Ultra Hush-Hush: Espionage and Special Missions

Spies, special missions, and codes and ciphers! Stories of ingenuity and intrigue from World War II.

Enjoy spellbinding World War II stories about people who demonstrated great resourcefulness under pressure and came up with amazing solutions to seemingly impossible problems.

For example, a British unit specializing in creating illusions fooled German reconnaissance pilots into thinking bombers had blown up a major British munitions factory. How? By painting a gigantic canvas the size of the factory roof to look as if the roof had gaping holes in it with massive destruction inside!

Military messages must be disguised by codes and ciphers. One of the most successful and enduring codes of all time was based on a rare language spoken only by the Navajo. This code was instrumental in the American defeat of the Japanese at several key battles. In fact, the code was so difficult to break that the U.S. military kept it top secret until it was replaced by computer codes in 1968.

Key Features

• Presents 19 fascinating stories from World War II in an engaging, accessible format
• Introduction and sidebars provide lively background information about World War II
• Includes over 80 color maps and illustrations, and archival photographs

Nineteen stories from World War II tell tales of great resourcefulness under pressure and amazing solutions. The book features introduction and sidebar material to give background and over 80 color maps, illustrations and archival photos.

Jennifer Baldwin - KLIATT

WW II was an important milestone for espionage, not only for the Allied Forces, but also for those representing the Axis nations. Military history researchers Stephen Shapiro and Tina Forrester bring to life the resourcefulness of the many spies working to achieve victory for both sides. Readers are able to relive the action that spies such as British agents Juan Pujol Garcia, Eddie Chapman, and Elyesa Bazna, Italian frogman Durand de la Penne, and German commander Otto Skorzeny encountered on a daily basis. Other Axis special missions revealed include tales of the numerous commandos from Germany's Brandenburg Regiment and the German glider pilots from Group Granite. Additional Allied special missions discussed are the exploits of members of Britain's Special Air Service Brigade and Special Operations Executive, American and Canadian paratroopers, and the Navajo code talkers. David Craig's dramatic illustrations, along with colorful maps and b/w photographs from the front lines, supplement the text. Shapiro and Forrester include sufficient background information to help readers truly grasp the significant part espionage played in the war. Readers will benefit from the way this book is organized and will utilize the table of contents, glossary, and index to help locate specific information. Ultra Hush Hush is a great additional resource for any study of WW II. (Outwitting the Enemy: Stories from the Second World War). KLIATT Codes: SA-Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2003, Firefly, 96p. illus. maps. index., Ages 15 to adult.

Stephen Shapiro is the recipient of the Canadian War Museum History Award for his essay The Battle for Queenston Heights: A Critical Point for Canada.

Tina Forrester is a researcher and writer on a broad spectrum of subjects. Her previous works include The Millennium Time Capsule Book.

David Craig's previous works include the dramatic illustrations in the children's book Attack on Pearl Harbor and First to Fly: How Wilbur and Orville Wright Invented the Airplane.