Double Crossed: The WWII Spies Who Saved D-Day

High-octane historical thriller meets cinematic narrative nonfiction in an arresting offering from Barone (Mountains of Fire) that chronicles the essential role that spies and double agents played in turning the tides during WWII. Opening information outlines the work’s key players; subsequent clear, concise prose introduces former spy and MI5 agent Thomas Argyll Robertson as he gathers an elite group of individuals in 1939 for what would become Operation Bodyguard, a disinformation scheme meant to deceive the Abwehr, Nazi Germany’s military intelligence organization. Propulsive, linear chapters with situating opening lines follow Robertson on his recruitment journey, dispensing brief backstories for each of the figures assembled, and including humanizing details such as the warm friendship between spies Dušan Popov and Johann Jebsen, and MI5 agent Lily Sergueiev’s love for her dog as well as the sexism she encountered throughout her career. Quotes from each of the double agents and those who knew them engenders from readers further empathy for the subjects’ plight and desire for their safety as dangers mount. Accessibly approaching the history of the war and chronicling significant battles in which the spies had a role, Barone spins an adventuresome survival tale that capitalizes on heart-wrenching moments to insert readers right into the action. Includes a bibliography and endnotes. Ages 10–14. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Apr.)