Counterfeit Spies

A fascinating exploration of the roles many spy novelists played during World War II and the influence of intelligence work on their writing. World War II deception operations created elaborate fictions and subterfuges to prevent the enemy from apprehending the true targets and objectives of Allied forces. These operations shortened the war considerably and saved countless lives—and they were often invented, proposed, and sometimes executed by creative minds that would come to be known worldwide for their spy novels. In Counterfeit Spies: How World War II Intelligence Operations Shaped Cold War Spy Fiction, Oliver Buckton reveals the involvement of writers in wartime deceptions and shows how those operations would later impact their work. He also examines how the details, personnel, and methods of the GARBO network, Operation Mincemeat, Philby’s treason, Operation Bodyguard, and more were translated from real life into spy fiction by these authors, necessitated by the Official Secrets