3 ms·

If this sort of thing interests you, I can recommend [Max Hastings: The Secret War] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-War-Max-Hastings/dp/0007503903 https://www.

If this sort of thing interests you, I can recommend [Max Hastings: The Secret War] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-War-Max-Hastings/dp/0007503903 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-War-Max-Hastings/dp/00075039...)

ErrantX 10y ago
Hastings is okay, although sometimes his views aren't well balanced (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/04/secret-war-spied-codes-guerrillas-max-hastings-entertaining https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/04/secret-war-spi...). There is also a very detailed (and difficult to read, but interesting) book by Thaddeus Holt called "The Decievers" and various books by Ben McIntyre are very good pop-history.
- hga 10y ago
  I found the difficultly of reading The Deceivers to depend on what's being discussed. Sometimes it's either very detailed to the point of being boring for the non-specialist, or intrinsically boring, e.g. the Japanese didn't respect any non-combat arm, so intelligence neither got good officers nor was much listened to, so only the most gross deception efforts would even get a nibble and those wouldn't tend to go anywhere. And Italian counter-intelligence was generally too good to fool. But I found e.g. the account of Operation Bodyguard (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Bodyguard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Bodyguard), the "Bodyguard of Lies" that shielded D-Day, to be riveting, as you'd expect from what might be the greatest strategic deception in history.
  - ErrantX 10y ago
    Yes Holt focuses mostly on Bodyguard; which is a shame because some of the other theatres are also interesting. (btw the Operation Bodyguard article isn't in the best of shape, although I've been working on it on and off. The sub-plans [Copperhead, D-Day naval deceptions, Ferdinand, Fortitude, Graffham, Ironside, Titanic, Quicksilver & Zeppelin] are in better shape. My favourite is Copperhead.
    - hga 10y ago
      If by "mostly focuses mostly on Bodyguard" you mean spills the most ink on, agreed, but as I noted and he explicitly points out, it was the greatest strategic deception in history. Not sure about his not giving enough attention to other theaters, besides the Pacific for the mentioned reason, but my copy of the book is packed away in preparation for a move. I don't remember him ignoring any of them, except maybe attempted actions against the Italians.

ErrantX 10y ago

Hastings is okay, although sometimes his views aren't well balanced (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/04/secret-war-spied-codes-guerrillas-max-hastings-entertaining https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/04/secret-war-spi...). There is also a very detailed (and difficult to read, but interesting) book by Thaddeus Holt called "The Decievers" and various books by Ben McIntyre are very good pop-history.

hga 10y ago
I found the difficultly of reading The Deceivers to depend on what's being discussed. Sometimes it's either very detailed to the point of being boring for the non-specialist, or intrinsically boring, e.g. the Japanese didn't respect any non-combat arm, so intelligence neither got good officers nor was much listened to, so only the most gross deception efforts would even get a nibble and those wouldn't tend to go anywhere. And Italian counter-intelligence was generally too good to fool. But I found e.g. the account of Operation Bodyguard (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Bodyguard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Bodyguard), the "Bodyguard of Lies" that shielded D-Day, to be riveting, as you'd expect from what might be the greatest strategic deception in history.
- ErrantX 10y ago
  Yes Holt focuses mostly on Bodyguard; which is a shame because some of the other theatres are also interesting. (btw the Operation Bodyguard article isn't in the best of shape, although I've been working on it on and off. The sub-plans [Copperhead, D-Day naval deceptions, Ferdinand, Fortitude, Graffham, Ironside, Titanic, Quicksilver & Zeppelin] are in better shape. My favourite is Copperhead.
  - hga 10y ago
    If by "mostly focuses mostly on Bodyguard" you mean spills the most ink on, agreed, but as I noted and he explicitly points out, it was the greatest strategic deception in history. Not sure about his not giving enough attention to other theaters, besides the Pacific for the mentioned reason, but my copy of the book is packed away in preparation for a move. I don't remember him ignoring any of them, except maybe attempted actions against the Italians.