The Air-Raid Warden Was a Spy: And Other Tales from Home-Front America in World War II
In his latest collection of fresh and surprising stories from World War II, popular author and distinguished historian William Breuer recounts over fifty little-known tales of military actions, espionage, and skullduggery on the home front. Based on personal interviews, official archives, and declassified documents, The Air-Raid Warden Was a Spy features intriguing accounts of covert raids and combat experiments, spies and saboteurs, draft dodgers and do-gooders, and various escapes and secret operations.
Fascinating and fast-paced, The Air-Raid Warden Was a Spy returns the reader to American shores and, in Breuer's inimitable style, reveals dramatic and pivotal moments during the war, such as:
- The rounding up of 3,846 subversive suspects in the United States within the first seventy-two hours after Pearl Harbor
- The plane that bombed the Pacific Northwest
- The sinking of a Japanese submarine off the California coast
- The near destruction of Coney Island, thanks to eager-beaver air-raid wardens who searched the friendly skies for hostile aircraft
- The secret plan to draft females
- A barrage of explosive balloons
- The Nazi U-boat in New York Harbor
- The army bomber that crashed into the Empire State Building
- The dismantling of a Nazi spy network based in New York City--which included U.S. citizens
Breuer deftly captures the state of the nation when the first shock waves hit and war became an all-too-close-to-home reality, as women flocked to war plants and Hollywood celebrities gave up their hefty paychecks to enlist. As the stories unfold and the home front itself appears to be under siege, The Air-Raid Warden Was a Spy underscores the devotion and sacrifices of the members of the armed forces and their families and the country's determination to bring the global conflict to an end.
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Book details
- Author
- William B. Breuer
- Imprint
- Trade Paper Press, an imprint of Turner Publishing Company
- Published
- Pages
- 228
- Formats
- Hardcover
- Subjects
- History › Wars & Conflicts › World War II
History › United States › 20th Century - Topics
- American home front · espionage · spies and saboteurs · military intelligence · declassified history · wartime America
- ISBN-13
- 9780471234883
About the author
WILLIAM B. BREUER was an American soldier, journalist, and military historian who authored more than 25 books, 14 of which were main selections of the Military Book Club. His books include The Great Raid on Cabanatuan.
Breuer’s book The Great Raid on Cabanatuan was adapted into the 2005 film The Great Raid.
Breuer volunteered for combat duty during World War II, landing with the first assault waves on D-Day in Normandy and fighting through five campaigns in the European Theatre, including the Battle of the Bulge. After the war he became publisher and owner of The Rolla Daily Herald before moving to Chicago in 1982 to pursue a full-time writing career. His military experience informed his specialization in World War II history.