Double Crossed: The WWII Spies Who Saved D-Day

Gr 5-8–With spies and double agents, ­misdirection and outright fictions, codes, invisible ink, and wireless transmitters, the real world of espionage as described in this nonfiction book is as intriguing as any fictional novel or film. During World War II, the British developed a small spy agency called the Twenty Committee that specialized in feeding incorrect intelligence to the Germans. Barone centers the narrative on four somewhat eccentric spies, providing enough detail to make each character memorable. The role of the Abwehr, Germany’s military intelligence agency, in receiving and transmitting information gathered or manufactured through Britain’s double agents, also is explained. As each operative is brought on board, the stakes for the mission grow higher. The tension builds, leading up to D-Day, since the Twenty ­Committee has an integral assignment to draw German attention away from the planned Normandy invasion. As in Rebecca Siegel’s How the Ghost Army Hoodwinked Hitler, about American troops’ theatrical deceptions, and Barone’s own Unbreakable: The Spies Who Cracked the Nazis’ Secret Code, this book brings to light a fascinating and little-known aspect of WWII military strategy. It also ­connects well to recent fiction, such as Adam ­Gidwitz’s Max in the House of Spies and its ­sequel. Back matter includes a bibliography and end notes.