The Ghost Army of World War II : How One Top-Secret Unit Deceived the Enemy with Inflatable Tanks, Sound Effects, and Other Audacious Fakery

A cultural history/visual culture book featuring the story, photos, ephemera, and art of The Ghost Army, a World War II deception unit, which used inflatable tanks and other illusions to mislead the Germans on the battlefields of Europe. The Army recruited artists to create these illusions; in private moments, they painted and sketched their way across Europe, creating a unique visual record of the war. Abstract: A cultural history detailing the story of The Ghost Army, a World War II deception unit, which used inflatable tanks and other illusions to mislead the Germans on the battlefields of Europe. Read more... In the summer of 1944, a handpicked group of young GIsincluding such future luminaries as Bill Blass, Ellsworth Kelly, Arthur Singer, Victor Dowd, Art Kane, and Jack Maseylanded in France to conduct a secret mission. Armed with truckloads of inflatable tanks, a massive collection of sound-effects records, and more than a few tricks up their sleeves, their job was to create a traveling road show of deception on the battlefields of Europe, with the German Army as their audience. From Normandy to the Rhine, the 1,100 men of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, known as the Ghost Army, conjured up phony convoys, phantom divisions, and make-believe headquarters to fool the enemy about the strength and location of American units. Between missions the artists filled their duffel bags with drawings and paintings and dragged them across Europe. Every move they made was top secret and their story was hushed up for decades after the war's end. The Ghost Army of World War II is the first publication to tell the full story of how a traveling road show of artists wielding imagination, paint, and bravado saved thousands of American lives. A Cultural History/visual Culture Book Featuring The Story, Photos, Ephemera, And Art Of The Ghost Army, A World War Ii Deception Unit, Which Used Inflatable Tanks And Other Illusions To Mislead The Germans On The Battlefields Of Europe. The Army Recruited Artists To Create These Illusions; In Private Moments, They Painted And Sketched Their Way Across Europe, Creating A Unique Visual Record Of The War. My Con Artists -- The Art Boys -- Men Of Wile -- Journey Into The Unknown -- When First We Practice To Deceive -- Special Effects -- Adolph, You Son Of A Bitch -- A Great Town -- One Bad Spot In My Line -- They Even Had Art Supplies -- All Their Heavy Hitters -- The Coldest Winter In Forty Years -- One Last Grand Deception -- A Toast To Freedom. Rick Beyer & Elizabeth Sayles. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 240-244) And Index. Its complement was more theatrical than militaey. It was like a traveling road show that went up and down the front lines