and illustrated by D.I. Mitrakhin. This book, released in two editions in 1916, led to a correspondence between Ransom and Mitrakhin in the 1960s.

Ransom made several more trips to Russia in 1914 and 1915, and in November 1915, he returned as a correspondent for the radical newspaper Daily News. It was during this time that Ransom was also working for MI6 under the codename S76. There are speculations that he may have been a double agent.

Role in the Russian Revolution

During the 1917 Russian Revolution, Ransom found himself in close proximity to Bolshevik leaders. He participated in the dismantling of the secret archives of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the publication of the secret treaties of the tsarist and provisional governments. Ransom had interviews with prominent figures such as Lenin and Trotsky. He became involved with Trotsky's secretary, Evgenia Shelepina, who later became his lover and wife.

In 1919, Ransom left Russia with Shelepina. After a brief stay in England, they settled in Reval (now Tallinn) and later in Riga, where Ransom worked as a correspondent for the Manchester Guardian. He published the book "Russia in 1919" based on his experiences. Ransom's frequent travels between Russia, the Baltic, Scandinavian countries, and England also involved smuggling diamonds looted by the Cheka (the Soviet secret police) out of Russia.

Later Life and Legacy

In 1924, Ransom divorced his first wife and married Shelepina. They remained together until his death. In the late 1920s, Ransom traveled to China and became friends with Sun Yat-sen's wife, Soong Ching-ling. In the 1930s and 1940s, he wrote a series of children's books titled "Swallows and Amazons," which gained him recognition as a beloved children's author.

Arthur Ransom passed away in 1967. He left behind a legacy of adventure, espionage, and literary works that continue to captivate readers today.