Undercover Tales of World War II - Hardcover

Critical acclaim for William B. Breuer "A first-class historian." --The Wall Street Journal Vendetta! "A wealth of insights."--Los Angeles Times Book Review Unexplained Mysteries of World War II "Anyone interested in twists of fate should find this book fascinating." --Library Journal Feuding Allies "A valuable resource . highly recommended."--Booklist A bloc of hard-core American Nazis carries out elaborate plans to sabotage war efforts and keep the United States neutral. A wily Japanese "tailor" single-handedly steals the secrets to the United States Gray Code. A French boy and his "blind" music teacher penetrate, in broad daylight, the German forbidden zone at Port-en-Bessein. Just beneath the surface of the legendary events of World War II lurks a vast, shadowy, high-stakes realm of espionage and intelligence, where the most successful operations are the ones we've never heard about . until now. With his trademark blend of dynamic storytelling and meticulous detail, William Breuer reveals seventy clandestine operations that affected the course of the war. Vivid and fast-paced, this far-reaching treasury of vanishing spies, mysterious kidnappings, and bizarre subplots is a unique and riveting addition to the World War II literature.

"Most of these surreptitious events would have been rejected by Hollywood film producers as implausible—yet they happened and helped to shape the outcome of the war."—William Breuer, in Undercover Tales of World War II.

You already know the basics: The Allies won in Europe because of the blows inflicted on the Germans by the Russians, the endurance of the British, and the air and armaments superiority supplied by America's manufacturing might. And countless books offer blow-by-blow accounts of Pearl Harbor, D-Day, and the Battle of the Bulge.

Now, William Breuer goes beyond (and underneath) the well-known history, delivering World War II buffs and history fans something altogether different.

Just beneath the surface of the traditional perspectives and legendary events of World War II lurks a vast and shadowy world of virtually untraceable maneuvers, deceptive appearances, and confidences betrayed.

Here is the dangerous, high-stakes realm of espionage and intelligence, where the most successful operations are the ones we've never heard about . . . until now. This fascinating book mines in unprecedented depth an incredible range of labyrinthine plots and dramatic power plays, showing how a seemingly unconnected string of underground incidents came to shape the outcome of our century's climactic struggle.

Over a period of years, Breuer collected materials from interviews with former spies and operatives, military reports, government archives, newspapers, and correspondence. His painstaking research uncovered a wealth of stranger-than-fiction tales of bribery, sabotage, and other clandestine maneuvers—all as vital an influence on the war's course as its great campaigns and high-level decisions.

With his trademark blend of dynamic storytelling and meticulous detail, Breuer deftly uncovers seventy covert operations and insidious plots, including:

• The bloc of hard-core American Nazis who carried out elaborate plans to sabotage war efforts and keep the United States neutral.
• The wily Japanese "tailor" who single-handedly stole the secrets to the United States Gray Code.
• The brave member of Norway's resistance movement who deeply infiltrated the German hierarchy, posing as a zealous Nazi.
• The French boy and his "blind" music teacher who penetrated, in broad daylight, the German forbidden zone at Port-en-Bessein.

  In the vivid, fast-paced tradition of Unexplained Mysteries of World War II, this far-reaching treasury of vanishing spies, mysterious kidnappings, and bizarre subplots is a unique and riveting addition to World War II literature.