• The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

  • How Churchill's Secret Warriors Set Europe Ablaze and Gave Birth to Modern Black Ops
  • By: Damien Lewis
  • Narrated by: NIgel Carrington
  • Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (93 ratings)

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The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare  By  cover art

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

By: Damien Lewis
Narrated by: NIgel Carrington
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Publisher's summary

From the award-winning historian, war reporter, and author Damien Lewis (Zero Six Bravo, Judy) comes the incredible true story of the top-secret "butcher-and-bolt" black ops units Prime Minister Winston Churchill tasked with stopping the unstoppable German war machine. Criminals, rogues, and survivalists, the brutal tactics and grit of these "deniables" would define a military unit the likes of which the world had never seen.

When France fell to the Nazis in 1940, Churchill declared that Britain would resist the advance of the German army - alone, if necessary. Churchill commanded the Special Operations Executive to secretly develop of a very special kind of military unit that would operate on their own initiative deep behind enemy lines. The units would be licensed to kill, fully deniable by the British government, and a ruthless force to meet the advancing Germans.

The very first of these "butcher-and-bolt" units - the innocuously named Maid Honour Force - was led by Gus March-Phillipps, a wild British eccentric of high birth, and an aristocratic, handsome, and bloodthirsty young Danish warrior, Anders Lassen. Amped up on amphetamines, these assorted renegades and sociopaths undertook the very first of Churchill's special operations - a top-secret, high-stakes mission to seize Nazi shipping in the far-distant port of Fernando Po, in West Africa.

Though few of these early desperadoes survived WWII, they took part in a series of fascinating, daring missions that changed the course of the war. It was the first stirrings of the modern special-ops team, and all of the men involved would be declared war heroes when it was all over.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare focuses on a dozen of these extraordinary men, weaving their stories of brotherhood, comradely, and elite soldiering into a gripping narrative yarn, from the earliest missions to Anders Larssen's tragic death, just weeks before the end of the war.

©2016 Damien Lewis (P)2021 Quercus
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic reviews

"A truly astonishing story." (Weekend Sport)

"Kill without mercy, party like there's no tomorrow: Churchill's secret band of fearless warriors broke hearts, rules, and the Nazis' spirit." (The Daily Mail)

"A valuable addition to World War II history, and a harbinger of the sort of war that the United States and other countries are learning to wage in the 21st century." (Washington Times)

What listeners say about The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

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So Good

highly recommend giving this a listen. well written and very exciting. history never disappoints

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Cracking Yarns

What an absolutely riveting and fascinating look into a group of men who caused the despicable Nazis so much pain and irritation. Many of these men helped inspire Ian Fleming’s James Bond….great book.

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We’ve lost too many men like this.

We’ve lost too many men like this.

Great story. Reading breaks were a little obvious.

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Writing was well done, performance was great

The book was well written, there wasn’t a lot of dead space. The story was interesting, and very well performed.

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Excellent book and incredible story of heroism

Excellent book and incredible story of heroism and bravery. also very well read throughout

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Great unheard stories

The performance was superb.

Matched w entertaining story telling and a plethora of military details for the history buffs; this is truly a well rounded book detailing incredible and daring adventures that played key roles in turning the tide for the war. You’re entertained while getting informed about important aspects of history, not to mention the privilege of getting to know the stories of some truly incredible men and war heroes, so their bravery may not be forgotten.

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Good book

Had no idea about ww2 in Greece. Anders Lassen is a cool guy. Really enjoyed listening to this.

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Life changing

Absolutely phenomenal story. The epilogue talks about a quote on hero statue that says to effect - life isn’t as hard as all that and neither is death.

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Gripping.

Important recount of the hidden heroes of WWII. Fascinating, sad and inspiring. Should be mandatory reading in all high schools.

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Incredible tale

Wonderfully executed. Nigel Carrington transports you with his performance. Well worth the read. Lassen is my spirit animal.

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