The Brenner Assignment: The Untold Story of the Most Daring Spy Mission of World War II

by Patrick K. O'Donnell

Like a scene from Where Eagles Dare, a small team of American special operatives parachutes into Italy, landing under the noses of thousands of German troops. Their orders: link up with local partisans in the mountains and sabotage the well-guarded Brenner Pass, the crucial route through the Alps for the Nazi war machine. Without the supplies that travel this route, the German war effort in Italy will grind to a halt. Using thousands of recently declassified files, personal interviews, and private documents, including a behind-the-lines diary buried in a bottle, military historian Patrick K. O?Donnell has written a cinematic World War II adventure story. The unforgettable cast of characters includes the dashing and daring team leader; the romantic idealist who plans the operation; the seductive Italian countess who is also a double-agent; and the maniacal SS officer who will stop at nothing to kill the team and their partisan collaborators. The Brenner Assignment is also a World War II story that resonates today, revealing lessons for the war on terror and illustrating the complex nature of insurgency. Packed with action, suspense, intrigue, and even romance, this exciting true tale of survival and sabotage behind enemy lines is one of the greatest untold adventure stories of World War II.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, War, World War II, Military History, Espionage

Audio CD

First published June 9, 2008

About the author

O’Donnell is a bestselling author, critically acclaimed military historian and an expert on elite units. The author of twelve books, including: Washington’s Immortals: The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment Who Changed the Course of the Revolution, The Unknowns, First SEALs, Give Me Tomorrow, The Brenner Assignment, We Were One, Beyond Valor, and Dog Company, he has also served as a combat historian in a Marine rifle platoon during the Battle of Fallujah and speaks often on espionage, special operations, and counterinsurgency. He has provided historical consulting for DreamWorks’ award-winning miniseries Band of Brothers and for scores of documentaries produced by the BBC, the History Channel, and Discovery and is the recipient of several national awards. He also regularly contributes to several national publications and shows.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating stories of life with the OSS in the mountains of Northern Italy during 1944 and 1945. Everything you see in the movies about war and spies these guys did. Not only were the Germans the enemy but there was the terrain and the weather as well as competing loyalties of many diverse partisan groups who hated each other. Two of the OSS men were in their 90's when this book was written (2008 published) and it's a good thing their story has finally been told. Betrayal, revenge, love, duty, audacity, atrocity, greed. It's all here.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about the history of the OSS and a mission to parachute infantry behind enemy lines in Italy to wreak havoc.

To me, it's weird the OSS could be so successful, and yet turn into the CIA.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book* is the story of two separate but related OSS teams sent to destroy or block all routes through the Brenner Pass, between Austria and Italy, in the closing days of World War II. It focuses on two remarkable men, Roderick Stephen Hall and Howard Wheeler Chappell, who truly represented the best that America had to offer in the war against Nazism.

O'Donnell also gives glimpses into the early days of the OSS (later to become the CIA, sort of) and into late-war and post-war Italian politics and the struggle between communism and democracy for control of the country. In that regard, it makes an interesting coda to the book on Pius XII I read recently, which describes Italian politics in the 1920s and 1930s in some detail.

Brilliantly and exhaustively researched, the book sadly suffers from mediocre writing and poor editing. Despite O'Donnell's vivid descriptions of Hall and Chappell, it's difficult to keep the cast of American, British, and Italian characters straight, especially as the narrative necessarily whiplashes back and forth between the two missions. On the plus side, the book features plenty of maps; they would be better, however, had they not relied on digital terrain data which tends to obscure rather than enhance the reader's understanding of the hazardous travels of the main characters through the mountains of northeast Italy.

Still, if you're a fan of spy thrillers, commando exploits, or stories of real-life heroes and villains, you will enjoy this book.


*I read the actual book, not the Kindle edition, but the Kindle edition is the only match that came up in the book search.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd actually probably give this book a 4.5. I'm not a history buff, and don't enjoy non-fiction books all that much, but I really thought this story was fascinating. I was impressed with the depth of research that went into it - and the fact that some of these guys were still around to talk in their 90's! Basically this tells the story of special operatives who were dropped behind enemy lines to try, among other things, to cut off an important Nazi route - the Brenner Pass. In spite of how disorganized the government was (and is...), these events actually managed to be well-coordinated. There were so many coincidences that occurred - and I learned what a waiting game parts of the war really were, and how much walking and hiking were involved. Some of the scenes of torture were hard to take. Even for people who oppose war, I think this book makes you appreciate the men and women who were involved in these spy activities and risked everything to make a difference.

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was expecting a story similar to the movie Where Eagles Dare, but a decent account of OSS operatives working in Italy in the 1944-45 part of WW2, with a goal of destroying a major artery between Italy and Austria/Germany, (The Brenner Pass). O'Donnell was good in setting the background of the two main figures in this, Stephan Hall and Howard Chappell. By interviewing surviving members of this gambit, we get a feel of what is must have been like to put in behind the lines during a war.

