Recounts the story of the six double agents--Bronx, Brutus, Treasure, Tricycle, Garbo, and a shadowy sixth spy whose heroic sacrifice is revealed here for the first time--who would weave a web of deception so intricate that it ensnared Hitler's army and helped to carry thousands of troops across the Channel in safety on 6 June 1944, D-Day.

The story of D-Day has been told from many points of view, but never before from the perspectives of the key individuals in the Double Cross system. 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 with a diploma in chicken farming, and a volatile Frenchwoman whose obsessive love for her pet dog very nearly wrecked the entire plan. The D-Day spies were, without question, one of the oddest military units ever assembled, and their success depended on the delicate, dubious relationship between spy and spymaster, both German and British. Their enterprise was saved from catastrophe by a shadowy sixth spy whose heroic sacrifice is revealed here for the first time.--From publisher description.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [383]-386) and index.

Raw recruits A bit of an enigma Roman and the cat Coat tailing The club Garbo takes the stage Popov goes shopping The great game The flock True agent, false agent, double agent Cockade Discovered treasure The walk-in

A time for fortitude Enriching the chicken feed Artist paints a picture Monty's double The double dash Jebsen's new friend "Am I not always careful?" Operation Dora Guest of the Gestapo Bronx gets toothache Garbo's warning Second innings.