Monopoly X: How Top-Secret World War II Operations Used the Game of Monopoly to Help Allied POWs Escape, Conceal Spies, and Send Secret Codes

by Philip E. Orbanes Narrated by Corey Snow

Overview

An amazing true story of World War II that reveals how British and American military intelligence smuggled supplies and escape tools into German P.O.W. camps disguised as Monopoly game sets, enabling imprisoned servicemen to escape.

Monopoly X is the fascinating true story of what is arguably the most unusual and daring secret operation of World War II. The masterminds at England's top-secret MI-9, and later America's MIS-X, created a special version of the popular game, hiding tools, maps, and money within game boards-delivered by an unwitting Red Cross-to captured Allied servicemen held at gunpoint behind barbed wire in German prison camps. This ingenious and complex plot, dubbed “Monopoly X,” was never discovered by the Nazis and led to successful Allied breakouts.

The creation and success of Monopoly X remained a deep secret through the war and for decades after, until now. For the first time, Phillip E. Orbanes tells the full story of the breadth and depth of this clandestine program-how it was devised, implemented, and used to great success. A tale of derring-do as compelling as the World War II classic, The Great Escape, Monopoly X is an amazing war story of Allied intelligence services, resistance forces in Europe, heroes and heroines, a notorious traitor, and the pivotal role a ubiquitous board game had in secret codes and espionage.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Gripping." — Washington Post

“Reveals the never-before-told story of how an authority in the game of bridge used a Monopoly board to create an ingenious code that, surprisingly, exposed spies at the highest level of the U.S. government.” — Will Shortz, Crossword editor, The New York Times

“Phil Orbanes vividly brings to life this amazing true story of Monopoly's role, undercover, in World War II. It is populated by heroes, remarkable heroines, and a notorious villain. I doubt you'll be able to put it down.” — Alan Hassenfeld, philanthropist and former chairman/chief executive of Hasbro

“In Monopoly X, Phil Orbanes weaves together a fascinating story about Monopoly’s previously unknown role in World War II. With skill befitting the best novelists, Orbanes takes the reader on a ride through the twists and turns of great spy fiction—only the story he’s telling is true.”  — Steve Dubnik, President and CEO of the Strong National Museum of Play

"The undercover use of the Monopoly game during World War II rings as true as Cold War counterintelligence. It was top secret, yet in plain sight. It was conceived and implemented by dedicated spies (men and women) who avoided suspicion by the enemy. It helped thousands of our POWs escape, despite the efforts of a notorious traitor and the swirling tides of war in Europe." — Lieutenant Colonel Thomas J. Howley, U.S. Army, Retired, former Counterintelligence Special Agent

Product Details

BN ID:	2940193799535
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	07/15/2025
Edition description:	Unabridged