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Monopoly X: Monopoly X
An amazing true story of World War II that reveals how British and American military intelligence smuggled supplies and escape tools into German P.O.W. camps disguised as Monopoly game sets, enabling imprisoned servicemen to escape.
Monopoly X is the fascinating true story of what is arguably the most unusual and daring secret operation of World War II. The masterminds at England’s top-secret MI-9, and later America’s MIS-X, created a special version of the popular game, hiding tools, maps, and money within game boards—delivered by an unwitting Red Cross—to captured Allied servicemen held at gunpoint behind barbed wire in German prison camps. This ingenious and complex plot, dubbed “Monopoly X,” was never discovered by the Nazis and led to successful Allied breakouts.
The creation and success of Monopoly X remained a deep secret through the war and for decades after, until now. For the first time, Phillip E. Orbanes tells the full story of the breadth and depth of this clandestine program—how it was devised, implemented, and used to great success. A tale of derring-do as compelling as the World War II classic, The Great Escape, Monopoly X is an amazing war story of Allied intelligence services, resistance forces in Europe, heroes and heroines, a notorious traitor, and the pivotal role a ubiquitous board game had in secret codes and espionage.
Monopoly X is the fascinating true story of what is arguably the most unusual and daring secret operation of World War II. The masterminds at England’s top-secret MI-9, and later America’s MIS-X, created a special version of the popular game, hiding tools, maps, and money within game boards—delivered by an unwitting Red Cross—to captured Allied servicemen held at gunpoint behind barbed wire in German prison camps. This ingenious and complex plot, dubbed “Monopoly X,” was never discovered by the Nazis and led to successful Allied breakouts.
The creation and success of Monopoly X remained a deep secret through the war and for decades after, until now. For the first time, Phillip E. Orbanes tells the full story of the breadth and depth of this clandestine program—how it was devised, implemented, and used to great success. A tale of derring-do as compelling as the World War II classic, The Great Escape, Monopoly X is an amazing war story of Allied intelligence services, resistance forces in Europe, heroes and heroines, a notorious traitor, and the pivotal role a ubiquitous board game had in secret codes and espionage.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published July 15, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
February 22, 2025
I have read extensively on WWII history, and was hoping to learn about the role of Monopoly. Instead I got imagined conversations (who really knows what people said--this is supposed to be nonfiction) and disorganized text. There was probably enough about Monopoly for an article, but that's it. The author's bio says he was a board game designer. I would have preferred to read history written by a historian. I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
October 15, 2025
I’m generally familiar with WWII history and have read many books about it, but this volume covered a different angle than I had seen before: the role of various people (spies and the resistance) in helping Allies prisoners of war escape from Nazi camps. What does that have to do with Monopoly? Both the American and British manufacturers were contracted in high secrecy to make a version of the game that could hide escape tools inside the boards. Apparently the Nazis allowed the POWs to receive gifts, so special games were sent in through official channels. In this book the author tells of several escapes made possible by the game, as well as how it took highly coordinated resistance groups to get the escaped POWs to safety afterwards.
I like spy stories, and this book brought the real people to life in believable ways. There are a lot of characters and the first part of the book didn’t clearly show how they all fit together, but eventually it gelled. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway; I probably wouldn’t have read it otherwise, but I’m glad I did because I learned a lot of new things.
I like spy stories, and this book brought the real people to life in believable ways. There are a lot of characters and the first part of the book didn’t clearly show how they all fit together, but eventually it gelled. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway; I probably wouldn’t have read it otherwise, but I’m glad I did because I learned a lot of new things.
July 24, 2025
Monopoly X combines espionage, history, and the unexpected twist of a beloved board game used as clandestine aid. If you’re drawn to true‑war stories with daring intelligence schemes, this is a must-read. However, readers seeking tight narrative structure may find some sections uneven or overextended.
August 11, 2025
If you've ever read about the SOE and escape routes in WWII, you've covered this book. Here is the Monopoly part in full. It's not a spoiler because it is in every description of the book. British started using Monopoly games to smuggle escape aids to POWs then the Americans copied it.
The rest of the book is all about escape routes and Resistance fighters and the SOE. To try and make the Monopoly relevant, the author includes much about a traitor nicknamed "Top Hat". Like the Monopoly piece, right? Wrong. He got the name when given a top hat from an ally who took it from a scarecrow.
