The Spy Who Spent The War In Bed

A rare treat for World War II history buffs and fans of the strange, absurd, and unexplained Acclaimed military historian William Breuer takes readers on a trip through the looking glass to acquaint them with the weirder side of World War II. Featuring a cast of characters including double- and triple-agents, femme fatales, fearless leaders, and men at arms, The Spy who Spent the War In Bed is a collection of seventy concise, vividly rendered tales of war, ranging from laugh-out-loud funny, to inspiring, to just-plain-bizarre. For instance, there's the one about how reputed Irish Republican Army members in New York conned Nazi intelligence out of a small fortune. There's also a thrilling account of how four American newsmen bagged an entire German platoon. And there's the haunting tale of the "Mystery Plane," an experimental aircraft that took off on a short test flight over England one sunny afternoon in 1938 and simply vanished into a cloudless summer sky. This book draws on personal interviews, official archives, and declassified documents, as well as the vast literature on World War II.

The first full account of Nazi spies in 1930s America and how they were exposed. In the mid-1930s just as the United States was embarking on a policy of neutrality, Nazi Germany launched a program of espionage against the unwary nation. The Nazi Spy Ring in America tells the story of Hitler’s attempts to interfere in American affairs by spreading anti-Semitic propaganda, stealing military technology, and mapping US defenses. This fast-paced history provides essential insight into the role of espionage in shaping American perceptions of Germany in the years leading up to US entry into World War II. Fascinating and thoroughly researched, The Nazi Spy Ring in America sheds light on a now-forgotten but significant episode in the history of international relations and the development of the FBI. Using recently declassified documents, prize-winning historian Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones narrates this little-known chapter in US history. He shows how Germany’s foreign intelligence service, the Abwehr, was able to steal top secret US technology such as a prototype codebreaking machine and data about the latest fighter planes. At the center of the story is Leon Turrou, the FBI agent who helped bring down the Nazi spy ring in a case that quickly transformed into a national sensation. The arrest and prosecution of four members of the ring was a high-profile case with all the trappings of fiction: fast cars, louche liaisons, a murder plot, a Manhattan socialite, and a ringleader codenamed Agent Sex. Part of the story of breaking the Nazi spy ring is also the rise and fall of Turrou, whose talent was matched only by his penchant for publicity, which eventually caused him to run afoul of J. Edgar Hoover's strict codes of conduct.

Pham Xuan An was a brilliant journalist and an even better spy. A friend to all the legendary reporters who covered the Vietnam War, he was an invaluable source of news and a font of wisdom on all things Vietnamese. At the same time, he was a masterful double agent. An inspired shape-shifter who kept his cover in place until the day he died, Pham Xuan An ranks as one of the preeminent spies of the twentieth century. When Thomas A. Bass set out to write the story of An’s remarkable career for The New Yorker, fresh revelations arrived daily during their freewheeling conversations, which began in 1992. But a good spy is always at work, and it was not until An’s death in 2006 that Bass was able to lift the veil from his carefully guarded story to offer up this fascinating portrait of a hidden life. A masterful history that reads like a John le Carré thriller, The Spy Who Loved Us offers a vivid portrait of journalists and spies at war.

In Spy Runner, a noir mystery middle grade novel from Newbery Honor author Eugene Yelchin, a boy stumbles upon a secret that jeopardizes American national security. It's 1953 and the Cold War is on. Communism threatens all that the United States stands for, and America needs every patriot to do their part. So when a Russian boarder moves into the home of twelve-year-old Jake McCauley, he's on high alert. What does the mysterious Mr. Shubin do with all that photography equipment? And why did he choose to live so close to the Air Force base? Jake’s mother says that Mr. Shubin knew Jake’s dad, who went missing in action during World War II. But Jake is skeptical; the facts just don’t add up. And he’s determined to discover the truth—no matter what he risks. Godwin Books

J.C. Masterman was chairman of the Double-Cross Committee at the height of World War Two. This is his account of the double agents, deception and counter-espionage which were key to the victory of D-Day. Written as an official report for MI5 in 1945, originally published with the permission of the British Government over twenty years later, The Double-Cross System details the Allied handling of enemy agents and the British infiltration of Nazi spy-rings. Telling the stories of the agents codenamed Zigzag, Tricycle, Garbo and Snow, Masterman also tells the story of a triumphant operation in the Second World War’s intelligence effort.

