QOH's Reviews > Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: The Mavericks Who Plotted Hitler's Defeat

This is a sort of greatest hits of Britain's clandestine guerilla warfare during WWII. The ministry (once it had some legitimacy in the government, that is; there were plenty of people who were opposed to sabotage and assassination as ways of waging war, and they were vocal) and the people who ran it take a backseat to the missions themselves. This is probably for the best, since internecine government battles don't make the most interesting reading, but blowing up a heavy water plant does.

This is by no means an exhaustive look at the history of clandestine warfare during the war, and the sources cited are really thin. But accepting that it's very much a one-sided story doesn't make it any more entertaining to read. (It did make the portrayal of the old-school soldiers, horrified at what was being done in this ministry, as stodgy, backward, interfering ninnies rather suspicious, though.)

I find the reactions to the book fascinating. A number of reviewers seem to be dewy-eyed at the spy-novel quality of the stories, and sure, they are pretty impressive. A number are also appalled by what they read, and again, rightfully so. It's bad stuff. (There doesn't seem to be a middle ground; is that because people are politically polarized? I don't know. It's something that struck me as odd.)

Because the sources are thin (which means I couldn't take this at face value without doing further research) and because the breezy storytelling style did get old: 3.5 stars. Worth reading, though, especially if you aren't OCD about sources.

Disclaimer: I read an ARC via Goodreads giveaway. While I'm quite willing to be bought, my price is a lot higher than one book. (I guess it might depend on the book, but so far my reviewing virtue remains intact.)