Double Cross

The True Story of the D-Day Spies

By: Ben Macintyre

Narrated by: John Lee

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The “superb [and] intensely readable” (The Washington Post) untold story of one of the greatest deceptions of World War II and the extraordinary spies who achieved it—from the bestselling author of Prisoners of the Castle

“Not since Ian Fleming and John le Carré has a spy writer so captivated readers.”—The Hollywood Reporter

On June 6, 1944, 150,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy and suffered an astonishingly low rate of casualties. A stunning military achievement, it was also a masterpiece of trickery. Operation Fortitude, which protected and enabled the invasion, and the Double Cross system, which specialized in turning German spies into double agents, tricked the Nazis into believing that the Allied attacks would come in Calais and Norway rather than Normandy. It was the most sophisticated and successful deception operation ever carried out, ensuring Allied victory at the most pivotal moment in the war.

This epic event has never before been told from the perspective of the key individuals in the Double Cross system, until now. These include its director (a brilliant, urbane intelligence officer), a colorful assortment of MI5 handlers (as well as their counterparts in Nazi intelligence), and the five spies who formed Double Cross’s nucleus: a dashing Serbian playboy, a Polish fighter-pilot, a bisexual Peruvian party girl, a deeply eccentric Spaniard, and a volatile Frenchwoman. Together they made up one of the oddest and most brilliant military units ever assembled.

With the same depth of research, eye for the absurd, and masterful storytelling that have made Ben Macintyre an international bestseller, Double Cross is a captivating narrative of the spies who wove a web so intricate it ensnared Hitler’s army and carried thousands of D-Day troops across the Channel in safety.

Critic reviews

“Macintyre is a master storyteller. Employing a wry wit and a keen eye for detail, he delivers an ultimately winning tale fraught with European intrigue and subtle wartime heroics.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“It is the riveting tales of these agents on which Ben Macintyre focuses, to full advantage, in Double Cross. . . . Macintyre makes good use of the material. He knows how to let the high drama unfold on its own.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Gripping stories from the perspective of a remarkable ragtag group of spies who tricked the Nazis in an astounding D-Day deception. Puts other spy tales to shame.”—People

“Macintyre at once exalts and subverts the myths of spycraft and has a keen eye for absurdity.”—The New Yorker

“Ben Macintyre is the leading practitioner of oddball-powered history. A connoisseur and celebrant of eccentricity, he specializes in often hilarious, sometimes tragic, but always fizzily exhilarating tales of madcap exploits and bizarre adventures . . . A gem.”—The New York Times

“It should be said loud and clear that Macintyre is a supremely gifted storyteller. He spins quite a yarn. His books are absurdly entertaining. I would kill for his keen wit. He takes us into a world of bounders, spivs, roués, and men (and women) on the make. . . . Double Cross is a blast.”—The Boston Globe

“Ben Macintyre’s factual account is more gripping than what you will find anywhere else. It is a story unsurpassed in the long history of intelligence.”—The Washington Times

“A wonderfully entertaining story of deception and trickery that is told with verve and wit.”—Christian Science Monitor

“Macintyre revels in the surreal aspects of his story, writing with a breezy, almost tongue-in-cheek style. But the author is also adept at communicating the seriousness and the stakes of the underlying game. . . . Nail-biting and chuckle-inducing reading.”—Columbus Dispatch

“Another captivating, improbably fresh story of World War II. . . . Double Cross is ennobling, invigorating and, above all, entertaining. Macintyre’s research is impressive, as is his ability to shape disparate facts into a breathless page-turner. . . . Throw in nail-biting suspense and the occasional decadent Nazi (fickle mistress optional) and, with Macintyre in charge, you’re virtually guaranteed a history book that reads like a spy novel.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch

“A tale of smarts, personal courage and—even knowing what happened on June 6, 1944—suspense. Where would we be if these troubled, eccentric, and hang-it-all characters hadn’t known how to lie, and lie well?”—The Seattle Times

When is the BBC going to do a Mini Series?

What made the experience of listening to Double Cross the most enjoyable?

You cannot make the characters in this book up. Well written, well read, and such an outrageous collection of characters, real people, eccentric people, brave men and women who played an important part in collecting and sending miss-information during WWII. I seriously wonder why this hasn't already been made into a mini-series.

The complete spy guide

The complete guide and story of British espionage in WW II. Including the Normandy Invasion.

Double agents revealed

Mr. Macintyre's account of the double agents in WW11 is most interesting and well researched. Unlike "Agent Zigzag" which concentrates pretty much on one man's life and contributions to the war effort, this book is not what I would call "easy listening" by any means however. One must pay attention or soon get lost in an attempt to keep track of the many characters involved, their oddball personalities and the events they participated in. Personally I had to start the book over from the beginning several times before getting a good grasp on each individual's story but then sometimes when listening to an audio book I can get easily distracted, and other listeners may not experience the same problem.

Save England from the spies & me from the narrator

If there is a genre that particularly interests me, it is books about World War II. So I was happy when I found this book and anxious to read it.

The story line is fascinating, if a little too heavy on details. The author does a very good job interweaving the various characters and subplots as they prepare for the Normandy invasion. However, there are just so many characters and plots, that it is sometimes difficult to follow, especially if you are listening in the car where there are distractions. Cut out a third of the less prominent spies and it would be perfect.

But those are all minor complaints. For the first time in the many years that I have been listening to audible books, I absolutely hated the narration. It was awful and took far more away from the story than it added.

First of all, the narrator insists on mimicking accents of the many foreign characters, and doing it badly. It is distracting at best, and painful at worst. The accents were cartoonish -- with the Germans all sounding like Lili von Shtupp from "Blazing Saddles" and the French all sounding like Pepe Le Pew. Russian, Polish, and Slovakian characters all sounded exactly alike.

Secondly, the narrator is British. That is well and fine, but in this particular case his pronunciation was such that it distracted from the narrative. For example, the phrase "Secret Sources," which is liberally sprinkled throughout the book, came out as "Secret Sauces." Tell me of that doesn't interrupt your listening.

So while this would probably be a wonderful paperback to curl up with in front of the fire or in a beach chair, it is just no fun to listen to.

Fascinating

Really astonishing story and narrated superbly, as always, by Jon Lee. Agreat read/listen - highly recommended.