I gave this two stars because the escape route stuff was interesting. Incredibly haphazardly presented (some chapters are not even in time sequence) but if you've never read about it, it was good. There was nothing about Monopoly, though. At best there was enough for a short magazine article.
The rest of the book is all about escape routes and Resistance fighters and the SOE. To try and make the Monopoly relevant, the author includes much about a traitor nicknamed "Top Hat". Like the Monopoly piece, right? Wrong. He got the name when given a top hat from an ally who took it from a scarecrow.
I gave this two stars because the escape route stuff was interesting. Incredibly haphazardly presented (some chapters are not even in time sequence) but if you've never read about it, it was good. There was nothing about Monopoly, though. At best there was enough for a short magazine article.
August 1, 2025
3.5 for the interesting story, but it's disjointed. A struggle towards the end -- he took a lot of different threads and tried to tie them together, mostly based on people that he knew. Still, an interesting part of WWII history.
December 6, 2025
Fascinating and informative. Monopoly is a favorite game of my family and to think it helped in a huge way during the war makes it even more exciting.
September 26, 2025
Philip E. Orbanes’ “Monopoly X: How Top-Secret World War II Operations Used the Game of Monopoly to Help Allied POWs Escape, Conceal Spies, and Send Secret Codes” is a masterfully engaging account of one of World War II’s most ingenious episodes. Orbanes, a renowned game historian, uncovers the little-known true story of how British intelligence, in partnership with Waddington Ltd., secretly transformed Monopoly sets into lifelines for captured Allied servicemen. Under the code name “Monopoly X,” these seemingly innocent board games—sent into POW camps camouflaged as charity gifts—were stuffed with silk-maps, saws, real Reichsmarks, and compasses, all carefully hidden in their components. The narrative opens with vivid scenes at the infamous Colditz Castle, where ingenuity and hope collided as prisoners realized escape tools were secretly embedded in one of their Monopoly sets. A subtle mark on the board signified the real treasure beneath the surface. Orbanes’ storytelling is cinematic, shifting from those tense moments in POW camps to the shadowy world of Allied intelligence, with fascinating tangents such as code-named spies who bore striking similarities to Monopoly’s tokens, and even cryptic messages sent using Monopoly as a cipher. Although the book’s opening chapters are particularly gripping—a treat for fans of Ben Macintyre and classic war films like “The Great Escape”—later sections drift, weaving in disjointed stories and occasionally losing focus on the Monopoly theme. Nevertheless, Orbanes excels at illuminating the against-the-odds heroism that defined these secret operations, from daring Colditz escapes to the broader web of espionage that surrounded this ruse. While not all narratives are seamlessly integrated, “Monopoly X” stands out for its originality, stylish detail, and palpable sense of historical wonder. For readers seeking an unusual angle on WWII intelligence and a celebration of cleverness under pressure, this account is both delightful and educational.
August 14, 2025
The use of Monopoly games to smuggle escape tools into POW camps is interesting but I enjoyed the book much more for the true stories of the brave men and women who either risked their lives helping downed airmen or the downed airmen themselves. There is nothing unique about this book, but this is well-written, and these heroes deserve to be remembered.
As always, these accounts also include the despicable traitors. Some of these are the little guys in the thick of things in Europe. Others, unfortunately are in the Allied governments. I appreciate the author for naming names. This can be done long after the events took place because records have finally been declassified.
This also relates to current times when high-level officials flaunt their corruption, confident that they will pay no price in their lifetimes.
As always, these accounts also include the despicable traitors. Some of these are the little guys in the thick of things in Europe. Others, unfortunately are in the Allied governments. I appreciate the author for naming names. This can be done long after the events took place because records have finally been declassified.
This also relates to current times when high-level officials flaunt their corruption, confident that they will pay no price in their lifetimes.
Currently reading
November 13, 2025Some Monopoly facts and too may unchecked things
I received this book as a gift from an American friend, the daughter of an US Army Air Force evader hidden in the Fréteval forest, France, until Liberation in August 1944. The Monopoly part was interesting. But the "Thomas" Carr and "Benoîte Jean" part are entirely fictional. "Thomas Carr" was in fact Richard Philip CARR – 901212 – Captain, Long Range Desert Group, Royal Artillery. See https://discovery.nationalarchives.go...
