Customer Reviews

Most Secret War (Wordsworth Military Library)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is also known as the Wizard War.
The author as a relatively young man was the technical intelligence director for the British Royal Air Force in WW II. As such he was involved in the development of active, passive, and counter measures to thwart the German Luftwaffe.
Developments included radars, anti ship missiles,jet engines, defense against buzz bombs, and the jamming of radio navigation systems used by the Germans.
After the war the author returned to Scotland to become a university professor. He returned to service during the Korean War period. His other book Reflections on Intelligence reveals him to be a man of erudition and covers and fills in some of the gaps in the story told herein which could not be revealed at the time this book was written.
Another one for the complete shelf of intelligence classics.

I originally purchased this book in 1979, a year after it was first published. I have had to buy it again because my original paperback simply fell apart. Thoughtful, thorough, witty and absolutely fascinating, R.V. Jones is one of the people I would most have liked to meet during my lifetime (he passed away in 1997). I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Dr. Jones was an Oxford physicist from a military family who found himself in charge of English scientific intelligence during the Second World War. In this capacity, he led the effort to identify new German technologies and tactics, and then devise countermeasures.

Among his accomplishments were sending a raiding party across the Channel to dismantle and bring back a complete German radar station, anticipating and foiling the navigation systems the Germans devised for their bombers, anticipating and devising limited countermeasures to the V1s and V2s, exfiltrating Niels Bohr from Copenhagen and analyzing German effort to develop atomic bombs.

Dr. Jones certainly lived in interesting times, but unlike the much quoted Chinese curse, which continues with may one have powerful enemies, the powerful men in his life, most notably Churchill, had complete faith in him, and with good reason.

This is an incredible book, which I heartily recommend to anyone with an interest in military history or science.

This book is as fascinating for the inside stories it reveals about a number of secret technical measures and counter-measures used by the British and German military, as it is about the iron law of large organizations: "Politics Always Comes First."

R.V. Jones was a 27-year old natural disciple of William of Occam. He was a superb engineer. He combined his calm, clear-eyed logic with a gritty determination to always find things out for himself. He analyzed what was going on in the emerging field of radar, and consistently out-guessed the Germans and his own military intelligence organizations about what was coming next, and when. Then he did battle with the establishment crowd that always gathers at the top of any organization wielding power. Were it not that Churchill spotted his unusual talent, and acted as a blocker for him, he would have had his job snatched away by a dozen regal interlopers. The inexplicable aspect of this political dynamic is that even when higher-ups are repeatedly shown to be wrong, they are almost never removed from their commanding posts. Instead, the slate is wiped clean on their error, and they are promptly back in the fray, trying once again to unseat the upstart who got lucky. And they never forget the insult.

The British military intelligence apparatus during WW-II was remarkable for the caliber of the talent it obtained, and the relatively free-wheeling interaction amongst these university types. In many ways it was the best aspect of the old boy's club where one could always count on a chum to intercede or get cross-organizational information. When used to advance the cause, it is unbeatable in getting things done.

The account of the development of radar used to detect and then guide bombers is fascinating, not the least of how rapidly new measures were countered by either side--often over a period of only a few months. The story of how Jones recognized that the activity at Peenemünde was to build a revolutionary flying bomb, and then set up radar listening posts to learn as quickly as the Germans did, how the V-1's range and accuracy was progressing, is intelligence of the highest order. Towards the end of the war only about 5% of the V-1s got through the British defenses. It is a clear sign of Hitler's delusion that he felt the horribly expensive V-2 rocket was more effective in dropping a ton of explosives on London than a German bomber could drop five tons--and a far less cost.

It was in the analysis of the forthcoming V-2 that Jones ran into his bitterest resistance from the "experts"--academics all--who became hysterical at the thought of huge German rockets raining down from the sky, whose payload they estimated at 20 tons. Evacuate all of London was their sage council.

Fascinating history of a fascinating era combined with an acute description of how slimy organizations work behind the scenes make for a story that every intelligent person working in a large organization would find instructive---if appalling--to learn about

Dr. Jones is wonderful storyteller and surprised me with how humble he is, given his amazing achievements during the war. Not once did he fail to credit all those that helped him and constantly reminds the reader that the "true heroes" were those who risked and lost their lives, both on the front and acting as support for his efforts (e.g. photographic reconnaissance).

The story itself gives one an insider's view of how desperate the British situation was in 1940 and how a nation pulled together, despite petty rivalry and bureaucratic obstacles, to fight The Blitz and turn the tide in the air war.

