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Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,343 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The “superb [and] intensely readable” (The Washington Post) untold story of one of the greatest deceptions of World War II and the extraordinary spies who achieved it—from the bestselling author of Prisoners of the Castle
“Not since Ian Fleming and John le Carré has a spy writer so captivated readers.”—The Hollywood Reporter
On June 6, 1944, 150,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy and suffered an astonishingly low rate of casualties. A stunning military achievement, it was also a masterpiece of trickery. Operation Fortitude, which protected and enabled the invasion, and the Double Cross system, which specialized in turning German spies into double agents, tricked the Nazis into believing that the Allied attacks would come in Calais and Norway rather than Normandy. It was the most sophisticated and successful deception operation ever carried out, ensuring Allied victory at the most pivotal moment in the war.
This epic event has never before been told from the perspective of the key individuals in the Double Cross system, until now. These include its director (a brilliant, urbane intelligence officer), a colorful assortment of MI5 handlers (as well as their counterparts in Nazi intelligence), and the five spies who formed Double Cross’s nucleus: a dashing Serbian playboy, a Polish fighter-pilot, a bisexual Peruvian party girl, a deeply eccentric Spaniard, and a volatile Frenchwoman. Together they made up one of the oddest and most brilliant military units ever assembled.
With the same depth of research, eye for the absurd, and masterful storytelling that have made Ben Macintyre an international bestseller, Double Cross is a captivating narrative of the spies who wove a web so intricate it ensnared Hitler’s army and carried thousands of D-Day troops across the Channel in safety.
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"While following a cadre of double agents you learn about the importance of espionage in the last 2 years of WWII. Also provides WWII buffs with added information about the infighting amongst the Nazi ranks especially foreign intelligence vs. the Gestapo. You do find out what happens to each of these "hero" spies. A criticism would be the writing style. Needs to be smoother ."
— Alexis(Andra) (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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Macintyre is a master storyteller. Employing a wry wit and a keen eye for detail, he delivers an ultimately winning tale fraught with European intrigue and subtle wartime heroics.
— San Francisco Chronicle -
Gripping stories from the perspective of a remarkable ragtag group of spies who tricked the Nazis in an astounding D-Day deception. Puts other spy tales to shame.
— People -
Macintyre at once exalts and subverts the myths of spycraft and has a keen eye for absurdity.
— The New Yorker -
Ben Macintyre is the leading practitioner of oddball-powered history. A connoisseur and celebrant of eccentricity, he specializes in often hilarious, sometimes tragic, but always fizzily exhilarating tales of madcap exploits and bizarre adventures . . . A gem.
— The New York Times -
It should be said loud and clear that Macintyre is a supremely gifted storyteller. He spins quite a yarn. His books are absurdly entertaining. I would kill for his keen wit. He takes us into a world of bounders, spivs, roués, and men (and women) on the make. . . . Double Cross is a blast.
— Boston Globe -
Ben Macintyre’s factual account is more gripping than what you will find anywhere else. It is a story unsurpassed in the long history of intelligence.
— Washington Times -
A wonderfully entertaining story of deception and trickery that is told with verve and wit.
— Christian Science Monitor -
Macintyre revels in the surreal aspects of his story, writing with a breezy, almost tongue-in-cheek style. But the author is also adept at communicating the seriousness and the stakes of the underlying game. . . . Nail-biting and chuckle-inducing reading.
— Columbus Dispatch -
Another captivating, improbably fresh story of World War II. . . . Double Cross is ennobling, invigorating and, above all, entertaining. Macintyre’s research is impressive, as is his ability to shape disparate facts into a breathless page-turner. . . . Throw in nail-biting suspense and the occasional decadent Nazi (fickle mistress optional) and, with Macintyre in charge, you’re virtually guaranteed a history book that reads like a spy novel.
— Richmond Times-Dispatch -
It is the riveting tales of these agents on which Ben Macintyre focuses, to full advantage, in Double Cross. . . . Macintyre makes good use of the material. He knows how to let the high drama unfold on its own.
— The Wall Street Journal -
A tale of smarts, personal courage and—even knowing what happened on June 6, 1944—suspense. Where would we be if these troubled, eccentric, and hang-it-all characters hadn’t known how to lie, and lie well?
