Garbo: The Spy who Saved D-Day [Hardcover]

Introduction by Mark Seaman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Secret History Files | Publication Date: January 2001

Juan Pujol, alias "Garbo," was the first major double agent in the history of espionage. Britain's Public Record Office has recently released this account of his wartime deception of the Germans, with an introduction on British intelligence in World War II.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a wonderful book and should be read by every student of deception." Despatches; "a fascinating story about one of the most important spies of the World War II era." Intelligencer; "the ultimate wartime spy story" The Sunday Express" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

Agent GARBO's story reads like a classic spy adventure and culminates in one of the greatest strategic deceptions in history. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Public Record Office (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1873162812
• ISBN-13: 978-1873162811
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #604,312 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A dramatic story minus the drama., August 5, 2001

By A Customer

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This review is from: Garbo: The Spy who Saved D-Day (Hardcover)

Disappointing. I kept wanting to like this book, but it never engaged my interest. This is the Jack Webb version of the story, "Just the facts, M'am." This is strictly documentary reporting by his MI5 case officer, not storytelling. There's no drama, suspense or intrigue. Remember the Giants-Dodgers playoff game where Bobby Thompson hit his home run? This is like reading the boxscore in the newspaper, instead of hearing the sportscaster call the play on the radio. I hope somewhere there is a better Garbo book. He's an amazing, heroic man whose story deserves to be told with all the cleverness, imagination and dramatic flair that was no doubt his.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, June 20, 2011

By 

George B. Mcgugin - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Garbo: The Spy who Saved D-Day (Hardcover)

If you have any interest in D-Day and/or the Normandy invasion, or if you have ever visited Normandy, this book is a must read! It is truly outstanding! I highly recommed it.

4.0 out of 5 stars Who's Juan Pujol and what's he got to do with Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha, and Utah?, July 17, 2010

By 

William E. Heely (Yorktown, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Garbo: The Spy who Saved D-Day (Hardcover)

Although a little tedious to read at times since the book is extracted from actual wartime reports from the "GARBO" file, this book proves beyond any doubt that TRUTH is stranger than FICTION. That British intelligence could have been so fortunate as to have a "walk-in" agent of the caliber of GARBO, and that the Germans could for so long accept him at face value is nothing less than astounding. Where the Brits went to great lengths to ensure GARBO was genuine, to the point of nearly dismissing him out of hand before he ever got started under their control, the Germans took him in, and were taken - hook, line, and sinker. From the string of American intelligence breaches during the Cold War, from the Walkers to Robert Hanssen, one would think that the U.S. intelligence and law enforcement services would take a page from the Brits and be extra cautious; of course, the Brits had some major breaches themselves over the years. Nevertheless, one can only wonder how history might have changed had the Germans NOT believed GARBO's reports about Calais and Norway. The power struggles and in-fighting within German intelligence which seduced case officers into wanting their agents to be the most productive must be avoided in any intelligence service. As evidenced by what GARBO was able to achieve, we in the West had better learn the lesson.