Spies In The Sky: The Secret Battle for Aerial Intelligence during World War II

by Taylor Downing

Overview

SPIES IN THE SKY is the thrilling, little-known story of the partner organisation to the famous code-breaking centre at Bletchley Park. It is the story of the daring reconnaissance pilots who took aerial photographs over Occupied Europe during the most dangerous days of the Second World War, and of the photo interpreters who invented a completely new science to analyse those pictures. They were inventive and ingenious; they pioneered the development of 3D photography and their work provided vital intelligence throughout the war.

With a whole host of colourful characters at its heart, from the legendary pilot Adrian 'Warby' Warburton, who went missing while on a mission, to photo interpreters Glyn Daniel, later a famous television personality, and Winston Churchill's daughter, Sarah, SPIES IN THE SKY is compelling reading and the first full account of the story of aerial photography and the intelligence gleaned from it in nearly fifty years.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780748128099
Publisher:	Little, Brown Book Group
Publication date:	09/15/2011
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	1,014,832
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Taylor Downing is a writer, historian and award-winning television producer. He read History at Cambridge University and worked at the Imperial War Museum and Thames Television before going on to become managing director and head of history at Flashback Television, a leading independent production company. His books include the bestselling Cold War (with Jeremy Isaacs), 1983, Breakdown, Secret Warriors, Night Raid, The World at War, Olympia, Spies in the Sky and Churchill's War Lab.

Table of Contents

Prologue 1

Introduction 9

1 Secret Missions 25

2 Sid Cotton's Air Force 39

3 Crisis 59

4 Medmenham 82

5 The Mad Men of Ham 98

6 Boffins at War 112

7 A Rare Form of Bravery 131

8 The 'Warby' Legend 159

9 Finding the Targets 174

10 Assessing the Damage 194

11 To the Mediterranean and India 208

12 Arguments with Allies 224

13 Planning for Overlord 236

14 Special Operations 256

15 Hunting the Vengeance Weapons 276

16 Towards Victory 311

17 '80 per cent of All Intelligence'? 326

Epilogue 343

Author's Note 353

Acknowledgements 356

Glossary 359

Notes 363

Bibliography 384

Index 391

About the Author 407

Editorial Reviews

Spies in the Sky fills in a huge gap in Second World War historiography in both an exciting and intellectually stimulating way. No-one will be able to write a history of the conflict again without giving Medmenham its central role in Allied Intelligence-gathering.—Andrew Roberts, author of The Storm of War

A fascinating read and a significant contribution to the history of World War Two. The code-breakers of Bletchley have become internationally renowned. Now Taylor Downing tells the unsung story of the photo-analysts of Medmenham and the heroic pilots in the skyplanes, putting them back where they belong - at the heart of Britain's secret war.—Professor David Reynolds, author of In Command of History

Taylor Downing's brilliant research has created a ripping yarn.—Kevin Wilson, Sunday Express

Spies in the Sky combines the breathless courage of pilots . . . with the mild eccentricity of RAF Medmenham. There's a diverting cast of characters, from Winston Churchill's daughter Sarah to the young matinee idol-to-be Dirk Bogarde, and there's a beguiling account of the way in which the maverick pilot Sidney Cotton . . . fought the brass-hats in Whitehall.—Sinclair McKay, Daily Telegraph

Spies in the Sky gives a new perspective to some of the most famous moments of the conflict.—Robert McCrum, Observer

From the Publisher

Aerial photography, crucial for military strategy and operations, came of age during World War II with advances in cameras and film technology. Writer and documentary filmmaker Downing (Churchill's War Lab) offers an appealing and well-documented popular military history. He focuses on the primarily British operation that looked down on Nazi Europe, discussing the well-known preparations for Operation Sea Lion (Germany's plan to invade the UK), the D-day invasion, the hunt for Germany's V-weapons, and the bombing campaigns. The real heart of the book is its descriptions of the painstakingly detailed work required of the photo interpreters and the dangerous flights undertaken by the intrepid reconnaissance pilots, with ordinary and elite classes thrown together in a high-pressure environment with enormously high stakes. VERDICT Recommended to all readers interested in World War II intelligence operations, the air war, and the European theater.—DKB

Library Journal