FDR's 12 Apostles: The Spies Who Paved The Way For The Invasion Of North Africa

by Hal Vaughan

The first "behind-the-scenes" history of FDR's secret mission to invade North Africa.
Preface & Acknowledgments
Prologue
Before the Torch Was Lit
The Torch Is Lit
Torch Burns Brightly-Flickers
Epilogue
Appendix
Bibliography
Endnotes
Index

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Hal Vaughan has been a newsman, foreign correspondent, and documentary film producer working in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia since 1957. He served in the U.S. military in World War II and Korea and has held various posts as a U.S. Foreign Service officer. Vaughan is the author of "Doctor to the Resistance: The Heroic True Story of an American Surgeon and His Family in Occupied Paris" and "FDR’s 12 Apostles: The Spies Who Paved the Way for the Invasion of North Africa." He lives in Paris.

Reviews

[Erik Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dad spent some time in and around Oran and Arzew in the lead up to the Allied invasion of Sicily. An army cryptanalyst attached to the navy, his months there prior to the landing at Gela were idle ones, his feeling being that he and his few colleagues had been forgotten. They were, in retrospect, his best months of the war.

Dad is 92 now. He's in good shape for the age he is--still active with chores around the house, still reading a lot. I spend all the time I can with him, much of it when we're together reminiscing. His wife, much younger than he, was recently in Mississippi for a wedding and I spent three days with him over Memorial Day. Last fall, while she was visiting family in Denmark, we had two weeks together. This coming fall, while she'll be in Turkey, I expect another two weeks.

With Dad so old and his probable days of health and clarity dwindling, I grow increasingly interested in his world, in the world before I was born, in the twenties, thirties, forties and early fifties. I read a lot about WWII, his war.

This is the second book I've read about the build-up to TORCH, the Anglo-American invasion of North Africa in 1942. The first, The Assassination of Admiral Darlan, I read and then gave to him. This, the second, I may also pass on.

While the first book was a more general study of the plots and counterplots prior to and immediately after the invasion, this book focuses on twelve vice consuls sent to Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia to prepare the way for the invasion. Unlike the first book, very little attention is paid to the Gaulists and the communists herein, the agents being concentrated on the right wing of the French resistance, many of them French fascists, some of them royalists. Like Sicily at a later time, when the USA had a choice between anti-German forces, the USA chose the more odious alternative. In North Africa we switched the fascists from allegiance to Germany to allegiance to us. In Sicily we took the Mafia over the communists--a sadly typical performance.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

An account of a spy network set up in Vichy North Africa by the Americans. Fascinating read, both for the personalities and illustrating the energetic but naive tradecraft and politics of the neophyte Americans as they tried desperately to get involved in international affairs in the run up to our entrance into World War II.

I always respect authors who resist the urge to claim too much impact for their subjects, especially in the world of spycraft. Ultimately, despite the courage and risks of the people involved there were a lot of mistakes and they could only contribute a handful of concrete achievements when war eventually came.

Also interesting to see another side of the struggle between de Gaulle and Vichy. Roosevelt really hated de Gaulle, but trying to avoid dealing with him meant investing in other Frenchmen who shared his faults, without the virtue of actually opposing fascism.

[Laura Valenziano · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book which describes in detail the "Torch" invasion of Africa during WWII. The major problem, often true of WWII histories, is keeping track of all the "major" characters. A good read and well worth your time!

[Sharon McNeil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Neal Doublet · Rating 5 out of 5]

A most interesting and detailed account of the events leading up to the Torch landings. For many years I have been researching my dad's undercover activities whilst he worked at the Tunisian Embassy and Hal's book was the first place I found written confirmation that touched on his involvement. More information is still coming to light as the CIA release their archives but the research Hal put into this book is astounding.

This book is a very informative and compelling read for those wishing to learn about the political and operational aspects surrounding the 12 Vice consuls but I did have to read it several times to take on board all the characters and intricacies involved.

Sadly Hal Vaughan is no longer with us but I'm very glad he left this legacy to us.

[Leslie Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit choppy at times