He did indeed escape with Lee Carl Gordon and both reached Strasbourg, but Carr was very rapidly arrested and sent back to Germany where he was liberated in 1945. Carr was born on 23 September 1919 (and not 1916 as in the caption in the book's photo section… with, again, Thomas instead of Richard) and died in 1977. There are other things that the author failed to cross-check and he very rarely gives precise dates for the events he's writing about….
My guess, for what it's worth, is that "Thomas Carr"'s romance in France with "Benoîte" is just the result of the author's imagination. And mixing some sex and murder into the heroine's actions (page 108-109) is probably meant to add spice to the expected movie adaptation…
A few examples among many unverified statements :
Page 90: The "Belgian nobleman"’s name is Jean GREINDL, not Griendl...
Known as "Le Kas" and "Nemo", he took control of the Comet Line when Andrée's father Frédéric De Jongh was forced to move to Paris on April 30, 1942. He organized the collection of evaders from the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg under cover of director of the Swedish Relief Canteen in Brussels. Arrested in Brussels 6 February 1943, he was detained under sentence of death in stables at the Etterbeek military barracks. He and a co-detainee were killed on 7 September 1943 during an USAAF bombers raid. The mission was planned to bomb a German aviation repair facility near the Luftwaffe airfield at Evere (NE of the city), but some Fortresses in the formation shed their bombs in the area of the Etterbeek railway station, a heavily populated area, at the limit with the Ixelles commune. A nearby military training field resembling the shape of the Evere area had been mistakenly targeted. Almost 300 civilians were killed and as many wounded. Many houses were destroyed. German propaganda used the incident to denounce the "Terrorflieger"…
Page 118: "Benoîte"'s fiancé "Henri Giroux", captain of an artillery company, killed one day after the Blitzkrieg began (one has to understand this was in May 1940 when Germany invaded France…) There are just 2 Frenchmen named Henri Giroux who lost their lives, none a Captain nor in 1940… One, a member of the Résistance, died in October 1944 in the camp of Flossenburg, Germany, aged 45; the other, a civilian, in March 1945, aged 21…
Page 162: "Carr knew a great deal about concealment and flight. Although he professed to being a navigator in the RAF – and indeed he had been until a year before - …"
Carr never was in the RAF, navigator or else… And at the time (in the weeks before D-Day…) he had certainly not been "dropped into France to blow up German trains and other vehicles.", as he had been brought back to Germany, at Oflag 79, near Brunswick, from where he unsuccessfully tried to escape in May 1944.
Page 173: "Jean Serment, a suave, middle-aged man…" is in fact the alias of Yvon Albert MICHIELS, aged 34 (!) in the Spring of 1944… He took over the Comet Line after "Jacques Cartier" (nickname of Count Antoine d’URSEL) was “burned” in June 1943...
Burned himself, Michiels had to flee the Gestapo and left for England on May 15, 1944.
Page 186: About the "Belgian traitor named Pierre Boulain…", once again the author just picked the name up somewhere and didn't add any details. Boulain was in fact one of the aliases of Jean-Jacques DÉSOUBRIE, also known as "Jean Masson", "JJ". Born 20 October 1922 at Luingne, Belgium. He joined the Gestapo in 1941 and wormed his way into escape organizations in Belgium and France, including Comète. He betrayed hundreds of helpers and airmen, including an estimated fifty of the Comète line. He managed to flee to Germany and it's only on March 10, 1947 that he was captured at Augsburg by the Americans. He was put on trial by a French court and sentenced to death on 20 July 1949. Executed at the Fort de Montrouge in Lille, France, on December 20,1949. Désoubrie's last words were "Heil Hitler!"
Pages 188-189:, the mention of "Thomas Carr" and "Benoîte" meeting with "Jean Serment" in Brussels "in the following month" (the previous paragraph is about the June 6 landings) is pure fantasy. "Jean Sermernt" was the alias of Yvon MICHIELS, and as he had the Gestapo on his tracks, he had to flee Belgium for England where he arrived on May 15, 1944… And no Doctor "Louis Fabré" is listed anywhere in the Comète archives, in the list of Belgian Helpers nor in the Brussels telephone book archives.
Page 228: The Doolittle Raider is Charles Ross GREENING.
Page 237, 3rd paragraph: "…Cole, accompanied by a few others including a genuine American army hero named Frank Lillyman…" The author doesn't explain the hero part of the US soldier. In fact, Frank Lewis LILLYMAN (1915-1971) was a Captain in the 101st Airborne Division's 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment and is credited as having been the first man to land in Normandy on D-Day.
