Surprising Spies
Unexpected Heroes of World War II
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- USD 11.99
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- USD 11.99
Descripción editorial
Would you spy for your country? Discover the World War II spies who lived among the shadows and the ones who lived in the limelight--disguised in plain sight!
Josephine Baker. Virginia Hall. Roy Hawthorne. These are but a few of the daring spies who risked it all to deliver and protect crucial intel for the Allied powers. From housing refugees and resistance members while extracting secrets from diplomats to developing a groundbreaking, war-changing code and keeping it top secret for over twenty years, the actions of these legendary World War II spies are unbelievable but true.
This thoroughly researched collection of biographies profiles several courageous individuals who resisted the Axis Powers via espionage and heroism. Includes numerous photos and features such fascinating accounts like that of Moe Berg, a major-league baseball player and potential assassin; Noor Inayat Khan, a Sufi princess and wireless operator; and Juan Pujol Garcia, a storyteller and double agent. Also features sections on invisible ink, ciphers and codes, resistance fighters, and infamous missions such as Operation Mincemeat.
Back matter includes a time line, source notes, a bibliography, recommended reading, online resources, and an index.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Ruelle (The Grand Mosque of Paris) offers another look at courage and sacrifice during the second world war, this time focusing on Allied spies. Straightforward storytelling delineates the dangerous and innovative clandestine work of eight unexpected individuals. Several were already famous, including American expat Josephine Baker, a Black entertainer who smuggled information for her beloved adopted France; inventor and magician Jasper Maskelyne, a camouflage and diversion expert who was part of an eclectic unit of soldiers called the "Magic Gang"; professional baseball player Moe Berg; and Sufi princess Noor Inayat Khan. Archival photographs, maps, section headings ("Arrested Again," "German Spy School"), and numerous highlighted sidebars, defining terms like handler and double agent, intersperse the text. Final chapters provide a brief roundup of additional spies, including Roald Dahl and children as young as nine who aided the French Resistance, as well as Morse code and Navajo code-talker cipher messages to decode and recipes for invisible ink. A clear, age-appropriate introduction to spycraft and WWII history that may well pique interest in both topics. Back matter contains a multipage timeline, source notes, a bibliography including personal interviews, and further reading. Ages 8 12.
