Ben Macintyre has skilfuuly crafted a beautifully written account of British intelligence's finest hour
In a nutshell, 'Operation Mincemeat' was the operation name given to the most audacious plan put together by British intelligence during WWII to deceive the Nazis over allied plans to make a ground offensive on Sicily.
At the core of the operation, a dead body was illegally seized and dressed in military apparel as a Major in the Royal Marines and given the false identity of William Martin. He'd be carrying letters and ID and have an attache case chained to him. This would carry secret documents purporting to reveal that the real targets for the forthcoming invasion would be Greece and Sardinia, and that Sicily would act as a complete bluff.
To make the fake documents look and feel entirely authentic, the individuals involved in creating this deception went to remarkable lengths.
Once prepared, the body was stored in a refrigerated tube and transported by submarine to the Spanish Southern coastline and no more than one mile from land, gently floated out to sea where the waves would eventually wash him up for the Spanish authorities to discover and surreptitiously share with German spies.
Macintyre uncovers this incredible story in full detail and skillfully brings its chief architects to life in a way that will both fascinate and amuse the reader.
This is a beautifully penned account that you will find exceptionally difficult to put down.
In a nutshell, 'Operation Mincemeat' was the operation name given to the most audacious plan put together by British intelligence during WWII to deceive the Nazis over allied plans to make a ground offensive on Sicily.
At the core of the operation, a dead body was illegally seized and dressed in military apparel as a Major in the Royal Marines and given the false identity of William Martin. He'd be carrying letters and ID and have an attache case chained to him. This would carry secret documents purporting to reveal that the real targets for the forthcoming invasion would be Greece and Sardinia, and that Sicily would act as a complete bluff.
To make the fake documents look and feel entirely authentic, the individuals involved in creating this deception went to remarkable lengths.
Once prepared, the body was stored in a refrigerated tube and transported by submarine to the Spanish Southern coastline and no more than one mile from land, gently floated out to sea where the waves would eventually wash him up for the Spanish authorities to discover and surreptitiously share with German spies.
Macintyre uncovers this incredible story in full detail and skillfully brings its chief architects to life in a way that will both fascinate and amuse the reader.
This is a beautifully penned account that you will find exceptionally difficult to put down.