Besides many other inventions, the author never cites his sources and one may seriously doubt he read all the books in the Bibliography section.
To conclude, a huge disappointment and certainly not a "true spy story"... Too bad so many readers will be excited with such sloppy "historical" writing, being lured by the promotional comments into thinking that everything that appears in this book is based on true events.
I received this book as a gift from an American friend, the daughter of an US Army Air Force evader hidden in the Fréteval forest, France, until Liberation in August 1944. The Monopoly part was interesting. But the "Thomas" Carr and "Benoîte Jean" part are entirely fictional. "Thomas Carr" was in fact Richard Philip CARR – 901212 – Captain, Long Range Desert Group, Royal Artillery. See https://discovery.nationalarchives.go...
He did indeed escape with Lee Carl Gordon and both reached Strasbourg, but Carr was very rapidly arrested and sent back to Germany where he was liberated in 1945. Carr was born on 23 September 1919 (and not 1916 as in the caption in the book's photo section… with, again, Thomas instead of Richard) and died in 1977. There are other things that the author failed to cross-check and he very rarely gives precise dates for the events he's writing about….
My guess, for what it's worth, is that "Thomas Carr"'s romance in France with "Benoîte" is just the result of the author's imagination. And mixing some sex and murder into the heroine's actions (page 108-109) is probably meant to add spice to the expected movie adaptation…
A few examples among many unverified statements :
Page 90: The "Belgian nobleman"’s name is Jean GREINDL, not Griendl...
Known as "Le Kas" and "Nemo", he took control of the Comet Line when Andrée's father Frédéric De Jongh was forced to move to Paris on April 30, 1942. He organized the collection of evaders from the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg under cover of director of the Swedish Relief Canteen in Brussels. Arrested in Brussels 6 February 1943, he was detained under sentence of death in stables at the Etterbeek military barracks. He and a co-detainee were killed on 7 September 1943 during an USAAF bombers raid. The mission was planned to bomb a German aviation repair facility near the Luftwaffe airfield at Evere (NE of the city), but some Fortresses in the formation shed their bombs in the area of the Etterbeek railway station, a heavily populated area, at the limit with the Ixelles commune. A nearby military training field resembling the shape of the Evere area had been mistakenly targeted. Almost 300 civilians were killed and as many wounded. Many houses were destroyed. German propaganda used the incident to denounce the "Terrorflieger"…
Page 118: "Benoîte"'s fiancé "Henri Giroux", captain of an artillery company, killed one day after the Blitzkrieg began (one has to understand this was in May 1940 when Germany invaded France…) There are just 2 Frenchmen named Henri Giroux who lost their lives, none a Captain nor in 1940… One, a member of the Résistance, died in October 1944 in the camp of Flossenburg, Germany, aged 45; the other, a civilian, in March 1945, aged 21…
Page 162: "Carr knew a great deal about concealment and flight. Although he professed to being a navigator in the RAF – and indeed he had been until a year before - …"
Carr never was in the RAF, navigator or else… And at the time (in the weeks before D-Day…) he had certainly not been "dropped into France to blow up German trains and other vehicles.", as he had been brought back to Germany, at Oflag 79, near Brunswick, from where he unsuccessfully tried to escape in May 1944.
Page 173: "Jean Serment, a suave, middle-aged man…" is in fact the alias of Yvon Albert MICHIELS, aged 34 (!) in the Spring of 1944… He took over the Comet Line after "Jacques Cartier" (nickname of Count Antoine d’URSEL) was “burned” in June 1943...
Burned himself, Michiels had to flee the Gestapo and left for England on May 15, 1944.
Page 186: About the "Belgian traitor named Pierre Boulain…", once again the author just picked the name up somewhere and didn't add any details. Boulain was in fact one of the aliases of Jean-Jacques DÉSOUBRIE, also known as "Jean Masson", "JJ". Born 20 October 1922 at Luingne, Belgium. He joined the Gestapo in 1941 and wormed his way into escape organizations in Belgium and France, including Comète. He betrayed hundreds of helpers and airmen, including an estimated fifty of the Comète line. He managed to flee to Germany and it's only on March 10, 1947 that he was captured at Augsburg by the Americans. He was put on trial by a French court and sentenced to death on 20 July 1949. Executed at the Fort de Montrouge in Lille, France, on December 20,1949. Désoubrie's last words were "Heil Hitler!"
