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Title details for Operation Mincemeat by Ben Macintyre - Available

Operation Mincemeat

How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory

by Ben Macintyre
John Lee
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
Ben Macintyre’s Agent Zigzag was hailed as “rollicking, spellbinding” (New York Times), “wildly improbable but entirely true” (Entertainment Weekly), and, quite simply, “the best book ever written” (Boston Globe). In his new book, Operation Mincemeat, he tells an extraordinary story that will delight his legions of fans.
In 1943, from a windowless basement office in London, two brilliant intelligence officers conceived a plan that was both simple and complicated— Operation Mincemeat. The purpose? To deceive the Nazis into thinking that Allied forces were planning to attack southern Europe by way of Greece or Sardinia, rather than Sicily, as the Nazis had assumed, and the Allies ultimately chose.
 
Charles Cholmondeley of MI5 and the British naval intelligence officer Ewen Montagu could not have been more different. Cholmondeley was a dreamer seeking adventure. Montagu was an aristocratic, detail-oriented barrister. But together they were the perfect team and created an ingenious plan: Get a corpse, equip it with secret (but false and misleading) papers concerning the invasion, then drop it off the coast of Spain where German spies would, they hoped, take the bait. The idea was approved by British intelligence officials, including Ian Fleming (creator of James Bond). Winston Churchill believed it might ring true to the Axis and help bring victory to the Allies.
Filled with spies, double agents, rogues, fearless heroes, and one very important corpse, the story of Operation Mincemeat reads like an international thriller.
Unveiling never-before-released material, Ben Macintyre brings the reader right into the minds of intelligence officers, their moles and spies, and the German Abwehr agents who suffered the “twin frailties of wishfulness and yesmanship.” He weaves together the eccentric personalities of Cholmondeley and Montagu and their near-impossible feats into a riveting adventure that not only saved thousands of lives but paved the way for a pivotal battle in Sicily and, ultimately, Allied success in the war.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Awards

  • Release date

    May 4, 2010

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780307735720
      • File size: 325641 KB
      • Duration: 11:18:25

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Mincemeat was one of the supreme intelligence deceptions of WWII, or any war. The body of a supposed British officer with faked papers indicating impending invasions of Sardinia and Greece (the real target was Sicily) was dropped off the coast of neutral Spain, and as expected, the Nazis got hold of the papers and believed them. John Lee's reading is energetic, fast paced, clear, and very British--clipped and precise. He gives the many quotes from non-British sources in the appropriate accent (German, Spanish, Russian, etc.), which helps the listener keep clear who's speaking. The accents, including the American ones, are good. This is a great espionage tale, a fascinating look at wartime Spain and German military intelligence, in a spirited, likable reading. W.M. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from August 30, 2010
      Attain a corpse, load it with forged secret documents, and drop it off the coast of Spain where Nazi spies would be certain to discover it. These were the bare-bone essentials of one of the most important yet largely unknown Allied missions of WWII, which changed the course of history and saved thousands of lives. John Lee dazzles listeners with his seamless delivery that never ceases to excite; his classically trained tone is assertive and determined, capturing the importance of the mission and the dedication of the men at its helm. His voice shifts slightly to capture various British dialects, each as excellently executed as the last. A rousing listen. A Harmony hardcover (Reviews, Apr. 12).

    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 12, 2010
      London Times
      writer-at-large Macintyre (Agent Zigzag
      ) offers a solid and entertaining updating of WWII’s best-known “human intelligence” operation. In 1943, British intelligence conceived “a spectacular con trick” to draw German attention away from the Allies’ obvious next objective, Sicily. The bait was a briefcase full of carefully forged documents attached to the wrist of “Major William Martin, Royal Marines”—a fictitious identity given to a body floated ashore in neutral Spain. Making the deception plausible was the task given to two highly unconventional officers: Lt. Comdr. Ewen Montagu and Squadron Leader Charles Cholmondeley. Macintyre recounts their adventures and misadventures with panache. The body was that of a derelict. Its costuming included the underwear of a deceased Oxford don. An attractive secretary provided the photo of an imaginary fiancée. The carefully constructed documents setting up the bogus operation against Greece and Sardinia convinced even Hitler himself. The Sicily landings were achieved as almost a complete surprise. And “the man who never was” entered the history and folklore of WWII. Photos.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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