Stevenson William. A Man Called Intrepid

Skyhorse Publishing, 2014. — 412 p. — eISBN: 978-1-62914-360-6"A Man Called Intrepid" is partly an account of Canadian-born spymaster William Stephenson's central role in the development of the British-American intelligence system during WW2; and partly a revelation of the absolutely critical role that intelligence services (e.g. code-breaking, espionage, and sabotage) played in the defeat of the Axis powers in WW2. I use the term "revelation" because at the time of it's publication in 1976, the secrets of Bletchley Park (the British code-breaking center disguised as a radio factory) and ULTRA (code name for British intelligence information) had only recently been declassified. WW2 is often discussed as a conflict decided by sheer military might. While it is true that the combined power of the Russian, British and American armies was essential to Allied victory, this book proves that the war would have been lost before the Americans formally intervened if it were not for the actions of Stephenson's clandestine intelligence agency operating in Bletchley, Canada, and the US. A prominent example of this is the role that ULTRA played in anticipating German strategy during the Battle of Britain. More intriguing, though, are the lesser-known examples of Stephenson's network's direct influence on Allied victories and overall strategy throughout the war - e.g. the coordination of Yugoslav resistance to the Nazis under "Tito" (which fatally delayed the German invasion of Russia); the disruption of the Norsk Hydro plant in Norway to prevent German nuclear armament; and the "disastrous" raid on Dieppe intended to confuse the Germans about the planned location of the D-Day invasion.