Pages 188-189:, the mention of "Thomas Carr" and "Benoîte" meeting with "Jean Serment" in Brussels "in the following month" (the previous paragraph is about the June 6 landings) is pure fantasy. "Jean Sermernt" was the alias of Yvon MICHIELS, and as he had the Gestapo on his tracks, he had to flee Belgium for England where he arrived on May 15, 1944… And no Doctor "Louis Fabré" is listed anywhere in the Comète archives, in the list of Belgian Helpers nor in the Brussels telephone book archives.
Page 228: The Doolittle Raider is Charles Ross GREENING.
Page 237, 3rd paragraph: "…Cole, accompanied by a few others including a genuine American army hero named Frank Lillyman…" The author doesn't explain the hero part of the US soldier. In fact, Frank Lewis LILLYMAN (1915-1971) was a Captain in the 101st Airborne Division's 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment and is credited as having been the first man to land in Normandy on D-Day.
Besides many other inventions, the author never cites his sources and one may seriously doubt he read all the books in the Bibliography section.
To conclude, a huge disappointment and certainly not a "true spy story"... Too bad so many readers will be excited with such sloppy "historical" writing, being lured by the promotional comments into thinking that everything that appears in this book is based on true events.
January 21, 2026
“A Mystery cloaked in Secrecy”
Spy stories are always interesting because they deal in mystery cloaked in secrecy. They are also very disturbing because they deal in betrayal of the good by what is evil in society. Whether one is on the side of evil or good the one human trait detested is that of betrayal, this book is full of that because everyone is trying to keep a secret while doing what they believe is best for themselves and society. Right from the beginning this book takes you to the heart of the issue, escape from Nazi Germany for allied POWS, I was glued to the story from page one, very few books hook me right from page one, this book hooked me and I knew I was reading a good story. I have read a lot of WWII books on escapes, life in POW camps and one day at the Air Force Museum in Ohio spent a day with a group of POW Airmen who were interned outside of Vienna Austria. Also a handyman who did work for my family was shot down over Austria, while he worked told me stories of life as a POW. So, when I saw this book and read the reviews my curiosity drew me to this topic and I’m glad it did. It was a great read very interesting also again right from the beginning I felt I was on the train ride trying to evade the Nazi in the first chapter. That’s the sign always of a great read when you become wrapped up in the story.
Spy stories are always interesting because they deal in mystery cloaked in secrecy. They are also very disturbing because they deal in betrayal of the good by what is evil in society. Whether one is on the side of evil or good the one human trait detested is that of betrayal, this book is full of that because everyone is trying to keep a secret while doing what they believe is best for themselves and society. Right from the beginning this book takes you to the heart of the issue, escape from Nazi Germany for allied POWS, I was glued to the story from page one, very few books hook me right from page one, this book hooked me and I knew I was reading a good story. I have read a lot of WWII books on escapes, life in POW camps and one day at the Air Force Museum in Ohio spent a day with a group of POW Airmen who were interned outside of Vienna Austria. Also a handyman who did work for my family was shot down over Austria, while he worked told me stories of life as a POW. So, when I saw this book and read the reviews my curiosity drew me to this topic and I’m glad it did. It was a great read very interesting also again right from the beginning I felt I was on the train ride trying to evade the Nazi in the first chapter. That’s the sign always of a great read when you become wrapped up in the story.
December 10, 2025
Interesting, but somehow it felt as if the use of monopoly to sneak escape materials to Allied POWs was a thin reed that was not as important as the amazing efforts and contributions made by brave, resilient, clever individuals in helping soldiers and airmen to escape back to friendly lines. I've read a fair amount of prison stories (wartime and civilian) and there wasn't a whole lot I hadn't heard of before (except perhaps specific details), but I still managed to learn somethings. I had this feeling he could have written a long-form piece on the clever use of the board game, and then wrote a separate book on the French escape lines. One of the most interesting characters was the despicable traitor Harold Cole. Had he been born later methinks he'd have been a most successful, wealthy conman. His end was a bit of a disappointment, cause I would have liked him to suffer more. Maybe having faced a trial and disgrace. Kind of like the fate I would wish on a certain person currently alive, but I'll just leave that here.
