DOUBLE CROSSED: THE WWII SPIES WHO SAVED D-DAY, by Rebecca E. F. Barone, Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), April 28, 2026, Hardcover, $19.99 (ages 10 and up)
Discover how allied forces used spies and double agents to deceive the Nazis in Double Crossed: The WWII Spies Who Save D-Day, by Rebecca E. F. Barone.
In the fall of 1943, German troops controlled nearly all of continental Europe. The one chance the Allies had of punching through the German front meant keeping the enemy distracted and in the dark. They had to take the Germans by surprise on “D-Day.”
The mission: trick the Germans into believing the Allies would strike anywhere but their true target, the beaches of Normandy. Featuring historical photos and breathtaking true accounts, Double Crossed tells the exhilarating story of Operation Bodyguard, the mind-boggling effort to lay a false trail for the Germans using fake armies, decoy landings, and the covert work of double agents and spies who risked their lives. With millions of lives hanging in the balance, victory―or defeat―in World War II depended on the Nazis being caught unaware. —Synopsis provided by Henry Holt and Co.
Double Crossed is a fast-moving narrative nonfiction read that holds attention from the first chapter. Author Rebecca E. F. Barone has a knack for taking historical facts and turning them into, at times, nail-biting moments.
Barone appeals to young (and old) readers by profiling multiple spies and “handlers” from across Europe. Photographs and primary-source excerpts bring those people to life. Images also help to break up the text, giving readers natural resting points. Short chapters (38 across approximately 220 pages) also help with accessibility.
The best part of Double Crossed? Even though it reads like a movie, the events were real. It’s rare for a nonfiction book to have such great crossover appeal, but this one does. History, suspense, mystery, spies, adventure, sacrifice, friendship and the highest of high stakes. There’s really something in Double Crossed for almost every reader.
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