Being an electrical engineer, I was also intrigued by the history of RADAR (RDF to the British) and remote targeting, and how it was employed differently by the British and Germans. However, I cannot say how a non-technical reader will like this.

I have probably read this book half-a-dozen times. I am buying a hardback copy, because I have worn my paperback version out. It is truly one of the most impressive books on WW II ever written, especially one written before the release of ULTRA.

Dr. Jones was head of scientific intelligence for the RAF from before the war until the end of the conflict. In his role, he primarily was concerned with the German developments in radar, radar countermeasures, radar assisted bombing, and flying bomb (V-1 and V-2) developments. With his knowledge of science, Dr. Jones and his meager staff were able to predict the capabilities and weaknesses of many German scientific innovations during the war, and then to suggest countermeasures. For example, on the V-1 and V-2, Dr. Jones was able to determine ALL of their performance capabilities, payload, etc., generally within a few percent of the actual data, from a few scraps of information obtained by spies and radio intercepts. Others, looking at the same information, missed the mark, sometimes factors of 3-5 times the correct information!

The book makes a great argument for the inclusion of scientists in intelligence gathering, especially on a full-time basis. Dr. Jones ended up as the highest ranking civilian in the RAF, a testament to his value.

And to top it off, Dr. Jones is a very good writer, much better than most scientists, in addition to being first-rate physicist. In short, If you have an interest in WW II history, this book should be high on your list of books to read. If you like scientific history, this book should be your number one book to read if you have not already done so. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

I first encountered this remarkable book in a library discard sale twenty years ago. I read it straight through the first time I opened it. It has the page-turning quality of a top-notch thriller, leavened with the knowledge that all the derring-do contained within actually happened. Reginald Jones was unequivocally one of the most extraordinary men to have been involved in the prosecution of the Second World War. He ended up CH and CB, but I think an hereditary Earldom and a hundred thousand acres would still have struck below the mark. His clear-sighted dedication to the scientific method (which, above all, as Richard Feynman reminded us, lies in not fooling ourselves) without doubt contributed materially to the Allied victory and the defeat of Fascism. The number of lives saved due to Jones's almost prescient acumen is incalculable but is surely very large.

Tragically, my hardback copy was sorely damaged in a flood, and I am seeking a replacement. One of the best characteristics of the original edition is the quality of the plates, and I can only hope that the paperback edition makes a decent stab at reproducing them.

This bas a very interesting book, Probably more suitable for WWII buffs A discussion of British efforts to jam Germany radar and homeing beacons

Doctor R V Jones really surprises his reader with a very detailed account of the technological and scientific work undertaken by many British and Allied Scientists ( engineers, etc..) during WW2. This is a trully amazing and fantastic reading that covers the Battle against the Knickbein system; the Battle against the German radars ( a bit of the Photo Reconaissance Unit's activities as well ); the Battle against the V-1, V-2 and V-3 and many other technological aspects seldom forgotten on general literature ( about WW2 ). The author himself is very very modest about his part and his work, which only enhances the Homage we should pay to those "unknown" Heroes of the war: the engineers, scientists and technicians. A must for all serious students of WW2! You won't be disappointed at all...and certainly, after reading it will write your own review on this same site...

Everything I have read by Jones so far has been 5-star. He is lucid, literate, articulate, has much to tell and tells it unpretentiously and clinically, but without sacrificing anything in passion or wit. He is in no way a braggart or poseur, but does not let inappropriate modesty inhibit his telling of what is to be told. His warmth and humour leaven the narrative and add to the perspective without ever cheapening the subject matter. At the same time a proper British reserve (no cliche and no sarcasm, this is precisely what I mean) plus his respect for confidences, not to be betrayed even by untoward hints, move me to wonder how much more he could tell if only it were tellable.

The books are written with a naturalness which belies their density of information. Only an expert in the subject matter (which in this case means a qualified scientist and a good deal besides) could have written them. They are part of the tradition of the finest 20th century British non-fiction. There has been a great deal of rubbish in that genre of the period, both in content and in style, but it has included the likes of Peter Medawar, John Maynard Smith, George Orwell, John Masters, Churchill, and of course, R.V. Jones. On the one hand Jones' books are refreshing reading in an age of faction and pabulum; on the other they are precious historical material which gives the lie to much questionable stuff which otherwise would go unquestioned.