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 … 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 Second World War: a cohort hand-picked by Winston Churchill, whom he called his Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
Giles Milton’s 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.
more
Great book with lots of history I didn’t know, and all about the men and women in the shadows that did so much for the war effort! A fantastic read!!!
Interesting slant on WWII. I did not really know about this organization but in some ways was fascinating. Especially the way the people were treated at the end of the war. Watch out for the bureaucrats….they always win, right or wrong.
Accounts of unorthodox warriors who brought the fight to Axis during the dark days of early WWII.
Giles Milton’s specifics regarding SOE agents give insights into the commitment of patriots to find numerous targets to harass the German occupation, often with both spectacular and heartbreaking consequences.
I think it is a great read highly recommend it for history buffs.
Extremely interesting. Well written. About a bunch of “misfits” who won a war on a shoe string budget because the could think “out of the box.” Something we cannot do today. We loose wars by spending ourselves into the poor house while the terrorist spend pennies to cause us to waste billions. Ultimately all wars are economic and these people understood it.
Stories of unknown heroes of WWII
Historical and informative. It did have a picture of how stodgy society often can not face reality or put up with truly imaginative people.
It told of the impact of covert warfare can achieve large results with a smaller cost than just using bigger guns/tanks/bombers etc.
A little bit of entertainment with history.
I AM A PROLIFIC READER OF WWII BOOKS AND I HAVE NEVER HEARD THESE STORIES BEFORE. INCREDIBLE DID THESE PEOPLE MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN WINNING THE WAR?
Very informative. Would be a 5 star but got mired in details at times. Would give it 4.5 if you had such a rating. Certainly showed how bureaucracies can get in the way of a mission. Fortunately, Churchill was able to utilize ( and enjoy ) the skills of the saboteurs and jump over those bureaucratic roadblocks. Especially found the D Day activities interesting .
Interesting history of how a few can affect the big picture
Informative about ww2
I had heard of the ‘Ungentlemanly Warfare’ encouraged by Churchill (what Bond fan doesn’t know a little bit?). However, I was genuinely astonished at the reality of Parliament believing that Hitler would adhere to traditional, honest, combat with his Wehrmacht. Fortunately, Winston Churchill realized that if England was to win, much less survive this War, devious and even diabolical weapons must be created and used with precision. If you’re interested in History, WWII, (or perhaps in the beginnings of James Bond, I recommend this book!
Well-written account of the guerrilla warriors of Britain that helped win WWII. It shines a light in corners of history that very few have ever seen. Very engaging page-turner! I recommend it very highly!
A lot of weird and dedicated people who mostly have never been outed before. Very informative and interesting reading about WWII. Truly impressed.
Great history about World War II. Information that very little has been reported.
I found very interesting and educational about what happened. Strongly recommend. Jerry V
I recommend the audio version because the author, Giles Milton, does an amazing job, but either way, the content is fascinating and well-written. It was a great way to learn completely new information about WW2.
Amazing story of Britain’s clandestine warfare development done on a shoestring by brave inventive patriots.
I have been reading many books about Churchill recently, wanting to find out as much as I could about this remarkable man. I grew up in England during the war, listening to his broadcasts by the BBC and even today they make the hair curl on my neck. Without his inspiration I hesitate to imagine where we would be today. Talk about a man being the right person in the right place at the right time!
I loved the title of this book and when I read it, it made so much sense. So many mistakes were made during World War one, thinking that certain things would not be done by gentlemen, but of course very few gentlemen fought the war.
In World War two, the enemy was even worse and was definitely more evil. The various ways in which these methods were imagined and put into use are illuminating and thoroughly justified – and give a great sense of justification and pride somehow. Loved it.