ebooks The Secret War: Spies; Ciphers; and Guerrillas; 1939-1945 by Max Hastings in History

Review

66 of 69 people found the following review helpful. an outstanding achievement for World War Two scholarshipBy John E. Drury“The Secret War” is Max Hastings’ deeply researched history of the Allied and Axis intelligence competition during World War Two. Superbly written; exhaustively detailed and commendably judgmental (but not necessarily uncritical of the British intelligence services); Hastings’ scope of analysis is stunning; with thrilling tales of counter espionage agents (one described as “[a] jaunty little cock sparrow figure;” another carrying “a haversack groaning with blimpish prejudices”); crypt analysts (“the ideal crypt analyst is Beethoven with the soul of an accountant”); spies; double agents; their mistresses and their quirky personalities (“all wartime intelligence departments should be run by civilians in uniform”).Bletchley Park (“the jewel in the crown”) gets its own chapter; richly detailing the secret “Enigma” “signit” interdiction program and a fair appraisal of the contributions of Alan Turing; the vocal; controversial Hugh Trevor Roper and Britain’s intelligence head; Stewart Menzies. Most of a chapter is devoted to the quixotic American who broke the Japanese code contributing to the American victory at Midway; then afterwards sacked. Abwehr’s Canaris comes in for muted praise but the Wehrmacht’s Reinhard Gehlen is “a supremely gullible dupe.”His tales of Richard Sorge; a Soviet double agent in the Far East; and; Anatoli Gourevitch; a slick Soviet spy in Belgium; add to the edgy derring do of Stalin’s people along with the shocking deception and aftermath of Operation “Monastery.”The chronological layout of this book; chocked with detail; overwhelms the reader at times; but this comment should not be viewed as criticism. This book is an outstanding achievement for World War Two scholarship and makes one look anew at the nuances; intrigues and brutality in intelligence warfare.The reader’s copy contained few photographs; however the plate index in the front indicates an abundance of photographs in the final printing.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. An In-Depth Study Of One Of The Lesser-Known Areas Of World War IIBy Jeffrey T. MunsonDuring the course of the Second World War; each of the warring nations employed various forms of espionage. These tactics included spying as well as cryptanalysis. Each country was engaged in breaking cyphers and employing agents to spy on their enemies. In "The Secret War"; renowned author and historian Max Hastings describes these activities; both on the Allied and Axis fronts.Many men made names of themselves in the espionage field. Men such as Alan Turing; Hugh Trevor-Roper; and Stewart Menzies worked for the British; while Joe Rochefort; William Friedman; and Allen Dulles worked for the Americans. Joe Rochefort was the man who uncovered Japan's plans for the invasion of Midway in June; 1942. On the Russian side; perhaps their most famous spy was Richard Sorge; a double-agent who was working in the Far East.Numerous other people; both men and women; worked in these fields throughout the war; with varying degrees of success. Hastings points out that the German security agency; Abwehr; was not as successful as its American and British counterparts. However; the British at Bletchley Park and the American OP-20-G network proved to be very successful."The Secret War" provides an in-depth analysis of one of the lesser-known aspects of World War II. The book is loaded with information on the espionage activities of the Axis and Allies and contains numerous stories of heroism and deceit.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. "All things are always on the move simultaneously."By John D. CofieldI chose to title my review with this quote from Winston Churchill because it so eminently sums up the great difficulties faced by intelligence gathering; especially during a war fought using mid-twentieth century level technology. World War II was a conflict fought not just on battlefields on land; sea; and the air but also by men and women seemingly far from the action who labored to gather and then interpret enemy communications. Max Hastings has produced yet another densely fact-filled but gripping history of the Second World War as it was fought behind the scenes by imperfect people using imperfect and sometimes brand-new devices.The Secret War covers the war years roughly chronologically; though of necessity it frequently shifts backwards and forwards in time as Hastings describes the activities of different nations and spy bureaus. Before 1939 the country with the most sophisticated spy apparatus was the Soviet Union; though its efficiency had been undermined both by the Purges of the late 1930s as well as Joseph Stalin's paranoia. Similarly; Nazi Germany's espionage efforts were hampered by Adolf Hitler's insistence on micro-managing the war effort. As is to be expected; the British efforts are Hastings' major focus; though he also pays close attention to those of the United States and Japan. Some of Hastings' material will be familiar to people who enjoyed "The Imitation Game;" for example; though naturally The Secret War provides much more depth and analysis than any movie ever could. Names now well known like Alan Turing and the other Bletchley Park boffins; Richard Sorge (who was a Soviet agent who tricked the Nazis into thinking he was working for them out of their Tokyo embassy);and the infamous Cambridge Five all receive ample coverage in great detail. Even more fascinating are the stories Hastings tells of the lesser-known and seemingly minor heroes and heroines who played small but vital roles: an Irish governess named Mrs. Daly; Mrs Violet Ferguson and her prized tea set; and the egotistical volunteer aptly codenamed "Blunderhead."I believe I enjoyed the chapters "Islands in the Storm" and "A Little Help From Their Friends" best because they hold so many stories of eccentric; usually vainglorious; but certainly heroic figures; often inimitably summed up with such pithy phrases as "a haversack of blimpic prejudice." I found the references to Soviet espionage efforts in the United States before and during the war disturbing though hardly surprising; and I appreciated Hastings' care to describe Joseph McCarthy's witch-hunt as "unfounded against many individuals; but had substance in the generality." Above all; I found Hastings' repeated conclusions that much of the espionage had limited effects on the war's overall progress; and that projects like Ultra which were vital were often not made use of to their maximum potential; revelatory if disappointing.This fascinating book of 555 pages plus extensive notes is impeccably documented; amply illustrated; and extremely well written. It certainly deserves a place in the library of any student of World War II or of twentieth century espionage. And certainly; if you are ever tempted to believe that Ian Fleming's James Bond or other fictional spy heroes are too fantastic to be believable; some time spent perusing the pages of The Secret War will quickly change your mind.