Hoodwinked: Deception and Resistance

Ian A. Andrews is editor of the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association’s Focus and co-author of Becoming a Teacher.

Hoodwinked is a novel way to investigate World War II. Rather than
focusing on operations or battle action, it looks at behind-the-scenes
war planning that resulted in both successes and failures. The authors
gleaned much of their information from files that have been declassified
and released to the public over the last 60 years.

The book is divided into two parts: “Deception” and
“Resistance.” Part 1 describes the various strategies that Allied
planners used (decoys, camouflage, propaganda, impersonation, double
agents, fictitious troops) to trick Axis leaders into thinking contrary
operations were going to take place. The strategies provided a tactical
edge that often spelled the difference between success and failure.

Part 2 describes the Allies’ unconventional attempts to hinder Axis
operations. Although the British established the Special Operations
Executive (SOE), which trained spies to infiltrate enemy territory, the
actions of local resistance movements (from the Coastwatchers on the
Solomon Islands to the partisans in Russia, Yugoslavia, France, Norway,
and the Netherlands) were critical to Allied success. Also covered is
the Jewish fight for survival in the Warsaw Ghetto.

Short biographies of the major military leaders (Stalin, Hitler, Tito,
Montgomery, Eisenhower, Patton), sidebars explaining related events, and
highlighted definitions of military terms provide historical context and
continuity to the narrative. The text is illustrated with David
Craig’s fine artwork—the maps being especially helpful to young
readers. Highly recommended.