— Seattle Times
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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A 2012 Barnes & Noble Best Book for Nonfiction
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A 2012 Agatha Award Nominee for Best Nonfiction
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A 2012 Washington Post Notable Book for Nonfiction
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A 2013 Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominee for Best Fact Crime
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Nominated for Edgar Award
Double Cross Listener Reviews
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" There is no better combination than Ben Macintyre writing and John Lee narrating. "
— Jools, 9/8/2025 -
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Stuart Grant, 7/20/2025
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Elizabeth James, 5/6/2015
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" THE TOPIC SOUNDED INTERESTING BUT THE WRITING STYLE WAS BLAND. "
— Ruth, 2/19/2014 -
" A little confusing in the beginning, but a really interesting story. "
— Desiree, 2/16/2014 -
" amazing book. couldn't put it down "
— Lucille, 2/12/2014 -
" While I think the main story of Double Cross is pretty fascinating and impressive, I didn't love the book. It's a true story of how the British intelligence controlled every German agent in Britain during WWII and used the network to distract the Germans away from the planned D-Day invasions. The problem is there are A LOT of "characters" to keep track of (that are referred to at various times by their real names, their German code names, and/or their British code names), and it gets confusing. There also wasn't much real "action," which is not surprising I guess in a book about real life spies, but it made the story drag a bit. "
— Jenny, 2/8/2014 -
" The 3 stars probably dosn't do it justice as I had a rubbish few weeks and could only read the book in small parts, so hence I struggled to keep up with all the different names and who was who etc. However, it was very interesting and I have learnt alot from reading this book. "
— Rosie, 2/6/2014 -
" A complex but fascinating story about espionage in WWII. "
— Erin, 2/3/2014 -
" Very Readable sotry into a little-known facet of World War II. The Tnglish had their act together when it came to double agents...certainly more than the Germans, Russians or Americans. "
— Dave, 1/30/2014 -
" My major quibble about this book about British double agents who helped divert the Germans from the Normandy landing on D-Day is that it was hard to keep the agents,their code names,and their British and German handlers straight. "
— Agatha, 1/13/2014 -
" A good, fast read and it is true. "
— Mariana, 12/13/2013 -
" A fun read about some remarkable, odd, devious folks who played a huge role in the outcome of WWII. "
— Andrew, 11/7/2013 -
" The last 100 pages are great but the first 250 are scattered and often dull. "
— Chris, 10/6/2013 -
" I really lost interest in this book, but I kept listening because it was Ben Macintyre. I think it was because we just got snippets of so many spies, it wasn't as engaging. "
— Amy, 8/19/2013 -
" If you have ever had any interest in spies and WWII then you should read this book. Awesome. "
— Elizabeth, 7/7/2013 -
" I'm growing to love Ben Macintyre's books! Think non-fiction James Bond set during WWII. Not quite as good as Agent Zig-zag, but intriguing nonetheless. "
— Chad, 6/20/2013 -
" I 'read' this via an audio book. I thought the story was well written and had me coming back for more. The reader used voice inflections o you could tell when someone was being quoted which helped a lot. "
— Steve, 6/13/2013 -
" Riveting account of double cross spies in WWII. Struck right balance of story telling with history. "
— David, 4/12/2013 -
" Great true-life spy drama. Sometimes too many facts that slow down the story, but a great read. "
— Scott, 3/21/2013 -
" Macintyre was too wordy throughout much of the book. When he was telling the story, he did a fine job. The book could be excellent in a modified and better edited form. "
— Sharon, 1/20/2013 -
" Excellent true to life spy novel. I read all three of his WWII double cross books. Amazing the amount of energy that went into these schemes, and remarkable how effective they were. "
— Keith, 12/19/2012 -
" Great book...could not put it down!! "
— Linda, 9/20/2012 -
" a nice story that tells a different point of view on the preparation for the Normandy invasion. the cast of colorful characters made for interesting reading even when details in their tradecraft were a bit murky. I'd suggest this book for WWII buffs. "
— Aaron, 8/21/2012 -
" Entertaining and eye-opening account of an unseen aspect of WWII,neatly told. "
— Bruce, 7/23/2012
About Ben Macintyre
Ben Macintyre is a writer-at-large for The Times (London) and the bestselling author of several acclaimed books, including A Spy among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal, winner of Spear’s Book Award and named a best book of the year by the New York Times Book Review, Washington Post, and others. He has also written and presented BBC documentaries of his work.
About John Lee
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.