The Secret War Against Hitler

by William Casey

In his final written testament, the late CIA director chronicles the role played by U.S. intelligence services in World War II and shows how intelligence is used and misused by our government today

Genres: History, Audiobook, World War II, Military Fiction

304 pages, Hardcover

First published June 28, 1989

Reviews

[Karl Jorgenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Casey gets to write this book because he went on to be director of the CIA. What did he do in the war, daddy? He worked for Donovan in the OSS, organizing agent insertion and agent communication, first in France, then in Germany. This book is a textbook-like summary of OSS activity from early 1944 until VE day--the time when Casey was on the job. Some of the agent-stories are interesting, but mainly Casey has avoided deep research or engaging writing and simply stated the facts as succinctly as possible. It reads like a CIA summary report on OSS actions, 01Jan44 to 15May45. Read this book if you are in need of background info; do not expect to be entertained.

[John McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

William Casey, who was appointed and served under Ronald Reagan as Director of Central Intelligence (DCI), was not a political hack appointed to one of the most important jobs in government. Casey, whose politics I did not necessarily admire, was a Wall Street lawyer who trained under Major General William Donovan in the original iteration of the CIA, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), in London working with the British precursor to MI 6, then known as SOE, or Special Operations Executive, which managed most of the WWII resistance movements against Hitler and had a wide reach into German, French, and Polish military, governmental institutions, and civilian life of those countries.

Casey died before this book was completed--it was his last unofficial official pronouncement--and has left historians and others interested in the OSS with a very important book. It is not autobiographical, although there is some of that, and it not a memoir, although it is tempting to call it that. I found its primary significance to be historical, a recitation of significant events in strategic wartime operations by what was then America's spy agency, the OSS, and a focus on just what intelligence these agencies gather and how that information is processed. There is, of course, as one would expect, the spies who work their contacts, but there are also the ordinary shopkeeper, policeman, school teacher, and so many others who provide information to operatives about roads, bridges, factories, and manufacturing installations, oil depots, train station, and the infrastructure of the geographic areas the spies must infiltrate and the armies and airforces must penetrate.

Unlike many who have never served in intelligence operations, Casey (and those who finished the work for him after he died) brings to his work stories the kind of detail that makes the work a truly credible resource. His insights into military decisions, right up to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (notably, Casey was slated to join America's Japanese intelligence operations after departure from his London posting just a couple of weeks after the bombs were dropped). His descriptions of internal bickering between military forces and different offices are intriguing reminders that human intelligence ('humint') is subject to human dysfunction just like anything else humans disagree about.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author, William Casey, provides an historical perspective from his early days in US intelligence services, called the OSS, Office of Strategic Services, that eventually became our Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). They borrowed techniques from their British counterparts and developed much of their own as well in spying and infiltrating into Nazi Germany reporting on troop movements, equipment placements, and Nazi war plans, among other things. Many were caught and imprisoned or killed. This book presents the evolution of America's counterintelligence agencies and ties it in with actual effects they had on outcomes of battles and strategic planning. Not all allied leaders were receptive to the role of intelligence agents but as more positive results came about because of their efforts, most of them became believers. Great read recommended for those interested in WWII, spying, counterintelligence, and the effects of OSS activities on outcomes.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three stars to the audio narrator who unflinchingly mangled the pronunciation of many place names and common words. “Tay Huh Ran”= “Tehran”? “Kat Shuh” = “cache”? Come on. Otherwise a very unique perspective on WWII from a guy who was there, in the OSS.

[Bob Croft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insights on commanders, particularly Patton, Ike, Patch and Monty. Patton and Patch's enlightened use of intelligence, and of the Free French as flank guards, pathfinders, mop-up units, and for intelligence. Uses and limits of intelligence. Great insights on economic intelligence, and target selection. Problems with "unconditional surrender", undefined until Truman did so late in the war against Japan, and how it delayed the surrender of Italy, and allowed Germany to insert troops into Italy costing us much blood; had we allowed Italy a quick and honorable surrender (a bit of respect for the troops, and guarantees of humane treatment of the nation and its citizens), we could have invaded north Italy, and saved months of slog up the peninsula. The costs of Roosevelt's stubbornness, and an irrational aversion to offending the Soviets. Our refusal to deal with high German commanders in surrendering their commands and territories.

[Skuli Saeland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ágætis frásögn af leyniaðgerðum Bandamanna í Síðari heimsstyrjöldinni, sérstaklega Bandaríkjamanna. Ýmislegt fróðleg sem þarna kemur fram en hafa verður vara á að Casey sem síðar varð forstjóri CIA ritar þessa bók sem áróðursrit fyrir mikilvægi njósna og annarra leyniaðgerða.
Áhugavert er að sjá harða gagnrýni hans á ákvörðun Roosevelts Bandaríkjaforseta um að krafist væri skilyrðislausrar uppgjafar af Öxulveldunum. Casey telur að semja hefði átt við marga af fulltrúum Þjóðverja og Ítala, veita þeim sakaruppgjöf og meira til en í staðinn stytta þannig stríðið og bjarga mannslífum.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gives some interesting insights into the espionage and secret initiatives of the Allies in fighting Hitler. It's fairly tedious even though the topic could have been brought to life.

For WW2 buffs, this is a worthy read.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was so much I didn't know about the role of the OSS during WW2. Very interesting. I wish our intelligence was that good these days, however, I doubt it.