How One Top-Secret Unit Deceived the Enemy with Inflatable Tanks

I'm rounding up somewhat. The rather pedestrian style doesn't significantly detract from the fascinating subject matter.

The story of the "Ghost Army" is very impressive indeed, and often amusing as well. I frequently stopped and went looking for someone to whom I could read the latest anecdote.

The writing is straightforward, adequate to the task. It's the subject matter that makes the book.

Since so many of the members of these units were visual artists, the book includes many paintings and drawings these men made at the time. There are also letters and other documents -- which would probably be easier to read in the paperback than in my Kindle edition.

A lot of information and detail about a little know group of heroic soldiers. Beyond the dummy deception regarding Patton's pre-D day army, little was known regarding these guys. The fact that they were often on the front lines with nothing more than pretend tanks, pretend artillery and only personal side arms is amazing. Great to learn about a little known piece of WWII history. The story does get a bit helter skelter but non the less, a good read.

The topic itself was interesting, I had never heard of the Ghost Army, but it was slow and a little dry. Some parts were more interesting than others. It took me longer than it should have to read because it just wasn't pulling me in.

Informative, but I think the story of this unit would have made a great long magazine article. Not enough material for a book. A lot of drawings by the soldiers of the "ghost army" which to me didn't add anything.

An excellent read. I have read many books on WWII, and was not aware of this unit. It was interesting enough that I am starting to do more research on what they did and how they went about it. It was necessary that the Allies did so many different approaches to fooling the Axis powers and every other book I have read has been very interesting and this has really peaked my interest.

This entire operational branch of the U.S. Army has fascinated me. This is the second book I have bought to learn about it. This book goes into more detail than the first one i read and it is a very intriguing story of WWII.

While it was interesting it gave very little detail of actual battle. It seemed to be written to say we won the war. While driving around Europe playing actor and hitting up Paris girls. and what ever other Pub they could find. No tale of any battle they were in or did they actually have to fight.

Having seen and enjoyed the documentary film (also by Rick Beyer) about this fascinating World War II unit I was already familiar with the subject matter. I therefore wondered if the book would hold my interest. There was no need for me to be concerned. Rick Beyer (Documentary Film maker and Author) and his co-author Elizabeth Sayles (an award winner illustrator and the daughter of a ghost army veteran) tell the story of the men of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops from it's inception to war's end as they created battlefield deceptions on a grand scale. The well research and compelling narrative is richly supplemented with photographs, battle maps, and the sketches, drawings and paintings created by the members of the 603rd Camouflage Engineers. The side benefit of recruiting artists to use their skills to fool the enemy is that those same artists will use whatever down time they have to sketch and paint. Do yourself a favor and read this book. You will be well rewarded. It is a fascinating story well told by two authors who obviously want others to appreciate all that this long secret unit experienced.

#180! Really. Wow. Library book. No purchase. Started slowly. Almost gave up on it. Would have been a terrible shame. Book was very good. I had heard a little of this type of thing over in England before Overlord, but was not aware that this type of warfare actually followed our troops over into continental Europe. The art done by the members of this unit is fascinating. Great sketches of themselves and the sights they saw there. Bill Blass the famous designer, was a member of this crew. Very informative and a very good read. Stay w it. If WWII history is your thing I doubt you'll be disappointed. Interesting topic that hasn't gotten a whole lot of notice or mention. A shame. Thank goodness for this book.

I have known for years about the great deception that caused the Germans to wrongly believe the invasion of France would occur at Pas de Calais instead of Normandy, but I never knew that this art of deception continued throughout the war. Now I do.

The role of the Twenty-Third Headquarters Special Troops was to create elaborate and incredibly detailed subterfuge designed to impersonate powerful U. S. combat formations and manipulate the movements of similar German units. If everything went right, the Germans would be fooled, but if it didn’t, the deceivers could be slaughtered. They carried out their trickery from D-Day until the final weeks of the war.

Using camouflage, faux equipment, deceptive radio signals, impersonation and even sound effects they fooled the enemy into thinking what the Allies wanted them to think. But there is so much more to the book than the story of artistic creativity in the service of war.

Between the covers of The Ghost Army there are many drawings not connected to military deception, but to the soldiers’ pure joy of drawing and to their incredible adventure. These “Cecil B. DeMille Warriors” drew portraits of their chums, watercolors of their surroundings, whether it was a French family or a bombed out farmhouse and cartoons of their amorous exploits. Their artwork helped diffuse the extreme tension of their mission.

The book uses both photographs and artwork to chronicle the exploits of the Ghost Soldiers, but it is the drawings, sketches and watercolors that allow us to see their amazing experiences through our own eyes.

The authors are adept at blending important historical events and compelling technical detail with a treasure trove of artwork and the deadly tension of combat in such a way that the book begs to be read from cover to cover without stopping.

The Ghost Army is a book that will remain on my shelf for many years to be re-read when I need to walk in the shoes of these unsung heroes.

Rex Passion, author
The Lost Sketchbooks, A Young Artist in The Great War

I wasn't at all familiar with the circumstances described in this book until reading a description on the store, but then I felt compelled to buy the book and it is *really* worthwhile owning. Not only that, but the whole story is fascinating and the book is also filled with a huge number of wonderful illustrations.

This is such a beautiful book. I have always been amazed by the story of the Ghost Army and their unsung achievements during WWII. This book brings all their achievements -- the acoustic deceptions, the inflatable tanks, the fake tire tracks -- to life with a high-quality collection of art, photographs, letters and documents. This book is a treasure not only for WWII buffs, but for art lovers and anyone who loves a good story.

This book truly honors the soldiers of WWII that fought in the "Ghost Army." After watching the documentary on the Ghost Army by Rick Beyer, I have been looking for more information on this secret unit. The Ghost Army of World War II does not disappoint. The book tells an incredible story of a secret unit in WWII that brilliantly used deception, such as inflatable tanks, large speakers, and fake patches, to appear as a large army. It is filled with photos, maps, and other visuals from real soldiers that enhance the story that much more. I would recommend this book to not only WWII buffs, but anyone interested in a fascinating story.

Just a fantastic book from cover to cover. Filled with high quality pictures taken directly by members of the Ghost Army, its a wonderful read. I'd 100% recommend it to people regardless if they're interested in WWII.