The book may have minor markings which are not specifically mentioned. Juan pujol was a nobody, a barcelona poultry farmer determined to oppose the nazis. By feeding false information to the germans on the eve of the dday landings he ensured their absence in great numbers from normandys beaches. Nov 18, 2011 garbo the spy is about the derringdo of the world war ii double agent juan pujol garcia and told with the flair of a hollywood spy movie. His story contains all the hallmarks of classic spy adventure enciphered messages, secret inks, items concealed in cakes culminating in one of the greatest strategic deceptions in history. Garbo the unlikely chicken farmer that turned into a celebrated allied double agent during wwii was the only man to ever fool hitler. Pujol had the possibly unique distinction of receiving decorations from both sides during world war ii, gaining both an iron cross from the germans and a member of the order of the british empire from the british. Then, one of garbos guesses for the germans nearly exposed an actual british operation and a search for him throughout england did not locate him, because he. Jul 07, 2012 agent garbo, the spy who lied about dday juan pujol garcia lived a lie that helped win world war ii. The personal story of the most successful spy of world war ii dialogue espionage classics updated edition, second printing by juan pujol garcia, nigel west isbn. Bristow of section v of mi6, the iberian sector of the counterintelligence department told his boss, kim philby, that he was convinced that pujol was genuine in his desire to work as a double agent for the british. Here at last, with historic photographics and documents, is britains intelligence agent juan pujols story. He was a double agent for the british, performing so well that they nicknamed him for the enigmatic actress greta garbo.
Juan pujol was a nobody, a barcelona poultry farmer determined. Pujol had the distinction of being one of the few people if not the only one to receive decorations from both sides during world war ii, gaining both an. Were the dday landings saved from failure because of a lone secret agent. He reluctantly fought in the spanish civil war, managing to do so on both sides and so he claimed without actually firing a single bullet for either side. Agent garbo book chicago public library bibliocommons. The atlantic before he remade himself as the master spy k. Pujol played a key role in the success of operation fortitude, misleading the germans about the timing and location of the allied invasion of normandy, convincing them that it would happen via pasdecalais. One of those agents, juan pujol garcia, a spanishborn former. His deeds were a considerable help to the allies in conducting a successful dday landing in normandy as he was one who fed the nazis fake news concerning the. July 7, 2012 juan pujol garcia lived a lie that helped win world war ii. Read operation garbo the personal story of the most successful spy of world war ii by juan pujol garcia available from rakuten kobo.
What made me want to read this book was the 89 minute movie of real. The personal story of the most successful spy of world war ii by juan pujol and nigel west is actually two books in one. Pujol played a key role in the success of operation. Armed with a copy of the blue guide to england, reference books including. This allowed the allied push against hitler to begin. The first part is an enthralling memoir of the spy, juan pujol garcia a. Agent garbo the brilliant, eccentric secret agent who tricked hitler and saved dday book. Garbo whose real name was juan pujol was born in barcelona in 1912 to a. Most items will be dispatched the same or the next working day. Pujol was given the codename garbo because he was the greatest actor that mi6 had encountered. Feb 10, 2017 the film is based on the true story of juan pujol garcia, an eccentric doubleagent who, with no military or covert training, somehow persuaded both the germans and the british to hire him as a spy. For decades, garbos true identity was a closely guarded secret. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Oct 29, 20 juan pujol was the walter mitty of world war ii, a nobody who at one doomed venture after another while dreaming of doing something interesting with his life saving western civilization, if. Juan pujol, a young spanish antifascist, became agent garbo, a master of deception and intrigue. Agent garbo tells the astonishing story of a selfmade secret agent who matched wits with the best minds of the third reich and won. Before he remade himself as the master spy known as garbo, juan pujol was nothing more than a barcelona poultry farmer. The film is based on the true story of juan pujol garcia, an eccentric doubleagent who, with no military or covert training, somehow persuaded. Oscar isaac to star in world war ii thriller the garbo. Using only his gift for daring falsehoods, pujol became germanys. Juan pujols version is interesting, told from his firsthand life of a double agent working for both germany and britain during ww2.
Taltys pujol is a captivating character with a talent for operatic confabulation, but garbo is just the alluring lead in massive deceptions that the author likens to hollywood productions, complete with rubber tanks, fake ships, and a montgomery impersonator. Operation garbo has been highly acclaimed on both sides of the atlantic. The story of juan pujol garcia is a fascinating tale of imagination, determination and ingenuity. Oscar isaac to star in world war ii thriller the garbo network. Posing as the nazis only reliable spy inside england, he created an imaginary millionman army, invented armadas. Garbo whose real name was juan pujol was born in barcelona in 1912 to a family of moderate means and liberal political beliefs. Wells is a fictionalised retelling of the story of juan pujol agent garbo, double agent with mi5, from the spanish civil war to 1944. The mammoth concerted effort to trick the germans into believing that the dday invasion was not really landing at normandy but at calaisdespite hitlers better instinctsrequired months of careful planning and streams of deceptive information fed to the germans by agents like juan pujol, aka garbo. Juan pujol s version is interesting, told from his firsthand life of a double agent working for both germany and britain during ww2. Apr 01, 2004 juan pujol, a young spanish antifascist, became agent garbo, a master of deception and intrigue. Until he id started to hear about the enormous fictional army that fooled the nazis back when i was a child, but i feel like a lot more detail has become public knowledge in recent years. Agent garbo tells the astonishing story of a selfmade secret agent who matched wits with the best minds of the third reichand won.
