 Cover for the First Edition | |
| Author | Anthony Cave Brown |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | D-Day |
| Publisher | Harper and Row |
Publication date | 1975 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Hardcover (2 volumes) |
| Pages | 947 |
| ISBN | 978-1-59921-383-5 |
Bodyguard of Lies is a 1975 non-fiction book on Allied military deception operations during World War II written by Anthony Cave Brown. His first major historical work, it derives its name from a wartime quote of Winston Churchill, and offers a narrative account of aspects of both the Allied and German intelligence operations during the war. The British and American governments resisted Brown's attempts to research the book. Many of the topics were still classified and he was denied access to British war records. The material in the book is predominantly based on oral testimony as well as some American records, declassified toward the end of Brown's research.
Critical reception has been mixed, initially more balanced, generally more negative with time. Contemporary historians, such as Charles B. MacDonald, praised the work – although some did comment on its length. Modern reviewers have identified inconsistencies or errors in the material, based on later declassified records. Also, some of Brown's personal conclusions have been questioned.