Piercing the Reich: The Penetration of Nazi Germany by American Secret Agents in World War II

by Joseph E. Persico

s/t: The Penetration of Nazi Germany by American Secret Agents During World War II
After the success of such offensives as DDay & the Soviet march to the west, the Allies made the mistaken assumption that the 3rd Reich was finished. Then came the autumn of 1944. Hitler rallied with surprising force, driving the Allies back toward Paris. With a long war of attrition & no counterintelligence to speak of, the OSS set out to accomplish what the UK deemed impossible: to penetrate Nazi Germany with a network of spies. Locked away for over 30 years in secret CIA files, here's the true story of how American agents managed to infiltrate the 3rd Reich & shorten the war by months. Based on interviews with surviving operatives & filled with colorful profiles, this book brings to life one of the greatest counterintelligence coups in history--a heroic mission that established the USA as a superpower in international espionage. B&W photos.

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

396 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Joseph E. Persico was the author of Roosevelt’s Secret War: FDR and World War II Espionage; Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour: Armistice Day, 1918–World War I and Its Violent Climax; Piercing the Reich; and Nuremberg: Infamy on Trial, which was made into a television docudrama. He also collaborated with Colin Powell on his autobiography, My American Journey. He lives in Guilderland, New York.