Operation Mincemeat
British intelligence floats a corpse with fake invasion plans to convince Hitler that Sicily was a feint.
The Verdict
The most entertaining true espionage story of the war, told with full access to the files. In 1943 British intelligence dressed a corpse as a Royal Marines officer, chained a briefcase of false invasion plans to its wrist, and floated it ashore in Spain — to convince Hitler that the Allies would strike Greece and Sardinia rather than the obvious target, Sicily. Ben Macintyre reconstructs the deception with relish and rigour, restoring the strange, brilliant, slightly mad people who pulled it off. It reads like a thriller and happens to be true.
Who Should Read It
Read it if you want
- A true deception story told as a thriller
- Readers who like wartime intelligence and its eccentrics
- The secret operation behind the Sicily landings
- Fans of Macintyre's archival storytelling
Look elsewhere if you want
- Front-line combat narrative
- A sober operational history of the Italian campaign
- Readers who dislike a playful authorial voice
Why We Rated It 4.6
Historical Context
Operation Mincemeat was a 1943 British deception designed to mislead Germany about the Allied invasion of Sicily. A corpse, given the identity of 'Major William Martin' and carrying forged documents, was released from a submarine off the coast of Spain. The ruse helped persuade the German command to reinforce elsewhere. The operation was first described in Ewen Montagu's 1953 book The Man Who Never Was; Macintyre's 2010 account draws on later-released files.
Events Covered
Editions & Reading Notes
Read It Alongside
Collector's Corner
Where to Buy
ISBN: 978-0307453273
Read This Against
The same events seen from a different vantage point. The fullest understanding often lives in the space between accounts that don't agree.
Other Books About the Same Events
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Operation Mincemeat a true story?
- Yes. It reconstructs a real 1943 British deception operation from declassified intelligence files.
- Whose body was actually used?
- The man behind 'Major Martin' is generally identified as Glyndwr Michael, a homeless Welshman; Macintyre discusses the evidence.