Fighting to Lose: How the German Secret Intelligence Service Helped the Allies Win the Second World War

Bryden (Deadly Allies) explores recently declassified documents to puzzle out the spy war that facilitated Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, creating the perfect setup for America to enter WWII and provide much-needed support to the French, British, and Soviets. His assertions will shock and fascinate, and maybe raise some eyebrows. While the subtitle implies a focus on the German's Abwehr, Bryden writes extensively about Allied secret services as well, particularly MI5 and the FBI. Bryden relies on conjecture at times, but he generally keeps the narration grounded in hard evidence. The book has a somewhat scattered feel, but that can be mostly forgiven because Bryden attacks the subject from many angles. He also leads readers on before shocking them with an entirely unexpected interpretation of events, illustrating how the public can never truly know or understand what happens at the highest levels of government. This a deep behind-the-scenes look at the war exposes the utter ineptitude and sheer genius of the improbable Allies that resulted in the fall of the Axis powers. (June)