The Deceivers: Allied Military Deception in the Second World War

Mr. Holt has written an impressive and exhaustively long account (over 1,100 pages) of the use of military misinformation during the Second World War. Well-written and researched, the narrative itself is over 800 pages with 300 pages of documentation and indexes. This is not the book for a reader who is seeking an introduction to the subject -- it is more an encyclopedia for the reader who enjoys the nuts and bolts of spycraft. The book covers the tactics of all the Allies and Axis powers, focusing on the brilliant exploits of the masters of the game, the British. One of Mr. Holts thesis's is that the Allied sucess in the use of military misinformation gave them a major tactical advantage over the Germans, Japanese and Italians (as was proven in the sucess of the D-Day invasion and other operations). This is the book for the serious WW II scholar who seeks information on this little known (and written about) topic. The sheer volume of characters, events and facts is a testament to the research skills of Mr. Holt who waded through thousands of recently declassified government documents. For the causal reader, "The Deceivers" is best read as a novel for those specific sections of interest to the reader : covering the French efforts in this area under Charles de Gaulle, or the American ruses in the Pacific or the complicated deceptions involved in the Normandy invasion.

Here is an outstanding contribution to a little-researched area of WWII history. The few existing texts on U.S. intelligence work during this period are often marred by lack of primary documentation and are often filled with author supposition. This text offers excellent analysis from a qualified expert in the field, coupled with an exceptional amount of first-hand information from those who lived it. The material is presented in a logical, easy-to-read format, using language that is terse, informative yet never pedantic. The author's opinion may sneak in various passages, but overall it is an objective, thorough discussion of an area remarkably difficult to study. Intelligence is, after all, the business of secrets. That Holt has so effectively revealed these secrets--and done so in an exciting, fast-paced non-fiction book--is a testament to the author's considerable skills. Recommended for libraries, military history fans, WWII enthusiasts and anyone interested in the history of U.S. intelligence work.

This unique book is one of the handful of all-time great books on intelligence. It ranks alongside Kahn's The Codebreakers and Hitler's Spies, Hinsley's great history of British intelligence in WWII, Masterman's Double-Cross System, James Bamford's books, and some of the books by Christopher Andrew and Nigel West. And it is also a tremendous contribution to the history of World War II. The paper cover quotes two of the greatest authorities on WWII, Sir Michael Howard and Prof. Ernest May, saying that it is an essential addition to any WWII collection and they are right. Any reader about WWII knows about a few of the deceptions the Allies brought off such as the one at D-Day and "The Man Who Never Was". Holt not only gives far more information about these than has ever been published. He also puts them into context as part of the overall history of Allied deception and how it developed from 1940 to 1945. And he has a huge amount of absolutely new information. This is especially true as far as U.S. deception, which has never been written about previously. Holt was allowed to use files in the Pentagon which had never before been declassified and he made the most of them. As an old Naval Intelligence guy I was particularly glad to see the tremendous amount of material never before seen about the U.S. deceptions in the Pacific. Also, the three appendixes are the kind of material for any student of intelligence history to die for, as the saying is. There is a list of all the Allied deception operations (you will be amazed how many there were), a list of all the Allied double agents and other channels that were played back to the Axis (again, you will be surprised how many of these there were), plus a list of all the phony units (army, air force, and navy, not just U.S. but British, French, Greek, etc. etc.)) that were palmed off on the enemy. A definitely exceptional feature of this book is not only its complete and detailed history but how readable it is. It is told through the personalities of the American and British officers that conducted the deceptions and they are brought to life the way history books rarely do. One of the quotes from experts on the paper cover says it reads like a novel and this is totally true. In this field, in my experience a similar accomplishment has been managed only by David Kahn. This book is a 100% "must have" for anybody seriously interested in WWII or intelligence.

It is a treat to get history at this level seen through the eyes of the participants. Their daily lives, what their personalities and personal relationships were like, etc. There are many wartime narratives from the viewpoint of the average GI, or even the average top commander, but very few that bring to life how the staff that was actually planning and executing operations worked and lived, and what kind of people they were. Add to that the amount of new information this author has dug up about some of the most fascinating intelligence operations of World War Two--and some of the most fascinating and varied intelligence operatives, ranging from Douglas Fairbanks Jr. to F. Scott Fitzgerald's brother-in-law-- plus a very readable writing style, and you have a truly outstanding book.This is a wonderful book for people who are seriously interested in military history and intelligence. Very very highly recommended for them. People who just want a quick read should stick to James Bond.

I am new at this and hope I am posting this review correctly. My wife gave me this book knowing that I am interested in military history and especially in intelligence. When I saw the ads on the back cover quoting people that said it reads like a novel and belongs on every WW2 bookshelf, I thought this was just the usual puffing, however, it is true. Holt tells the story of how the British and Americans fooled the Germans at D-day and on many other occasions with fake intelligence, telling it through the eyes of the participants, not only the allied officers (with great thumbnail character sketches of each of these) but sometimes the German intelligence agencies and spies and double agents themselves. A lot of the information is 100% new, I have never seen it reported anywhere else. Especially, his material about the work of the FBI, US military deception, the secret US outfit called Joint Security Control, etc. It really does read like a novel, like a whole batch of thrillers rolled into one. Anybody interested in WW2 or in intelligence will "have a ball" with it.