Bodyguard of Lies: The Extraordinary True Story Behind D-Day
by Anthony Cave Brown
Lyons Press (1 November 2007)
What’s it about?: A detailed account of the deceptive strategies and tactics of the Allied Forces during World War II. Its name is derived from the (in)famous Winston Churchill wartime quote, “In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.” The first volume is mostly pre-history, while the second gets into D-Day. Both cover all manner of covert operations, but the common thread is the attempt to make it seem as if the landing at Normandy D-Day were a feint.
My opinion: Another gem for those interested in military history and strategic thinking. It sits nicely with The Hidden-Hand Presidency by Fred I. Greenstein, The 33 Strategies of War by Robert Greene, and The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides.
It was one thing for the Allied Forces to crack Enigma, the cipher device used by the Germans to send coded messages during the war. But to conduct themselves without the Axis powers knowing that they were onto them was something else entirely. For example, Churchill’s decision not to warn Coventry about the impending Nazi bombing. A horrible decision to have to make, but he was playing the long game. To keep all of this secret was a long, drawn-out exercise in lies, deceit, plotting and counter-plots. When Sun Tzu said “Know your enemy,” he was invoking a strategy as old as warfare itself. For the Allies to understand their enemy – by any means necessary – meant avoiding even more bloodshed. You can argue about the ethics of their methods all day, but the fact is, were it not for these strategies and tactics, D-Day would have gone very differently.
Then you have the covert agents who were placed in Germany. Most notably, Wilhelm Canaris, chief of the German military-intelligence service. He was passing on secrets to the Allies, and this is one of many examples that makes up Bodyguard of Lies. Then the countless codebreakers, spies and plotters involved. Incredible.
Anthony Cave Brown (1929-2006) covers the events surrounding D-Day with encyclopaedic knowledge and attention to detail like few others. The events that unfolded, and how they happened, it feels like nothing was missed. I can definitely say that my knowledge of World War II is greatly improved for having read it. Would strongly recommend.
Lawrence Deveney 