Spy of world war ii dialogue espionage classics juan pujol garcia, nigel west on. The book is a biography of the life of juan pujol, the most accomplished british double agent in world war ii and one of the few men, if not the only one, to receive both an iron cross from the germans. Operation garbo paperback september 1, 1987 by juan pujol author. Juan pujol garcia mbe 14 february 1912 10 october 1988, also known as joan pujol garcia, was a spanish spy who acted as a double. Meet juan pujol, the spy who helped save the dday invasionand who was entirely selfmade. Juan pujol, who would later be codenamed garbo, was a complete loser, a dreamer who failed at nearly everything he touched. Garbo, real name juan pujol garcia, was a spaniard who wanted to help the british.
Through a ring of invented subagents, garbo and his mi5. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Operation garbo by juan garcia pujol, 9781849541077, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. He was garbo to the allies and alaric to the germans the most successful double agent of the second world war. Juan pujol garcia, mbe 14 february 1912 10 october 1988 deliberately became a double agent during world war ii, known by the british codename garbo and the german codename arabel. Overlord, underhand 20, by the american author robert p. Dday and a forthcoming book about a cold war rescue mission. Dec 20, 2011 operation garbo by juan garcia pujol, 9781849541077, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. For the first time ever, heres the inside story of world war iis most deadly double agent. Born in 1912 in barcelona, garbo now revealed as juan pujol garcia had a relatively simple and straightforward upbringing. Stephan talty tells his remarkable story in his new book, agent garbo. Wells novelist is a fictionalized retelling of the story of juan pujol garcia agent garbo, double agent with mi5, from the spanish civil war through 1944. The book alternates two writers versions of the doubleagent story. The personal story of the most successful spy of world war ii by juan pujol and nigel west is a nonfiction book about the most successful double agent in world war ii.
Aug 29, 2018 after world war ii, a critical mi5 spy named juan pujol garcia faked his own death, and kept it secret for almost four decades. Journalist talty empire of blue water recounts the exploits of juan pujol, an idealistic spanish chicken farmer and hotelier who ran an ingenious freelance scam to feed german intelligence officers in spain fabricated information from an england he had never seen, then persuaded the. Operation garbo ebook by juan pujol garcia rakuten kobo. Jan 09, 2012 if there was to be an award for the most influential spy of the second world war, then certainly garbo would receive a nomination.
Operation garbo ebook by juan pujol garcia 9781849546256. Pujol garcia, joan garbo, born 1402188 in the catalan city of barcelona, spain, to juan pujol, a catalan who owned a factory that produced dye, and mercedes guijarro garcia, from the castilian town of motril in the province of granada. Juan pujol garcia lived a lie that helped win world war ii. Nicknamed for the enigmatic actress greta garbo, garcias own performance was so convincing. J oan pujol garcia mbe 19121988 deliberately became a double agent during world war ii, known by the british codename garbo and the german codename arabel. The atlantic before he remade himself as the master spy known as garbo, juan pujol was nothing more than a barcelona poultry farmer. Juan pujol garcia mbe 14 february 1912 10 october 1988, also known as joan pujol garcia, was a spanish spy who acted as a double agent with loyalty to great britain against nazi germany during world war ii, when he relocated to britain to carry out fictitious spying activities for the germans. Through a ring of invented subagents, garbo and his mi5 controllers succeeded in convincing the germans. Agent garbo, the spy who lied about dday juan pujol garcia lived a lie that helped win world war ii. Juan pujol garcia, better known as garbo, was perhaps the most influential spy of world war ii. This tells the personal story of juan pujol, known as garbo to the allies and arabel to the german intelligence service, he was the most successful double agent of wwii. If there was to be an award for the most influential spy of the second world war, then certainly garbo would receive a nomination. The wwii spy who faked his death for 36 years history. The story of agent garbo is found in many books and plenty of online.
Using only his gift for daring falsehoods, pujol became. Here at last, with historic photographics and documents, is britains intelligence agent juan pujol s story. After world war ii, a critical mi5 spy named juan pujol garcia faked his. But as garbo, he turned in a masterpiece of deception that changed the course of world war ii. Garbo was the british codename of juan pujol garcia, perhaps the most i. And thats not even the most interesting thing about him. Nicknamed for the enigmatic actress greta garbo, garcias own performance. Pujol had the rare, if not unique, distinction of receiving decorations from both sides during world war ii, gaining both an iron cross from the germans and a member of the.
Juan pujol garcia, known by the british codename garbo, was a double agent during the second world war. Garbo was the british codename of juan pujol garcia, perhaps the mo. A spaniard who had never been to britain used maps and travel guides to concoct stories to send to the germans as intelligence reports. Garbo, real name juan pujol garcia, was a spaniard who wanted to help the british, but they turned him away three times.
Epic intelligence coups of wwii unreel in this colorful caper saga. The book presses ever forward down a path of historical marvels and astonishing facts. The effect is like a master class thats accessible to anyone, and agent garbo often reads as though it were written in a single, perfect draft. Juan pujol was the walter mitty of world war ii, a nobody who at one doomed venture after another while dreaming of doing something interesting with his life. Joan pujol garcia project gutenberg selfpublishing. After world war ii, a critical mi5 spy named juan pujol garcia faked his own death, and kept it secret for almost four decades. Agent garbo book san francisco public library bibliocommons.