The Man Who Never Was (book) facts for kids

The Man Who Never Was is a book written in 1953 by Ewen Montagu. It tells the true story of Operation Mincemeat during World War II. Montagu was a key part of this secret plan in 1943. The goal was to trick the Germans about where the Allied forces would attack next.

The plan involved placing a dead body in the ocean near Spain. Strong currents would carry it to shore. A skilled German secret agent was known to work in that area. The body was made to look like a Royal Marine officer named William Martin. He was given fake letters in a briefcase. These letters suggested the Allies would invade Greece and Sardinia. This was meant to hide the real target, which was Sicily.

Montagu's book later became a movie with the same name in 1956.

The Story Behind the Book

In 1950, Duff Cooper wrote a spy novel called Operation Heartbreak. Cooper was a former government minister who knew about Operation Mincemeat. His book included a similar plot idea. In his story, a body with fake papers was floated off the coast of Spain. This was done to trick the Germans.

Because of this book, British security services decided to tell the real story of Operation Mincemeat. Ewen Montagu quickly wrote The Man Who Never Was over a weekend. The book became very popular and sold two million copies. It also became the basis for the 1956 film.

The security services did not let Montagu share every detail of the secret operation. He was careful not to mention how they used secret messages to confirm the plan worked. He also made the operation seem like a one-time, unusual event. He did not want to suggest that there was a larger plan for tricking the enemy. Later, in 1977, Montagu wrote another book called Beyond Top Secret U. This book was about his experiences during the war. It shared more details about Operation Mincemeat and other secret missions.