
A Game of Birds and Wolves: The Ingenious Young Women Whose Secret Board Game Helped Win World War II
By Simon Parkin
Read by Elliot Fitzpatrick
Unabridged
Format:
Retail CD (In Stock)
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2 Formats: Retail CD
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2 Formats: Library CD
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$35.00Available on 01/28/2020
ISBN: 9781549186042
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$100.99Available on 01/28/2020
ISBN: 9781549186028
Category: | Nonfiction/History |
Audience: | Adult |
Language: | English |
Summary
Summary
The triumphant story of a group of young women who helped devised a winning strategy to defeat the Nazi U-boats and deliver a decisive victory in the Battle of the AtlanticBy 1941, Winston Churchill had come to believe that the outcome of World War II rested on the battle for the Atlantic. A grand strategy game was devised by Captain Gilbert Roberts and a group of ten Wrens (members of the Women's Royal Naval Service) assigned to his team in an attempt to reveal the tactics behind the vicious success of the German U-boats. Played on a linoleum floor divided into painted squares, it required model ships to be moved across a make-believe ocean in a manner reminiscent of the childhood game, Battleship. Through play, the designers developed "Operation Raspberry," a countermaneuver that helped turn the tide of World War II.
Combining vibrant novelistic storytelling with extensive research, interviews, and previously unpublished accounts, Simon Parkin describes for the first time the role that women played in developing the Allied strategy that, in the words of one admiral, "contributed in no small measure to the final defeat of Germany." Rich with unforgettable cinematic detail and larger-than-life characters, A Game of Birds and Wolves is a heart-wrenching tale of ingenuity, dedication, perseverance, and love, bringing to life the imagination and sacrifice required to defeat the Nazis at sea.
Editorial Reviews
Editorial Reviews
A fascinating story, wonderfully well-told on a little known but hugely
important aspect of naval warfare. The characters of the main players, notably
the Wrens are beautifully and colourfully put across. —Admiral Sir Michael Layard KCB, CBE, former Second Sea Lord
A stunning book of an unknown part of the largely forgotten Battle of
the Atlantic, which is a must to read. —Niall Kilgour, CB, former Rear Admiral, Submarines and chairman of the Submariners Association
With novelistic
flair, Parkin transforms material gathered from research, interviews, and
unpublished accounts into a highly readable book that celebrates the ingenuity
of a British naval "reject" and the accomplishments of the formerly
faceless women never officially rewarded for their contribution to the Allied
defeat of Germany. A lively, sharp WWII history. —Kirkus Reviews
"Simon Parkin's book rips along at full sailand is full of personality and personalities.Above all, it brings a barely known aspectof the sea war out into the light. Which isa triumph in itself. —Sunday Express (U.K.)
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This is the riveting true story of war, amazing
women, and one of the most important games in history. Read it here
before some film producer makes a mess of it. —Tom Mouat MBE, Simulation and Modelling Technology School, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom
A magnificent look at a war game that mattered most: how to out fox the Nazi's dreaded U-boats. Told with poetic mastery, Simon Parkin's A Game of Birds and Wolves unveils the story of Operation Raspberry, how eight young women and a retired naval captain found the key to winning the Battle of the Atlantic on a giant board game played on a linoleum floor. —Annie Jacobsen, author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist The Pentagon's Brain
A hugely enjoyable and
exciting book. It is fascinating to read about this little-known aspect of
the war which made such a massive difference to the outcome. A compelling and important new story, lucidly
and humanely told. —Roland Philipps, author of A Spy Named Orphan: The Enigma of Donald Maclean
“A magnificent look at a war game that mattered most: how to out fox the Nazi’s dreaded U-boats…Unveils the story of Operation Raspberry, how eight young women and a retired naval captain found the key to winning the Battle of the Atlantic on a giant board game played on a linoleum floor.” —Annie Jacobsen, author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist The Pentagon’s Brain
“A magnificent look at a war game that mattered most: how to outfox the Nazi’s dreaded U-boats.” —Annie Jacobsen, Pulitzer Prize–finalist
Details
Details
Available Formats : | Retail CD, Library CD |
Category: | Nonfiction/History |
Audience: | Adult |
Language: | English |
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