Ghost Army of WW2 *USE 9781797225296 * : How One Top-Secret Unit Deceived the Enemy with Inflatable Tanks, Sound Effects, and Other Audacious Fakery by Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles (2015, Hardcover)

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

About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherPrinceton Architectural Press
ISBN-101616893184
ISBN-139781616893187
eBay Product ID (ePID)203844409

Product Key Features

Book TitleGhost Army of WW2 *USE 9781797225296 * : How One Top-Secret Unit Deceived the Enemy with Inflatable Tanks, Sound Effects, and Other Audacious Fakery
Number of Pages256 Pages
LanguageEnglish
TopicMilitary / Special Forces, Military / World War II
Publication Year2015
IllustratorYes
GenreHistory
AuthorRick Beyer, Elizabeth Sayles
FormatHardcover

Dimensions

Item Height1 in
Item Weight37.7 Oz
Item Length10.2 in
Item Width8.4 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceTrade
LCCN2014-027598
Dewey Edition23/eng/20221206
Reviews"A fascinating read, and a fun one as well. Audacious is the right word for this daring sideshow that protected Patton's flank and other American soldiers. The original art is superb and frequently humorous. A well-crafted account of the amazing combination of shenanigans and tremendous courage that characterized the Twenty-Third Headquarters Special Troops." - Libby O'Connell, chief historian of the History Channel, author of The American Plate: A Culinary History in 100 Bites -- -, "World War II was the greatest event in the history of mankind, and although it has been the subject of countless books, documentaries and academic courses, there is so much still to know - and The Ghost Army is a perfect example of a little known, highly imaginative and daring maneuver that helped open the way for the final drive to Germany. It is a riveting tale told in personal accounts, sketches along the way and, ultimately, success against great odds. I enjoyed it enormously." - Tom Brokaw, "World War II was the greatest event in the history of mankind, and although it has been the subject of countless books, documentaries, and academic courses, there is so much still to know. The Ghost Army of World War II describes a perfect example of a little-known, highly imaginative, and daring maneuver that helped open the way for the final drive to Germany. It is a riveting tale told through personal accounts and sketches along the way-ultimately, a story of success against great odds. I enjoyed it enormously." -Tom Brokaw, "The Ghost Army of World War II is a veritable hive of fascinating information based on sound research. It's apparent that Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles enjoy the subject with a level of dedication and passion that warms the hearts of irascible military historians such as me. I heartily recommend this book." - Martin King, author of Voices of the Bulge and The Tigers of Bastogne, consultant to the History Channel, "The Ghost Army is a unique book in many ways, which is little surprise given its subject; but perhaps the most striking thing about this tome is the fact that it can be enjoyed in two distinct ways. The hardcover book is large - it is of what one would call coffee table proportions, measuring about eight by ten inches - and about 240 pages long. Those pages are an almost even blend of captioned photographs, sketches, maps, graphics, and pure text. You could flip through The Ghost Army reading only the captions and looking at the pictures and be left with a decent understanding of what the unit did and who comprised its ranks. Alternately, you could read the prose without glancing at a single image and come away with a thorough grasp of who they were and what they did. But of course The Ghost Army is best enjoyed when every word is read and every image appreciated." - The Manual, "Brings to life a whale of a tale of World War II innovation-one laced with brash creativity. The notion of a special Army unit using dummy equipment, mobile loudspeakers, of?cer impersonations, and foul rumors to deceive German forces seems outlandish, but the tactics worked. This theater-goes-to-war story is finely told and beautifully illustrated-an important contribution." - Gordon H. "Nick" Mueller, president and CEO, the National WWII Museum -- -, "The Ghost Army of World War II is a veritable hive of fascinating information based on sound research. It's apparent that Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles enjoy the subject with a level of dedication and passion that warms the hearts of irascible military historians such as me. I heartily commend this book." - Martin King, author of Voices of the Bulge and The Tigers of Bastogne; consultant to the History channel, "World War II was the greatest event in the history of mankind, and although it has been the subject of countless books, documentaries, and academic courses, there is so much still to know. The Ghost Army of World War II describes a perfect example of a little-known, highly imaginative, and daring maneuver that helped open the way for the final drive to Germany. It is a riveting tale told through personal accounts and sketches along the way-ultimately, a story of success against great odds. I enjoyed it enormously." - Tom Brokaw -- -, "Brings to life a whale of a tale of World War II innovation-one laced with brash creativity. The notion of a special