Spies In The Sky: The Secret Battle for Aerial Intelligence during World War II
by Taylor Downing
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SPIES IN THE SKY is the thrilling, little-known story of the partner organisation to the famous code-breaking centre at Bletchley Park. It is the story of the daring reconnaissance pilots who took aerial photographs over Occupied Europe during the most dangerous days of the Second World War, and of the photo interpreters who invented a completely new science to analyse those pictures. They were inventive and ingenious; they pioneered the development of 3D photography and their work provided show more vital intelligence throughout the war. With a whole host of colourful characters at its heart, from the legendary pilot Adrian 'Warby' Warburton, who went missing while on a mission, to photo interpreters Glyn Daniel, later a famous television personality, and Winston Churchill's daughter, Sarah, SPIES IN THE SKY is compelling reading and the first full account of the story of aerial photography and the intelligence gleaned from it in nearly fifty years. show lessTags
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A book for all those that have read about Bletchley park and the enigma code breaking.
This details an unsung part of the intelligence gathering of WW2, the collection of aerial photography. The book covers the use of cameras in planes in WW1 and follows through to the buildup to the war in 1939, and into the war. The pilots of these aircraft flew high, fast and unarmed and were some of the bravest pilots in the airforce.
The assessment side of the operation was streets ahead of the Americans as well, but by the end of the war they had 'borrowed' most of the techniques for their own use.
Well worth a read.
This details an unsung part of the intelligence gathering of WW2, the collection of aerial photography. The book covers the use of cameras in planes in WW1 and follows through to the buildup to the war in 1939, and into the war. The pilots of these aircraft flew high, fast and unarmed and were some of the bravest pilots in the airforce.
The assessment side of the operation was streets ahead of the Americans as well, but by the end of the war they had 'borrowed' most of the techniques for their own use.
Well worth a read.
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ThingScore 25
This book by Taylor Downing, a television producer and author of Churchill's War Lab, claims that "the photo interpreters working at Medmenham invented nothing less than a completely new science". According to Downing, their work was "more important to the outcome of the war than that of the Bletchley Park codebreakers". Most bullishly of all, we are told that "80% of all intelligence in world show more war II came from aerial photography". This factoid perhaps deserves a medal from the Ministry of Made-up Statistics. On page 335 of his book, Downing admits that the oft-repeated claim is in fact extrapolated from one American's statement specifically about the supply route from Burma to China. show less
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Author Information
20 Works 655 Members
Taylor Downing is a television producer and writer. He was educated at Cambridge University. His most recent books include Spies in the Sky, Churchill's War Lab; Cold War (with Sir Jeremy Isaacs); and Night Raid. He lives in England.
Awards and Honors
Common Knowledge
- People/Characters
- Sidney Cotton; F. W. Winterbotham; Geoffrey Tuttle; Peter Riddell; Douglas Kendall; Michael Spender (show all 19); Adrian Warburton; Hugh Hamshaw Thomas; Michael Spender; Glyn Daniel; Claude Wavell; Sarah Churchill; Constance Babington Smith; Sir Arthur Harris; Elliott Roosevelt; R. V. Jones; Werner von Braun; Lemnos Hemming; Lady Charlotte Bonham Carter (née Ogilvy)
- Important places
- RAF Medmenham, Danesfield House, Medmenham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK; Danesfield House, Medmenham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK; Heston Aerodrome, London, England, UK; RAF Benson, Benson, Oxfordshire, England, UK; RAF Malta, Malta; Severomorsk, Murmansk, Russia (as Vaenga) (show all 8); Saint-Jouin-Bruneval, Normandy, France; Peenemünde, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
- Important events
- World War II (1939 | 1945); Operation Biting (1942-02-27 | 1942-02-28); Operation Overlord (1944-06-06 | 1944-08-30); Operation Market Garden (1944-09-17 | 1944-09-25); Battle of the Bulge (1944-12-16 | 1945-01-25)
- Dedication
- To the Keepers of the Flame
- First words
- The story of Danesfield House. known as RAF Medmenham, has much in common with that of Bletchley Park, home of the code breakers who succeded in listening in to the enemy's most intimate communications.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)The rest is... Google Earth.
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, History, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 940.548641 — History & geography History of Europe History of Europe 1918- Military history of World War II Other Topics Unconventional warfare of Allies Europe British Isles
- LCC
- D810 .S7 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania History (General) World War II (1939-1945)
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 81
- Popularity
- 392,660
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.94)
- Languages
- Dutch, English, Polish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 6
- ASINs
- 3