The OSS, Office of Strategic Services, formed in 42, but was dissolved in 45, but 2 years later, became the CIA, was an agency that was the beginning of special ops per se for the U.S military, as well as spy work. The writing was sometimes choppy, and was hard to follow the flow of one chapter to the next.

Still a good account for those who want to know what some of the lesser known happenings that occurred during the WW2. What was especially eye opening were the different ideologies that existed with the partisans in Italy, that these soldiers/OSS agents had to work with, from democrat to socialist to communist, and for the most part all against the Nazi's, but at the same time, fighting between groups led to wondering who to trust.

[Richard Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was truly a amazing read! It was so amazing reading about untold stories men that courageous turned the tide in WW2. It made really admire and honor those men that went through so much to protect freedom against the evil of Nazis. These were truly different men. Their stories deserved to be told. I really am glad O'Donnell wrote this book so that I could learn about these unknown men. It was very well written and interesting.

[dennis barron · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Brenner Assignment. Patrick K. O' Donnell

This story details the exploits and heroic actions and sacrifices of the OSS, created during WWII by General "Wild Bill" Donovan. The authors accounts were mostly obtained by interviews obtained from members of this elite group who fought in the European theatre, primarily Italy. The author interviewed OSS Captain Howard Chappell extensively to obtain first hand accounts of this daring and quite frankly almost unbelievable accounts of heroic bravery, and sacrifice.The OSS as history knows morphed into the CIA. The original founding members and warriors of the OSS will be duplicated. This is an amazing and excellent historical read. My highest recommendation!!

[Tad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here is part of my review for my paper, the Deseret News, with a link to the full review below:

If moviemakers ever run out of material for James Bond movies, they could always Anglicize the true stories of heroic American war saboteurs Stephen Hall and Albert Chappell.
Hall, a sophisticate who studied at Harvard and Yale but dropped out to travel the world, used his experiences mountain climbing in Europe and his imagination to mastermind a daring plan after the United State invaded Italy during World War II.
Hall sent an audacious, unsolicited proposal to the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA: He would parachute behind German lines, round up the help of Italian resistance fighters and sabotage the only route that the retreating German army could take north out of Italy — the Brenner Pass.

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[Hudson Christmas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Brenner Assignment by Patrick O’Donnell tells the story of two American agents in World War II who embark on a mission to destroy the crucial German supply line, through the Brenner Pass. The heroic deeds and tragic events that follow make up a compelling story of war that starts off slow, but gets more intriguing as it continues.
In all honesty, the first half of this book bored me. I found it hard to keep going, because the first half describes the different locations that the agents go to and the people that they meet. However, this changes halfway through as the characters are pushed into intense standoffs and hard fought battles. The second half was great, and kept my interest until the very end of the book. Good book, and I recommend it for anyone who enjoys WWII accounts or secret mission stories.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a scene from “Where Eagles Dare,” a small team of American special operatives parachutes into northern Italy, landing under the noses of thousands of German troops. Their assignment: Link up with local partisans in the mountains and sabotage the well-guarded Brenner Pass, the critical route through the Alps that the Nazis use to move their troops and supplies into Italy. If the tunnels and bridges at the famed Brenner Pass are destroyed, the German war effort in Italy will grind to a halt. Using hundreds of recently declassified files, O’Donnell has written an intriguing, action-packed suspense story highlighting the importance of the Italian campaign during World War II. It’s a winner for military history buffs.

[Matt Pitts · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book caught my eye because it was touted as a great untold story of WWII. I pictured myself explaining the story to my fellow history buffs and affirming, "You've got to read this!" Well, I learned a valuable lesson. If the story is currently 'untold,' over fifty years later, there is probably a reason.

While I appreciated the attempt to jazz up a rather ordinary story, this book was quite frankly pretty boring. I'm not the type either that needs vast explosions or scantily clad ladies to be entertained. This just didn't have any real appeal. The story was quite ordinary, and the writing was a bit stale.

[John Ratliffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a story revealing the origins of the OSS, later leading to the formation of the modern CIA. The book is well researched and keeps your attention to the exciting and suspenseful tale. Having served in the US Special Forces in Bavaria I felt a kinship with these remarkable characters as I met many men and women who could have been in that tale. The setting in the northern Italian mountain terrain is typical of the Alpine slopes and peaks where we trained on the Austrian border, and I only wish the author could have fleshed out the descriptions of the Italian geography a bit more. This is a very good read for anyone who has an interest in these wartime activities.

