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Ewen Montagu

Man Who Never Was: World War II's Boldest Counterintelligence Operation (Bluejacket Books) Paperback – January 23, 2001

by Ewen Montagu (Author)

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As plans got under way for the Allied invasion of Sicily in June 1943, British counter-intelligence agent Ewen Montagu masterminded a scheme to mislead the Germans into thinking the next landing would occur in Greece. The innovative plot was so successful that the Germans moved some of their forces away from Sicily, and two weeks into the real invasion still expected an attack in Greece. This extraordinary operation called for a dead body, dressed as a Royal Marine officer and carrying false information about a pending Allied invasion of Greece, to wash up on a Spanish shore near the town of a known Nazi agent.

Agent Montagu tells the story as only an insider could, offering fascinating details of the difficulties involved--especially in creating a persona for a man who never was--and of his profession as a spy and the risks involved in mounting such a complex operation. Failure could have had devastating results. Success, however, brought a decided change in the course of the war.

Print length

160 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Naval Institute Press
Publication date

January 23, 2001
Dimensions

6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

1557504482
ISBN-13

978-1557504487
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a splendid read about the most curious scheme of World War II." -- Nautical Magazine, February 2004

About the Author

Ewen Montagu ran the counterespionage sub-branch of the naval intelligence division at the British Admiralty. He later became judge advocate of the fleet and died in 1985.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Naval Institute Press; First Printing edition (January 23, 2001)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1557504482
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1557504487
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,499,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #273 in Canadian Military History
- #2,187 in Intelligence & Espionage History
- #3,815 in Naval Military History

Customer Reviews:
226 ratings

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Amazon Customer 831xray@ gmail. com

A magnificent classic of deception

Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2022

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Read first in the 1960's and somehow lost over the years, I was prompted to order and re-read (actually for the third time in the intervening years and operational service) it in electronic form after the Netflix movie Operation MINCEMEAT came out. Thus, comparing this with the usual fine work of Ben MacIntyre with the movie version, there are some interesting elements worthy of comment.
One might consider a major omission in the film was that the overall deception plan was to have the Germans anticipate the landings in the Eastern Med and in the west against Corsica and Sardinia. Thus, positing the hopeful cutting off of Sicily to dry off the rest of the Italian vine all while allowing for further movement against either or both middle Italy/ Southern France (actually the object in Operation ANVIL in mid 1944) to be attached from potential bases on Sardinia and Corsica.
Further, the less obvious results of MINCEMEAT were very modestly treated in the film. The post war evaluations of the actual German beliefs and responses to it, e.g., Romell being sent to Greece along with tons of armor and artillery as well as Seaborne reconnaissance assets from Sicily to the Aegean, etc, could certainly have been included with minimal effort and shown the multiple accomplishments beyond protecting HUSKY.
The movie may have been designed for more drama, occupying space that might have allowed for better expansion of the actual activities and outcomes, but yet reading the book is always better than the movie. For that reason alone, if you happened to have enjoyed the NETFLIX version, you'll enjoy the complexities that are included in this, original Montagu book.
Finally, that the voice over at the beginning made two references in one sentence that really and succinctly lays the entire effort out: the wilderness of mirrors (former head of CI at CIA, James Jesus Angleton's classic phrase for counterintelligence operations) and bodyguard of lies ( famously attributed to Churchill in the 1970's book of that same name by Anthony Cave Brown). Attribution of those two wonderful phrases should have at least warranted sourcing of of the phrases.

3 people found this helpful

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Kay Robert

Incredible story!

Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2022

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Great history of the UK using ingenuity to fool the German Army.

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Sam Knutson

Great story Kindle Edition missing photos

Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2022

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The story of Operation Mincemeat told by the officer who managed it is amazing. The Kindle Edition is very disappointing in that it contains strictly the text and does not include photos and illustrations in other versions of the book which add to the story.