Army unit using dummy equipment, mobile loudspeakers, of'cer impersonations, and foul rumors to deceive German forces seems outlandish, but the tactics worked. This theater-goes-to-war story is finely told and beautifully illustrated-an important contribution." - Gordon H. "Nick" Mueller, president and CEO, the National WWII Museum, "World War II was the greatest event in the history of mankind, and although it has been the subject of countless books, documentaries, and academic courses, there is so much still to know. The Ghost Army of World War II describes a perfect example of a little-known, highly imaginative, and daring maneuver that helped open the way for the final drive to Germany. It is a riveting tale told through personal accounts and sketches along the way-ultimately, a story of success against great odds. I enjoyed it enormously." - Tom Brokaw, "A fascinating read, and a fun one as well. Audacious is the right word for this daring sideshow that protected Patton's flank and other American soldiers. The original art is superb and frequently humorous. A well-crafted account of the amazing combination of shenanigans and tremendous courage that characterized the Twenty-Third Headquarters Special Troops." - Libby O'Connell, chief historian of the History Channel, author of The American Plate: A Culinary History in 100 Bites, "World War II history buffs will get a charge out of Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles's The Ghost Army of World War II, about a top-secret group of GIs who in 1944 deployed rubber tanks, fake artillery and other decoys to distract and mislead the Germans in France. This little-known episode is recounted alongside photographs, memos, maps sketches and other memorabilia." - Newsday, "This book is a complete delight. An engaging account of the battlefield sleights of American GI artists during WWII, it is unprecedented in the breadth and detail of its telling. The suspense of its text is enlivened by a wealth of on-scene photographs, artists' sketchbooks, diaries, and other compelling first-person accounts. This is the eyewitness story of the Ghost Army as told by the artists who made it succeed." - Roy R. Behrens, author of False Colors: Art, Design and Modern Camouflage, "This book is a complete delight. An engaging account of the battlefield sleights of American GI artists during WWII, it is unprecedented in the breadth and detail of its telling. The suspense of its text is enlivened by a wealth of on-scene photographs, artists' sketchbooks, diaries, and other compelling first-person accounts. This is the eyewitness story of the Ghost Army as told by the artists who made it succeed." - Roy R. Behrens, author of False Colors: Art, Design and Modern Camouflage -- -, "World War II history buffs will get a charge out of Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles's The Ghost Army of World War II, about a top-secret group of GIs who in 1944 deployed rubber tanks, fake artillery and other decoys to distract and mislead the Germans in France. This little-known episode is recounted alongside photographs, memos, maps sketches and other memorabilia." - Newsday -- -, "The Ghost Army of World War II is a veritable hive of fascinating information based on sound research. It's apparent that Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles enjoy the subject with a level of dedication and passion that warms the hearts of irascible military historians such as me. I heartily recommend this book." - Martin King, author of Voices of the Bulge and The Tigers of Bastogne, consultant to the History Channel -- -, "What a story! In 1944, an American unit of 1,100 artists, designers, and sound engineers, known as "The Ghost Army," snuck around France, using inflatable tanks, fake street signs, sound-effects records, and other tricks in order to deceive the German army into believing the Allies were somewhere they weren't. The book is full of drawings, paintings, and sketches by the men of the unit. In the end, it's a book about this weird (and successful!) project, but it's also a personal visual record of the last year of the war, executed by soldiers who had been selected for their artistic talent." -- Slate -- -, "The Ghost Army is a unique book in many ways, which is little surprise given its subject; but perhaps the most striking thing about this tome is the fact that it can be enjoyed in two distinct ways. The hardcover book is large - it is of what one would call coffee table proportions, measuring about eight by ten inches - and about 240 pages long. Those pages are an almost even blend of captioned photographs, sketches, maps, graphics, and pure text. You could flip through The Ghost Army reading only the captions and looking at the pictures and be left with a decent understanding of what the unit did and who comprised its ranks. Alternately, you could read the prose without glancing at a single image and come away with a thorough grasp of who they were and what they did. But of course The Ghost Army is best enjoyed when every word is read and every image appreciated." - The Manual -- -, "What a story! In 1944, an American unit of 1,100 artists, designers, and sound engineers, known as "The Ghost Army," snuck around France, using inflatable tanks, fake street signs, sound-effects records, and other tricks in order to deceive the German army into believing the Allies were somewhere they weren't. The book is full of drawings, paintings, and sketches by the men of the unit. In the end, it's a book about this weird (and successful!) project, but it's also a personal visual record of the last year of the war, executed by soldiers who had been selected for their artistic talent." -- Slate