ÒThe Greatest War Story of All Ð Takes rank with All Quiet on the Western Front. She fulfilled in every respect the conditions which made the terrible profession of a spy dignified and honourable. Dwelling behind the German line within sound of cannon, she continually obtained and sent information of the highest importance to the British Intelligence Authorities. Her tale is a thrilling one É the main description of her life and intrigues and adventures is undoubtedly authentic. I was unable to stop reading it until 4 a.m.Ó Winston Churchill 1932 With her medical studies cut short by the 1914 German invasion, her house burned down and her father arrested for suspected ÔsharpshootingÕ, it was perhaps unsurprising that the multi-lingual Marthe Mckenna (nŽe Cnockaert, codename ÔLauraÕ) was recruited by British Intelligence. At the time she worked as a nurse tending the wounds of occupying soldiers, and as a waitress in her parentsÕ cafŽ in the Belgian border town of Roulers. I Was a Spy! is McKennaÕs vivid narrative of these breathtaking adventures as she, aided by a gallant band of loyal locals, goes undercover to sabotage enemy phone lines, report suspicious activity or train movements, and even instigate an aerial attack on a planned visit by the Kaiser. This thrilling account goes on to explain how, in 1916, the young nurse was caught by the Germans placing dynamite in a disused sewer tunnel underneath an ammunition dump. She was sentenced to the firing squad and only survived due to the Iron Cross honor received as a result of her earlier medical service . Mckenna was later mentioned by Douglas Haig in British Despatches and was awarded the French and Belgian Orders of the Legion of Honour for her espionage work.

To gain the upper hand in conflict the ability to know what your enemy is planning is vital. Massive amounts of money have been spent and many lives have been lost in pursuit of this objective. From biblical times to the present day, leaders have employed espionage on and off the battlefield in the quest for victory. Tactics might differ, from dirty tricks and theft to interrogation and torture, but the aim is the same - to outmaneuver your enemy and emerge triumphant. Separating myth from reality, Terry Crowdy traces the history of espionage from its development in ancient times through to the end of the Cold War and into the 21st century, shedding light on the clandestine activities that have so often tipped the balance in times of war. His lively narrative delves into the murky depths of the realm of the spymasters and their spies, revealing many amazing, and often bizarre stories, along the way. From "the slave with the tattoed head" in Ancient Greece, through the ship's monkey hanged as a spy during the Napoleonic wars to the British "Double Cross" ruse in World War II, and from Ivan the Terrible's forming of the first Russian secret police in the 16th century through sexual wiles of Mata Hari to operations in the 21st century Middle East, this entertaining true history of espionage is as exciting as any spy fiction. Chapter Heads - In ancient times. Through dark ages. Spy, Britannia! Espionage in the Age of Reason. Vive la revolution! Napoleon's 'secret part'. Uncivil war. The godfather of secret service. Spy fever. Double-cross agents and radio games. Axis spies against America. Spies of the Soviet era. With no end in sight. "Crowdy's effective, readable summary of espionage in human history begins with the ancient Egyptians and doesn't end even with the Mossad. Throughout history, a broad range of not only governments but also people have used various means to learn about their enemies and, not infrequently, their friends. Although the senses of humans on the ground have always been highly valued, technology, including invisible inks and coding devices, also has a long history in spying. Women have figured prominently as spies (e.g., Delilah catching Samson in an early "honey trap" of sexual favors) and spymasters (e.g., Roman empress Theodora discouraging gossip about her colorful past). The growth of surveillance technology from miniature cameras to wiretaps and satellites has left the purely human instruments of intelligence gathering at a disadvantage in fights for appropriations and publicity, a situation that Crowdy deplores: "A spy is like a traveling salesman"--he has to "know the territory." Readers of this book will know it, too, much better than they did before." Booklist

Some tragedies make even day-to-day survival an accomplishment. For the contemporary heroes in these pages, survival was only a start. From climbing Mount Everest to winning an Oscar, these men and women have achieved their dreams despite enormous challenges. Collected here are true accounts of valiant celebrities like Christopher Reeve, war heroes like Senator John McCain, sports icons like Jim Abbot-inspiring stories of grit, determination and straight-out... Book jacket.