Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

The Mavericks Who Plotted Hitler's Defeat

By: Giles Milton

Narrated by: Giles Milton

Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Six gentlemen, one goal: the destruction of Hitler's war machine

In the spring of 1939, a top-secret organization was founded in London: Its purpose was to plot the destruction of Hitler's war machine through spectacular acts of sabotage.

The guerrilla campaign that followed was every bit as extraordinary as the six men who directed it. One of them, Cecil Clarke, was a maverick engineer who had spent the 1930s inventing futuristic caravans. Now his talents were put to more devious use: He built the dirty bomb used to assassinate Hitler's favorite, Reinhard Heydrich. Another, William Fairbairn, was a portly pensioner with an unusual passion: He was the world's leading expert in silent killing, hired to train the guerrillas being parachuted behind enemy lines. Led by dapper Scotsman Colin Gubbins, these men - along with three others - formed a secret inner circle that, aided by a group of formidable ladies, single-handedly changed the course of the Second World War: a cohort handpicked by Winston Churchill whom he called his Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a gripping and vivid narrative of adventure and derring-do that is also, perhaps, the last great untold story of the Second World War.

©2016 Giles Milton (P)2016 Macmillan Audio

Great Book about Interesting history

This book is fun, interesting and well narrated. The antics of the OSS are well documented and fun to read about.

Loved it. Loved it. LOVED IT.

Can’t wait to see the movie. These Tommy’s are a bunch of mad men. I was born in the wrong time. Was amazed that upon finishing, that it was read by the author. Excellent. If you’re like me and feel as if you’ve covered WWII from the Sudetenland to the Missouri 10x over and scour for anything yet to be told, this was a gold mine. Good on you, Brits! FWIW…one tiny sliver of this trove of madness..Always loved the hedgehog…now I know the origin story.

The WW2 History You Haven't Heard Before

What a fascinating story about the brave men and women who helped bring the Third Reich down. Their stories are not told near as often as they should be.

great book

This proved to be a great story and a great audiobook. It was fascinating to hear about this side of WW2.

Amazing read

Interesting, thrilling and inspiring.
I enjoyed the narration of the author. Describing with the same vigor and enthusiasm the battles against the Nazis, and the british bureaucrats.

Amazing.

Awesome stories, very well written, compellingly performed. What a great book. Definitely recommend. Please enjoy!

Fascinating & inspiring

Would you listen to Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare again? Why?

I loved the book but wouldn't listen to it again because I never read (or listen to) the same book twice.

What other book might you compare Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare to and why?

It had a similar feel to The Boys on the Boat - the underdogs winning against all odds because of sheer force of determination, unorthodox approach, and willingness to be perceived as absurd while maintaining confidence & focus.

Which scene was your favorite?

There are so many. I'd have to say it was either the bombing of Norsk Hydro or the theft of the German ships from Fernando Po.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The death of Colin Gubbins' son.

Outstanding Account of Sabotage

I found this book in an Audible sale and thought I would try it. I am glad I did. The author does a great job describing how Britain developed and deployed secret weapons during WWII. He also gives an account of the major acts of sabotage committed by Britain. These are stories you won’t just find anywhere. You also get very good insight into those responsible for developing the weapons and the teams sent behind enemy lines to put them to use.if you like WWII history, you will like this book...

Must read for WWII buffs

Fantastic story and interesting history. Reads like a Hollywood movie. They were everything special operator have to be. Smart, courageous and flexible.

Engaging and poignant

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

For those with an interesting in engineering, history, warfare, or even organisational change, this is a fascinating listen.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare?

The combination of details about the design and manufacture of military weapons, combined with the 'boys own adventures' of sabotage missions behind enemy lines

What does Giles Milton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Not a lot unfortunately, the strength of this book is the story not the narrator.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Really interesting facts that had me turning to wikipedia to confirm them and read more. The ending was poignant.

Any additional comments?

Great listen, went through the entire thing in three days. Couldn't wait to here more. Really well written and paced between the details of how they prepared for the missions and the actual missions themselves, the biographical details are interesting without being overpowering. Would make a great movie.