3 people found this helpful

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Nick Fraser

THE ONY WORD TO DESCRIBE THIS STORY IS "MACABRE" BUT IT'S TRUE

Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2020

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Read a paperback version of this story in 1967 when I was 12 years of age. At the time, I thought the story rather fanciful but my father, WWII ex-RAF, assured me it was factual. This kindle version seems to be far more detailed than the version I read back then (not really sure if this is so, but then 50 years does cloud one's recall but it also seems likely that some details may not have been ready to be publicly released back in 1967, the end of the 2nd WW being only twenty years earlier) and, of course, the internet is available now so I looked up the places and personnel involved making for a far more interesting read. The cemetery in Spain and the history of the personnel involved were particularly intriguing. I cannot imagine myself coming up with an idea as macabre as Operation Mincement but there is no denying its effect on the outcome of WWII. This book is very well written and I think anyone interested in WWII will find this story of value if they haven't read it before.

2 people found this helpful

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Poppiexno

conceived a brilliant plan to deceive the Axis about Allied intentions

Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2015

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during World War II as the Allies were about to drive the German - Italian forces out of North Africa, they had to consider what their next step would be. That next step was to be an assault on Sicily. Ewen Montagu, a reserve officer on active duty with the British Navy, conceived a brilliant plan to deceive the Axis about Allied intentions. This book tells the story of that plan. Montague obtained the body of a young man who had died from pneumonia. Montague and his team then proceeded to give the body the persona of a Royal Marine named Maj. William Martin. "Martin" was launched from a submarine onto the southern coast of Spain. He had in his briefcase letters from senior British officers that Indicated that the Allies would launch two attacks, one against Sardinia and one against Greece. These letters were recovered by the Spanish authorities and turned over to the Germans as Montague expected. The contents of the letters fooled German intelligence, the German high command and Hitler himself. The Germans diverted considerable resources, which might have been used to defend Sicily, to the defense of Sardinia and Greece. It is no exaggeration to say that Maj. Martin saved thousands of Allied lives.
In the mid-1950s Hollywood produced a movie by the same name starring Clifton Webb as Montague. The movie stays fairly close to the facts with one major exception. In the movie, the Germans hire an Irish spy to determine if Martin (and thus the contents of his briefcase) was real. In reality the Germans made no such check. The movie is first rate; but the book provides details absent in the movie. For example, the book provides the contents of the papers Martin was carrying as well as translations of pertinent German documents. Both the book and the movie are well worth the reader's (or viewer's) time.

8 people found this helpful

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Marilyn Crady

The Man Who Never Was!

Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2021

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The movie was good, but the real facts are so much better. Really nice to read the real account of this counterintelligence operation and how it saved many American lives upon the invasion of Sicily. The British intelligence group was quite ingenious. Nice read.

2 people found this helpful

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lnichol1

Very good book about WWII secret mission

Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2020

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Loved the book. I am very interested in WWII nonfiction. This book is detailed in describing the Mincemeat operation. Major Martin came alive to me in this book.

4 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

janedmcc

What a great book!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2019

Verified Purchase

A brilliantly written personal account of the mastermind behind a daring and innovative plot to foil the Germans that transports you into the thrilling and mind-boggling world of counter-intelligence with all its riveting espionage, deception and subterfuge. All-told a thoroughly exciting and fascinating study of not only the physical but moral and ethical sacrifices that have been made in war. The collaboration of multi-skilled intelligence experts across naval and military sectors and culmination of meticulous planning of all aspects required to carry out the plot - down to the tiniest detail and contribution from people in the highest authoritative positions down to ordinary men and women in the street is awe-inspiring and thought-provoking as it speaks to these early WW1 & WW2 eras and reminds us all of by-gone times when every citizen played their part leaving the reader in awe of the savvy and smarts of the cumulative strength of our British intelligence units. MI5 & MI6 still recognised as setting the global benchmark in security and military intelligence service.

2 people found this helpful

JRDO

An interesting work of reference

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 21, 2018

Verified Purchase

Very interesting as a work of fact by the man behind this incredible event, good to have the true story, but not as entertaining as the versions that have been "spiced up" a little.

One person found this helpful

Declan Browne

Good book but overly large for no reason.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2021

Verified Purchase

This is a great book and an interesting story, but the margins on this print take up 1-2 inches on all sides. I'd get a better version.