The true story of Count Laszlo Almasy, the Hungarian explorer and hero of the film The English Patient, is told in this book. The real tale was first revealed in MI5 files released to the National Archives and now John Bierman, former BBC correspondent, has filled in the gaps to tell an astounding tale of intrigue. In truth, Almasy was a bungling Nazi intelligence officer who, according to his MI5 file, was very ugly and shabbily dressed, with a fat and pendulous nose, drooping shoulders and a nervous tic.