Murderers who struck out for personal gain, or to take control of empires.

Seducers who used deceit between the sheets to fool their targets.

Spies who smuggled secrets to the opposing power either for money or because of ideology.

History is filled with traitors, from medieval pretenders to thrones to Nazi sympathisers, legends of antiquity to fables of the Old Testament — and we've long been darkly fascinated by the machinations behind their treachery.

In this lively new history, Sunday Times bestselling author Sinclair McKay explores the past's most notorious traitors. In 22 bite-sized chapters, McKay delves deep into the treason and scandal, and explores the role of traitors in shaping our history, mythology, and literature. We meet some of the most infamous defectors and disgraced collaborators, from those whose names became bywords for treachery, like Benedict Arnold and Vidkun Quisling, to fictional traitors, like Sir Lancelot and Guinevere, and the Macbeths.

Through vivid storytelling and examples from ancient civilisations to the modern day, McKay details some of the most brazen betrayals, murderous acts and shocking duplicity. And, by examining some of history’s toughest moral and ethical dilemmas, he shows us that the line between treachery and faithfulness can sometimes be needle-thin . . .

© Sinclair McKay 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026