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Becky Sharp, Ripley, Flashman – all villains, but ones for whom we have a sneaking admiration. What makes a villain alluring? Ben Macintyre, journalist, historian and author, explains the attraction of Eddie Chapman – named Agent Zigzag by M15 – who was irresistible to women, and convincing to spymasters in both the UK and Germany. Chapman was both a villain and a hero of World War II. Macintyre’s book Agent Zigzag: The True Wartime Story of Eddie Chapman: Lover, Betrayer, Hero, Spy was recently turned into a BBC documentary. Writer, critic and journalist Kim Newman, author of the Anno Dracula series, recently chose the ‘10 top literary villains’ to mark the launch of his book Moriaty – the Hound of the D’Urbervilles. His own favourite is probably Dracula.