October 27, 2025
I don't claim to read a lot of WWII history books, have done a few, notably Prisoners of the Castle, by Ben McIntyre, The Monuments Men by Robert Edsel, A Light in the Northern Sea by Tim Brady, Ghosts of Honolulu, by Mark Harmon, and other books by Holocaust survivors. This however, was one of the best so far.
This is about the humble game of Monopoly and its role in the war, not only the game itself (sent by relief organizations to POW camps), which was doctored, unbeknownst to the manufacturer, to hold items in its game board that could assist POWs to escape and use the routes established by resisters to lead them to Spain, but nomenclature on the board was used in code names for secrecy.
So many characters in the book are challenging to remember, but all of them heroic, unless you were talking about a British double crosser, who eventually met his end and those of the Nazi armies. So much about the war I never knew.
This is about the humble game of Monopoly and its role in the war, not only the game itself (sent by relief organizations to POW camps), which was doctored, unbeknownst to the manufacturer, to hold items in its game board that could assist POWs to escape and use the routes established by resisters to lead them to Spain, but nomenclature on the board was used in code names for secrecy.
So many characters in the book are challenging to remember, but all of them heroic, unless you were talking about a British double crosser, who eventually met his end and those of the Nazi armies. So much about the war I never knew.
October 21, 2025
4.5 Stars. Extensively researched account of various operations during WW2. Monopoly X offers a different look at the formation of MI-9 in England and MIS-X in the United States. How the extraordinary people (both military and civilian) organized escape lines, opened their homes, or provided other means to help the Allies escape from camps or simply evade capture to return to Great Britain.
After WW2 these individuals were sworn to the Official Secrets Act which kept much of the information of this book silent until Orbanes interviewed the many persons who played a role in this history. I do wish we could have learned a bit more of Watson and his Monopoly X games, but I found the interconnectivity of individuals fascinating and the tales riveting.
After WW2 these individuals were sworn to the Official Secrets Act which kept much of the information of this book silent until Orbanes interviewed the many persons who played a role in this history. I do wish we could have learned a bit more of Watson and his Monopoly X games, but I found the interconnectivity of individuals fascinating and the tales riveting.
August 7, 2025
I enjoyed reading this book and it was a fascinating history. I recommend it to WWII history buffs and Monoply players.
There was one (unintentionally?) funny sentence in the book on page 37. The sentence began "While Langley muttered epitaphs under his breath..." The author probably meant "epithets" because I'm sure he wasn't roaming in a cemetery reading tombstone epitaphs in a subdued voice. I have a feeling the author was a victim of what I've encountered myself, and what I call: "premature autocompletion". The autocomplete function tries to anticipate a word after only a few letters have been typed, and many times gets it wrong.
There was one (unintentionally?) funny sentence in the book on page 37. The sentence began "While Langley muttered epitaphs under his breath..." The author probably meant "epithets" because I'm sure he wasn't roaming in a cemetery reading tombstone epitaphs in a subdued voice. I have a feeling the author was a victim of what I've encountered myself, and what I call: "premature autocompletion". The autocomplete function tries to anticipate a word after only a few letters have been typed, and many times gets it wrong.
July 25, 2025
Boy, was I ever looking forward to reading this book! What a bust it was! I was only able to plow through two chapters. They were quite a struggle to read. The author doesn't know how to write a good story. So between a bunch of facts, and nothing that kept me interested, plus made-up conversations this book is going back to the library. This author has written other books about the Monopoly board game, and I had written them down thinking i was going to read them too. Nothing of the sort. They're probably just as bad as this one is.
July 30, 2025
Themes: WWII Espionage, Extremely Interesting Read, Less than 300 page Non-Fiction book
I first learned that Monopoly board games were used in WWII from, “The Ways We Hide” by Kristina McMorris. Her book was good and I’d recommend it, but I wanted more of the Monopoly story. Imagine my surprise when I discovered this book 🤩 If you’re looking for a fascinating, less than 300 page non-fiction read, THIS IS IT! I want to tell everyone I meet now about this amazing, almost lost forever, story from WWII.
I first learned that Monopoly board games were used in WWII from, “The Ways We Hide” by Kristina McMorris. Her book was good and I’d recommend it, but I wanted more of the Monopoly story. Imagine my surprise when I discovered this book 🤩 If you’re looking for a fascinating, less than 300 page non-fiction read, THIS IS IT! I want to tell everyone I meet now about this amazing, almost lost forever, story from WWII.
