The elaborate Allied schemes to keep Spain and Portugal out of
WWII—featuring the real-life spy work of Ian Fleming, creator of
James Bond. Historian Mark Simmons reveals the various Allied
operations designed to keep the Iberian Peninsula out of WWII. It is a
tale of widespread bribery of high ranking Spanish officials, the
duplicity of Adm. Wilhelm Canaris, head of the Abwehr, and an
elaborate scheme developed by a Naval Intelligence commander who would
later create the iconic spy character. Ian Fleming and Alan
Hillgarth were the architects of Operation Golden Eye, the sabotage
and disruption scheme that would have been put in place, had Germany
invaded Spain. Fleming visited the Iberian Peninsula and Tangiers
during the war, in what was arguably the closest he came to being a
real secret agent. It was these visits that supplied much of the
background material for his James Bond novels. Fleming even called his
home on Jamaica where he created 007 “Goldeneye.” The book
begins in October 1940, when Hitler met with Spanish dictator
Francisco Franco. At that time, an alliance between Germany and Spain
seemed possible. In response, Adm. Godfrey of British Naval
Intelligence created Operation Tracer, in which a listening and
observation post would be buried in the Rock of Gibraltar, should it
fall to the Germans. Simmons also explores the SIS and SOE operations
in Portugal and the vital Wolfram wars. Though Operation Golden Eye
was eventually put on standby in 1943, its intrigue and intricacy are
both fascinating and enlightening.
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Keeping Spain out of World War II
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781612006864
Publisert
2018
Utgiver
Vendor
Casemate
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter