ESPIONAGE: The Tactful Servant

Francesco Costantini was only an unschooled village boy from Viterbo when he went to Rome at the age of 14 and landed a job as office boy in the U.S. Embassy. His budding career in the world of diplomacy nearly ended three years later when he was fired for getting into a fight. But Francesco was a resilient boy. Soon afterward he landed another job in the British embassy and from there went on to change, in his modest way, the course of history. Last week, having long since retired as one of the most successful spies in history, 62-year-old...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!