Dewey Decimal940.54/8673
Synopsis"A riveting tale told through personal accounts and sketches along the way--ultimately, a story of success against great odds. I enjoyed it enormously." --Tom Brokaw The Ghost Army of World War II is the first book to tell the full story of how a traveling road show of artists wielding imagination, paint, and bravado saved thousands of American lives. In the summer of 1944, a handpicked group of young GIs--including such future luminaries such as Bill Blass, Ellsworth Kelly, Arthur Singer, Victor Dowd, Art Kane, and Jack Masey--landed in France to conduct a secret mission. 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. Every move they made was top secret and their story was hushed up for decades after the war's end. Hundreds of color and black and white photographs illuminate how their creations supported the war tactics that helped open the way for the final drive to Germany. The stunning art created between missions offers a glimpse of life behind the lines during World War II: - Lavishly illustrated with original paintings, sketches, maps, and photographs - Presents personal accounts and never-before-seen artwork by some of twentieth-century America's leading visual artists - Shows first-hand the inflatable tanks, counterfeit patches, and highly orchestrated fake maneuvers created by the Ghost Army Any collector of World War II books will find The Ghost Army of World War II an essential addition to their library., " The Ghost Army of World War II describes a perfect example of a little-known, highly imaginative, and daring maneuver that helped open the way for the final drive to Germany. It is a riveting tale told through personal accounts and sketches along the way--ultimately, a story of success against great odds. I enjoyed it enormously." - Tom Brokaw In the summer of 1944, a handpicked group of young GIs--including such future luminaries as Bill Blass, Ellsworth Kelly, Arthur Singer, Victor Dowd, Art Kane, and Jack Masey--landed 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 riveting tale told through personal accounts and sketches along the way--ultimately, a story of success against great odds. I enjoyed it enormously." --Tom Brokaw The Ghost Army of World War II is the first book to tell the full story of how a traveling road show of artists wielding imagination, paint, and bravado saved thousands of American lives. In the summer of 1944, a handpicked group of young GIs--including such future luminaries such as Bill Blass, Ellsworth Kelly, Arthur Singer, Victor Dowd, Art Kane, and Jack Masey--landed in France to conduct a secret mission. 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. Every move they made was top secret and their story was hushed up for decades after the war's end. Hundreds of color and black and white photographs illuminate how their creations supported the war tactics that helped open the way for the final drive to Germany. The stunning art created between missions offers a glimpse of life behind the lines during World War II: * Lavishly illustrated with original paintings, sketches, maps, and photographs * Presents personal accounts and never-before-seen artwork by some of twentieth-century America's leading visual artists * Shows first-hand the inflatable tanks, counterfeit patches, and highly orchestrated fake maneuvers created by the Ghost Army Any collector of World War II books will find The Ghost Army of World War II an essential addition to their library.
LC Classification NumberD769.25.B49 2014

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  • Great book

    My husband loved the book. My son saw the documentary and can’t wait to read the book also

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned

  • Great book!

    The book came in excellent condition and sooner than expected. I've only read bits and pieces of it online, it's a gift for my grandson. Very intriguing story!

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned

  • What great group of talented men

    This book is for my son-in-law and we enjoy discussing war schemes. What a class group

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: New

  • Secret world war II people doing grand deceptions

    This book is, for me, hard to put down.

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned

  • Ghost Army of WWII

    Great book. Never knew this existed until recently. A movie should be made.

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned

  • Unknown by many of the ghost army an what they did to win world war II

    Book was brand new - good value

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned

  • This book was a gift. I haven't read it, but the recipient was excited to receive it.

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: New

  • Ghost Army -excellent!

    sealed product. ty

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned

  • A Good Read

    A good read

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned

  • Amazing

    Very good

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned