From bestselling and award-winning war reporter Damien Lewis and for
fans of Erik Larsen's The Splendid and Vile and Alex Kershaw's The
Forgotten 500 comes a thrilling account of one of the most daring raids
of WWII...the true story of the race to stop Hitler from developing a
top-secret weapon that would change the course of history.
One of the most readable World War 2 history books I have read in
years"
--We Are the Mighty
In the winter of 1941, as Britain faced defeat on all fronts, an RAF
reconnaissance pilot photographed an alien-looking object on the French
coast near Le Havre. The mysterious device--a "Wurzburg Dish"--appeared
to be a new form of radar technology: ultra-compact, highly precise, and
pointed directly across the English Channel. Britain's experts found it
hard to believe the Germans had mastered such groundbreaking technology.
But one young technician thought it not only possible, he convinced
Winston Churchill that the dish posed a unique and deadly threat to
Allied forces, one that required desperate measures--and drastic action
. . .
Capturing the radar on film had been an amazing coup. Stealing it away
from under the noses of the Nazis would be remarkable.
So was launched Operation Biting, a mission like no other. An
extraordinary "snatch-and-grab" raid on Germany's secret radar
installation, it offered Churchill's elite airborne force, the Special
Air Service, a rare opportunity to redeem themselves after a previous
failed mission--and to shift the tides of war forever. Led by the
legendary Major John Frost, these brave paratroopers would risk all in a
daring airborne assault, with only a small stretch of beach menaced by
enemy guns as their exit point. With the help of a volunteer radar
technician who knew how to dismantle the dish, as well as the courageous
men and women of the French Resistance, they succeeded against all odds
in their act of brazen robbery. Some would die. Others would be
captured. All fought with resolute bravery . . .
This is the story of that fateful night of February 27, 1942. A
brilliantly told, thrillingly tense account of Churchill's raiders in
their finest hour, this is World War II history at its heart-stopping
best.
**"This highly informative book almost reads like a genuine
techno-thriller.
**--New York Journal of Books
**"A little-known behind-the-lines spectacular led by two heroic British
officers."
**--Kirkus Reviews
**"Anyone who wants to learn more about the origins of the British
Special Forces should read this book. It intertwines historical research
and eyewitness testimony to tell the untold story of heroism, courage,
and ingenuity."
**--Military Press
**"Lewis presents a richly detailed and nail-biting tale."
**--Library Journal
