by ThaddeusHolt (Author)
Mystify. Mislead. Surprise. These have been the basic tenets of deception in warfare throughout human history. In WWII, however, the Allies employed unprecedented measures and practiced the most successful deception ever seen, meticulously feeding misinformation to Axis intelligence. Thaddeus Holt's ambitious and comprehensive book is the first to tell the full story behind these operations. Exactly how the Allies engaged in strategic deception has remained secret for decades. Now, with the help of newly declassified material, Holt reveals these secrets to the world in a riveting work of historical scholarship. Told chronologically, THE DECEIVERS takes readers from the early British achievements in the Middle East and Europe at the beginning of the war, through to the massive Allied success of D-Day, American victory in the Pacific theatre, and the war's culmination on the brink of an invasion of Japan. Holt brings to life the hitherto little-known men, British and American, who ran Allied deception, tracks the development of deception techniques, and explores the groundbreaking work of double agents. Full of fascinating sources and astounding revelations, THE DECEIVERS is an indispensable volume and an unparalleled contribution to WWII literature
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 1148
Edition: 1st Edition
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Published: 11 Nov 2004
ISBN 10: 0297848046
ISBN 13: 9780297848042
Book Overview: fabulous advance quotes: MICHAEL HOWARD (former Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford): Mr. Holt's history of Allied deception in World War II is definitive. He has trawled through all the documentation, interviewed all the survivors, and put together a history as comprehensive as it is readable and entertaining. It is an astonishing achievement, and no library of the war can afford to be without it. --Ernest May, Charles Warren Professor of History, Harvard University: A truly wonderful book! Deeply researched and written with authority and verve, it tells the full story of Allied deception during World War II. The Deceivers not only recounts every major operation, it describes in detail how each operation affected the enemy. It will be essential for the bookshelf of every serious student of World War II.