[Roop · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is an amazing story of larger than life American World War II heroes Stephen Hall and Albert Chappell. They worked tirelessly behind hundreds of miles in enemy lines. Stephen Hall proposed to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the predecessor to CIA, to infiltrate to Northern Italy and blow up the Brenner Pass that was main artery of Communication and supply route for the Nazis.
This story has many colourful characters and I loved the ever resourceful "Mr. Fabrega" the most.

It is a truly inspiring story.

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a story of bravery if not success at the end of the war in Italy, a part of the war that is so often forgotten thanks to the 'soft underbelly' of Europe proving to have more steel in it than the allies expected. This story could, with the right mind, be turned into something of an incredible mini series, with some truly memorable characters and exploits. It's a testament to the bravery of Stephen Hall - his story should be told. Writing and composition left something to be desired though the story itself is great.

[Nate Hendrix · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a number of O'Donnell's book and enjoyed them all. I have a passing knowledge of the OSS's actions in WW2, but this is a deep dive into the actions of a OSS agents in northern Italy. Like his other books this was primarily an oral history focusing on the day to day lives of these amazing people. He covers enough of the big picture to emphasize the importance of these agents. I am sad that I one have one more of his books on my reading list.

[Colleen Coffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The storyline is thrilling, the characters are true heroes (some of whom wear their hearts on their sleeves), and the events play out in such intricate ways. The author did a good job researching and reporting on some very key events from WWII. I think, in his BookTV interview, he made allusions toward having it turned into a screenplay. It would make sense if that happened.

[Mike Roam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing true story of Americans parachuted behind lines to work with partisans and countesses in Italian Alps. German SS brutality includes hang groups of villagers, sometimes from meathooks to die slowly. Many captured Americans and Germans are killed "attempting escape". Author interviewed survivors, found diaries, letters and SS officer's war crime testimony.

[Paul Drawdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. It is a vital part of combat that most don't think about and the men that carry it out rarely get the recognition they deserve. These types of stories are suited for the big screen and would love to see them immortalized there. Well worth your time if you want a true depiction of covert activity.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Feels very episodic, rather than making up a complete story. It jumps around between characters so much that it's hard for anyone to make much of an impression. Still, you can gain an appreciation for the suffering these men went through for their country.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those who love World War 2 books, it's a really really great and informative read.

(Dork alert)

[Edward Mccaffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good spy story (non-fiction) that describes several heros of WWII and their fight against the German army.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dad said this read like an Ian Fleming novel, but it's all true.

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took a while to get into. Great story of behind enemy lines tactics and heroism during WWII in Northern Italy.

[John Stieven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about special operations in WW II -- highly recommend

[Nishant Pappireddi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good exposition of two OSS teams who were sent to block the Brenner pass, though they did not do so until the end of the Italian campaign.

[William DuFour · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book on the OSS again go read it.

[Cheri Branham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story

This book was an easy story to read and enjoy. These soldiers and the tasks they accomplished throughout this book was remarkable.

[Michael Haggard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent telling of common men's sacrafice.

[Curtis Edmonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16v2eojZ_l8) - perhaps you've seen it--that shows a pair of disembodied hands performing a series of manual tasks, and doing them exceptionally poorly. The expectation--because these are all dead-simple tasks--would be for the hands to do the tasks properly, but either because of incompetence or (more likely) out of sheer bloody-mindedness, the hands subvert expectations and constantly foul up. It is (intentionally) quite irritating because it is so unsatisfying.

THE BRENNER ASSIGNMENT is history, not fiction, and fiction has to be satisfying. Reality doesn't, and ultimately THE BRENNER ASSIGNMENT isn't satisfying. That doesn't mean it's bad, it isn't, but you need to understand that things don't work out. Life is like that, of course. When things don't work out in life, in war, behind Axis lines, things can go sideways very quickly. In Hollywood, the heroes can save the day regardless of what happens to supply lines, regardless of what the Gestapo do, regardless of what the Italian partisans do or don't do. That doesn't happen in the real world.

THE BRENNER ASSIGNMENT is the real-world story of two American officers who drop behind enemy lines to disrupt German supplies coming through the Brenner Pass. There's an epic feel to it; the scope of the mission matches the bravery of the heroes. The only problem is that its ambitions go unfulfilled--something most of us are all too familiar with--but that's no reason not to take a chance on it.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first became aware of this entire mission and this book through watching Brad Thor on C-Span's BookTV; catching a re-run of an episode a few years ago. Thor recommended this book and another as not only enjoyable reads, but also as research he had used in preparing one of his novels. This reads as much like a novel as anything which makes this something I enjoyed greatly not having to plow through dense prose. O'Donnell keeps his focus to his main two "characters" and only those others who are directly material to the story. It's tight and compelling. He did a good bit of research including oral histories, the notes section is explanatory and illustrative.

This is not the serious researchers seminal work, but it was never intended to be.