January 7, 2026
Some good war and spy stories. Marred by a lack of documentation- I can’t tell what his sources are for any given section. Certainly the dialogue is made up. Disjointed narrative - the author dropped in bits and pieces he couldn’t bear leaving out. The book is a grab bag of stories, not a coherent narrative. The editor fell down on the job here or had something very shoddy to work with and no inclination to make it work. The Monopoly content is presumably new, but the author forces references to the game into the narrative in a failed effort to tie elements and themes together.
August 8, 2025
I normally do not read non-fiction books but the title piqued my interest since I always loved to play Monopoly. Monopoly X was a prisoner of war edition which was sent to the POW camps and contained false bottoms with maps, tools, etc. to help prisoners escape the camps they were being held in. There were also some heroic men and women who helped the POW's find their way out of NAZI territory. I also learned of some interesting facts concerning the war.
October 3, 2025
I enjoy reading books about WWII. I thought a story about how the game of Monopoly helped allied POWs escape would he interesting. However, this story is not well composed. It seems to jump from one character to another without a clear transition. How the books explains when certain individuals who tool part in the story died it seems like the author filled in the interactions that happened between some of the characters with fictional narratives.
December 15, 2025
Fascinating nonfiction about the undercover role of the game Monopoly in WW 11. Much of the book describes the various people who had a role in making it happen and of some who escaped imprisonment aided by this effort. By virtue of the fact that those involved could not speak of this espionage, it’s a story that hasn’t been told much until recently. It;s a war story of intelligence, resistance and a game that was very popular!
August 25, 2025
I continue to be amazed at the little things that helped defeat Hitler and the Nazis in World War II. This book describes how one of those little things—the game of Monopoly!—helped Allied prisoners of war escape or evade capture and return to England. The stories and people are interesting and often trauma filled.
August 29, 2025
I enjoyed the book. I acknowledge the criticism of invented dialogue but it didn’t detract from what I learned about escape routes and the intrepid helpers. Monopoly plays a small role as a frame for the book. But the entire Monopoly story could have been handled in a small article with helpful photos.
September 5, 2025
This book is an example of how an author can take what should be an interesting topic, and totally ruin it because of his inability to write a coherent story. It is a mess, all over the place, never quite sure when it is or where or who. Very frustrating. He should stick to games, and leave writing to writers.
October 4, 2025
Fascinating Story About a Board Game
Monopoly helped win the war! Who knew?! No one could have guessed what the Brits started doing with Monopoly games. And then the Americans got involved as well. What an interesting story. Especially, the part about Tom.Carr and Nori. Anyone with the slightest interest in Monopoly should read this one.
Monopoly helped win the war! Who knew?! No one could have guessed what the Brits started doing with Monopoly games. And then the Americans got involved as well. What an interesting story. Especially, the part about Tom.Carr and Nori. Anyone with the slightest interest in Monopoly should read this one.
January 8, 2026
Fascinating account of how the beloved family game Monopoly played a critical role in helping Allied prisoners escape German occupied Europe during WWII. Orbanes has performed an admirable and comprehensive investigation to track down a variety of leads concerning the main players and their interactions.
August 9, 2025
A book that over promises and under delivers. Probably enough information here for a solid article, but a whole book was a stretch. Story lines are disjointed, time lines are unclear, and there is a bit too much about how America won the war. Overall disappointing.
August 30, 2025
Interesting topic but it was disjointed jumping from one ne set of characters to another thread and time line. Appreciated the depiction of the danger involved in setting up escape routes for captured soldiers.
September 16, 2025
This was an interesting read but had 'relatively' little about the actual use of the Monopoly game with the POWs. The emphasis was on the French Underground that helped them to flee France after they escaped the prison camps. At most, the Monopoly story took up about 10% of the book.
September 24, 2025
Less about Monopoly and more about a traitor hunt and a few good looking and courageous resistance women. Interesting but felt like the author had about two paragraphs of true information on his declared subject.
December 24, 2025
Great Book
I enjoyed this book. I love reading about how POWs escaped from the Germans. I gave it four stars because I thought there would be more about the Monopoly game usage. That said, I learned about spies and escapes that I hadn't read before.
I enjoyed this book. I love reading about how POWs escaped from the Germans. I gave it four stars because I thought there would be more about the Monopoly game usage. That said, I learned about spies and escapes that I hadn't read before.
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