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Double Cross

MacIntyre, Ben

  3 Reviews

D-Day, 6 June 1944, the turning point of the Second World War, was a victory of arms. But it was also a triumph for a different kind of operation: one of deceit ...

At the heart of the deception was the 'Double Cross System', a team of double agents whose bravery, treachery, greed and inspiration succeeded in convincing the Nazis that Calais and Norway, not Normandy, were the targets of the 150,000-strong Allied invasion force. These were not conventional warriors, but their masterpiece of deceit saved thousands of lives. Their codenames were Bronx, Brutus, Treasure, Tricycle, and Garbo. This is their story. [Taken from the book cover - Bloomsbury Publishing.]

Comments from Groups

A lively discussion. We all enjoyed 'Double Cross'. A fascinating book detailing such an elaborate deception, that we felt could only have been possible with the eccentric, flamboyant characters who were recruited as spies, and also the people who were running MI5. Well written, racy, laugh-out loud funny at times - and part of our history. Wellington 041

Everyone in the group found this a very good read. Well written, amusing in places and informative. A lively discussion was had, and we all agreed it was a very enjoyable book. Wellington 142

We all found this book rather long-winded. The book was picked by one of our members' husbands - he enjoyed it! Masterton 007

Most of us enjoyed this book. The beginning was interesting, and the last part exciting, but there was a slump in the middle. The author's use of either full names or code names meant some confusion. Enjoyable book. One member summed it up as "The Boys' Own History of WW2 Espionage". Lower Hutt 004

Lately there have been many documentaries about WW1 and WW2. 'Double Cross' was another part of the war which we knew very little about. Excellent read. Auckland 058.

" Double Cross' was panned by our American readers, and by a couple of others for the 'florid' writing style. Some ignored the above, and were prepared to accept the historical facts. 4/5. Greytown 003

Great read. Fascinating insight into the true espionage story of D-Day. Loved it. Paihia 001

Too many characters - hard to keep track! Intriguing...more of a 'man's' book. Auckland 015

We all agreed that 'Double Cross' was a fascinating read. Various comments were made including, 'surreal', 'crazy', 'farcical', 'eccentric' etc. We also agreed the book showed the attitude of the time towards women i.e. not valued as much as men. Auckland 015

Pages
417
Year
2012

Reviews

CHCH 527
26-10-2023
A good read - Ben McIntyre has certainly found his voice in the inner cogs of WW2 . It got a bit confusing with central characters switching between code names and real names - and it did take quite a few chapters to get to the actual D Day hoax.
WAIKA 013
02-03-2022
An interesting book which provided a good read for our group, and gave us an insight into the fabric of an exceptional bluff by the Allied Forces during WWII.
CHCH 247
11-06-2020
Fascinating read. Most enjoyed it. It was complex and detailed, but the author provided an invaluable, detailed inventory of the characters which helped understanding. Great discussion.