Customer Reviews

Legerdemain: The President's Secret Plan, The Bomb and What The French Never Knew

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Legerdemain: The President's Secret Plan, The Bomb, and What The French Never Knew... is the true-life memoir of former U.S. Air Force undercover operative James J. Heaphey, who was charged with carrying out the President's secret plan when he was stationed in French Morocco during the 1950s. The French colonial empire was crumbling, with Indo China lost and North Africa soon to follow, so the United States opted to initiate a dangerous game of the Cold War. The goal: to influence Morocco away from the French colonial system and into the American sphere of influence. From the secret storage of atom bombs at some American Air Bases, to the workings of Britain's M16, Israel's Mossad, America's CIA, France's Security Services, the Soviet Union's KGB, and the French Foreign Legion, Legerdemain shines a light on intrigue more complicated than the most intricate spy fiction, as supported by recently declassified files. An utterly fascinating glimpse into historical power-wrangling and high-stakes diplomacy.

A tremendous read. This book moves along at a blistering pace. And it all actually happened. James Heaphey tells his story with great enthusiasm and really illuminates the inner workings of Government Agencies. I hope he has more stories to tell.

James J. Heaphy has provided the perfect picaresque historical account of daring and brio and spying in a Morocco which is struggling for its independence from the French. Heaphy is the perfect tour guide for the labyrinthine route; he provides an operational narrative of entwined complexities with delightful intricate details of privity that can only be supplied by someone uniquely qualified because he was an active participant in the intrigue of the time.
But history is infinite, and for me the most important function of this historical memoir is that it enables one to appreciate all the more the subsequent metamorphosis to the modern moderate Morocco, guided by the brilliance and inspired leadership of Mohammed VI, the present king of Morocco. With Morocco poised to lead in assuaging the many factions of the Middle East, Legerdemain contrasts for us in bold relief what we hope that rational leadership can accomplish.

This book was great! It made me laugh, cry, and left me wondering what was going to happen next. I highly recommend it, even if you aren't in to history (which I'm usually not), its written like a spy novel which pulls you in and makes you wonder how it all is going to end.

What a remarkable read! Heaphey's story made me sit up and wonder as to what really goes on in this world. His writing style made the book move like a novel. I hope he has more books on the way.

Legerdemain is a crackling good yarn. It's also an unexpected five-star mixture of history and travelogue stirred into a Cold War memoir. Oh, to have such memories.
As a Middle East specialist, I read books, magazines and web sites from necessity. I don't often enjoy much of the stuff I have to read to keep up. Legerdemain is a happy exception. I've added it to my bibliography because I found a gem of prediction among Jim Heaphey's well-crafted recollections. But you don't need utility as a motive to pick up this book, although you may learn a few things of interest, if you do. This is a five-star tome for me because I found a forewarning of our confusion over the current conflict with Islamists that is pertinent to my work. It could earn your five-star rating for any number of other reasons: clear writing, believable people, exotic locales and a special viewpoint into the early days of our conflict with the Soviets are all worthwhile reasons to follow this narrative for the fun of it. You are as likely to find a bonus in it as I did.

Legerdemain is about the true story of U.S. Air Force undercover operative Jim Heaphey. The reader gets to travel through Casablanca, the fairs in Marrakesch, plus Cairo and Cyprus. Mr. Heaphey was stationed in the French Morocco. This was a time when the U.S. was allied with Morocco to defeat the Soviet Union without France's knowledge. The United States of America was able to store atom bombs at some of the Morocco air bases secretly. By having the ability to do this the U.S. would be able to set plans in motion that would go down in history.

First off I have to tell you I don't typically read non-fiction novels. So when I saw Lisa Roe offering Legerdemain up for review and after reading the book summary I figured I would give it a try. Let me tell you I am glad I did and this is why. In writing Legerdemain, Mr. Heaphey is able to tell his part in what his responsibilities were as well as his relationship with the Islamic people. What an awe-inspiring novel. Here you take someone like Mr. Heaphey, who not only risked his life but in process was able to give the U.S an edge over the Soviet Union. I commend Mr. Heaphey for what he did. He is a true hero.