Agent Garbo : the brilliant, eccentric secret agent who tricked Hitler and saved D-Day

Were the D-Day landings saved from failure because of a lone secret agent?Agent Garbo tells the astonishing story of a self-made secret agent who matched wits with the best minds of the Third Reich — and won. Juan Pujol was a nobody, a Barcelona poultry farmer determined to oppose the Nazis. Using only his gift for daring falsehoods, Pujol became Germany’s most valued agent — or double agent: it took four tries before the British believed he was really on the Allies’ side.In the guise of Garbo, Pujol turned in a masterpiece of deception worthy of his big-screen namesake. He created an imaginary million-man army, invented armadas out of thin air, and brought a vast network of fictional subagents whirring to life. His unwitting German handlers believed every word, and banked on Garbo’s lies as their only source of espionage within Great Britain.For his greatest performance, Pujol had to convince the German High Command that the D-Day invasion of Normandy was a feint and the real attack was aimed at Calais. The Nazis bought it, turning the tide of battle at the crucial moment.Based on years of archival research and interviews with Pujol’s family, Agent Garbo is a true-life thriller set in the shadow world of espionage and deception. Agent Garbo Tells The Astonishing Story Of A Self-made Secret Agent Who Matched Wits With The Best Minds Of The Third Reich--and Won. Juan Pujol Was A Nobody, A Barcelona Poultry Farmer Determined To Oppose The Nazis. Using Only His Gift For Daring Falsehoods, Pujol Became Germany's Most Valued Agent--or Double Agent: It Took Four Tries Before The British Believed He Was Really On The Allies' Side. In The Guise Of Garbo, Pujol Invented Armadas Out Of Thin Air And Brought A Vast Network Of Fictional Subagents Whirring To Life. His German Handlers Believed Every Word, And Banked On Garbo's Lies As Their Only Source Of Espionage Within Great Britain. For His Greatest Performance, Pujol Had To Convince The German High Command That The D-day Invasion Of Normandy Was A Feint And The Real Attack Was Aimed At Calais. The Nazis Bought It.--from Publisher Description. Pt. I. The Making Of A Spy. Tom Mix In Barcelona ; The Training Ground ; Araceli ; The White City ; The Game ; The Snakepit -- Pt. Ii. Garbo's Rise. A Fresh Riot Of Ideas ; The System ; The Debut ; The Blacks And The Santa Clauses ; The Rehearsal -- Pt. Iii. The Far Shore. The Dry Run ; An Intimate Deception ; Haywire ; The Interloper ; The Ghost Army ; The Backdrop ; The Build-up ; The Prisoner ; The Hours ; The Weapon -- Pt. Iv. Breakoff. The End ; The Return. Stephan Talty. Includes Bibliographical References (pages [281]-283) And Index. Before he remade himself as the master spy known as Garbo, Juan Pujol was nothing more than a Barcelona poultry farmer. But as Garbo, he turned in a masterpiece of deception that changed the course of World War II. Posing as the Nazis’ only reliable spy inside England, he created an imaginary million-man army, invented armadas out of thin air, and brought a vast network of fictional subagents to life. The scheme culminated on June 6, 1944, when Garbo convinced the Germans that the Allied forces approaching Normandy were just a feint—the real invasion would come at Calais. Because of his brilliant trickery, the Allies were able to land with much less opposition and eventually push on to Berlin. As incredible as it sounds, everything in Agent Garbo is true, based on years of archival research and interviews with Pujol’s family. This pulse-pounding thriller set in the shadow world of espionage and deception reveals the shocking reality of spycraft that occurs just below the surface of history. Were the D-Day landings saved from failure because of a lone secret agent? Agent Garbo tells the astonishing story of a self-made secret agent who matched wits with the best minds of the Third Reich — and won. Juan Pujol was a nobody, a Barcelona poultry farmer determined to oppose the Nazis. Using only his gift for daring falsehoods, Pujol became Germany's most valued agent — or double agent: it took four tries before the British believed he was really on the Allies' side. In the guise of Garbo, Pujol turned in a masterpiece of deception worthy of his big-screen namesake. He created an imaginary million-man army, invented armadas out of thin air, and brought a vast network of fictional subagents whirring to life. His unwitting German handlers believed every word, and banked on Garbo's lies as their only source of espionage within Great Britain. For his greatest performance, Pujol had to convince the German High Command that the D-Day invasion of Normandy... Pt. I. The Making of a Spy Tom Mix in Barcelona The Training Ground Araceli The Game Contact The Snake-Pit Pt. II. Garbo's Rise A Fresh Riot of Ideas The System The Debut The Blacks and the Santa Clauses The Rehearsal Pt. III. The Far Shore The Dry Run An Intimate Deception Haywire The Interloper The Ghost Army The Backdrop The Build-Up The Prisoner The Hours The Weapon Pt. IV. Break-Off The End The Return.