The Winds of War (The Henry Family, #1)

by Herman Wouk

Hopkins said hoarsely, “Do the contents seem authentic to you?” “I can’t say, sir. I don’t know Russian geography that well, to begin with.” “Our Army people find it plausible,” Hopkins said. “Why would anybody fake a staggering document like that, Captain? A complete operation order for the invasion of the Soviet Union, in such massive detail?” Pug thought it over, and spoke carefully. “Well, sir, for one thing they might be hoping to prod the Soviet Union to mobilize, and so kick off a two-front war. In that case the army might depose or kill Hitler. Then again, it could be a plant by German intelligence, to see how much we pass on to the Russians. The possibilities are many.” “That’s the trouble,” said the President, yawning. “Our ambassador in Russia has begged us not to transmit this thing. He says Moscow is flooded with such stuff. The Russians assume it all emanates from British intelligence to start trouble between Stalin and Hitler, so as to get the Germans off England’s back.”