The Shadow War: SOE and OSS in World War Two

by Howard R. Simkin

Want to know all about espionage, sabotage, and guerrilla warfare in World War Two? Then this book is for you. It focuses on covert and clandestine operations conducted by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS). They were the premier special operation of that conflict. The Shadow War: SOE and OSS in World War Two, differs from other published overviews because of the author’s extensive background in special operations, how it is organized and presented, as well as it depth of research. It tells the story of how SOE and OSS grew, the resistance organizations they supported, and the substantial contributions they made to Allied victory. Spectacular success and abject failure both feature in this compelling narrative of the secret war in World War II. These include vignettes of operations in all theaters of war in which SOE or OSS fought against the Axis. It includes successes like Operation Gunnerside – the attack which derailed Hitler’s atomic bomb program. It also discuss failures like Operation North Pole, where the Nazis gained complete control of SOE’s Dutch agent circuits. If you want a well-rounded recounting of the secret war within World War Two, this book is for you.

248 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication May 15, 2026