In the pre-dawn darkness of April 30, 1943, the body of a Royal Marine Major washed ashore on the south-western coast of Spain, part of an incredible plot to mislead the German High Command about the Allies' impending Mediterranean invasion. What made this ruse unique--and macabre--was that the "Major" was actually a deceased Welsh laborer, who drifted lifelessly ashore carrying false documents indicating that the Allies were set to launch an attack on Greece, rather than Sicily. In this accurate and in-depth retelling of the story behind the operation, Denis Smyth draws on a vast collection of previously unavailable documentary sources to expertly bring all phases of "Mincemeat" to life. He reveals how the architects of the plan navigated a maze of medical, technical, and logistical issues to deceive the enemy at the highest strategic levels. --from publisher description

Now for the first time we have all the facts which dispel the mysteries surrounding the operation and show the complexities, pitfalls and dangers faced by British intelligence. Using official sources and an historian's acumen, Prof. Smyth has at last revealed the whole story of this fascinating ploy which did so much to save Allied soldier's lives.

Autorentext
Denis Smyth studied for his Ph.D. in History at the University of Cambridge under the supervision of Sir Harry Hinsley, official historian of British intelligence in the Second World War. He lectured in Modern European History at University College, Cork from 1976 to 1985, and has been a Professor in the Department of History, and in the International Relations Programme, at the University of Toronto since 1985. His previous publications have dealt with the diplomacy and strategy of the Great Powers during the twentieth century and he has edited a number of volumes in the British Documents on Foreign Affairs series.

Klappentext

The story of the classic World War Two stratagem which persuaded Hitler's Generals that the Allies were going to attack Greece rather than Sicily in the summer of 1943 - an intelligence coup that contributed to the Allied victory in Sicily and inflicted irreparable damage on the German war effort.

Inhalt

Prologue; 1. Accidental Conception; 2. Medical Consultation; 3. Grand Stratagem; 4. A Sea of Troubles; 5. Loud and Clear; 6. Tailor Made; 7. Brief Encounter; 8. Travel Arrangements; 9. Mincemeat Digested; 10. Mincemeat Dissected; Epilogue; Further Reading; Index