Book 4 (1865-1871): Where Eagles Dare

Two main storylines run through Book 4 of The Speedicut Papers: Speedicut's quest to identify the traitor within the British establishment, who has already occasioned him considerable personal problems, and his involuntary – and often disastrous – involvement in the geopolitical affairs of the Emperors of Austria, Mexico and France, and the future Emperor of Germany.

Speedicut's behind-the-scenes revelations in Book 4 shed a new light on the fall of the Mexican Empire, the Franco-Prussian War, the Paris Commune and a great deal more besides. Book 4 ends with Speedicut lying in a hospital bed after a near-death experience during the Paris Commune of 1871.