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The Walls Have Ears

The Greatest Intelligence Operation of World War II

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The Walls Have Ears

By: Helen Fry
Narrated by: Jean Gilpin
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About this listen

A history of the elaborate and brilliantly sustained World War II intelligence operation by which Hitler's generals were tricked into giving away vital Nazi secrets...

At the outbreak of World War II, MI6 spymaster Thomas Kendrick arrived at the Tower of London to set up a top secret operation: German prisoners' cells were to be bugged and listeners installed behind the walls to record and transcribe their private conversations. This mission proved so effective that it would go on to be set up at three further sites - and provide the Allies with crucial insight into new technology being developed by the Nazis.

In this astonishing history, Helen Fry uncovers the inner workings of the bugging operation. On arrival at stately-homes-turned-prisons like Trent Park, high-ranking German generals and commanders were given a "phony" interrogation, then treated as "guests," wined and dined at exclusive clubs, and encouraged to talk. And so it was that the Allies got access to some of Hitler's most closely guarded secrets - and from those most entrusted to protect them.

©2019 Helen Fry (P)2019 Random House Audio 20th Century Europe Freedom & Security Great Britain Military Modern Politics & Government Espionage England War Interwar Period Imperialism

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All stars
Most relevant  
A story that just shows you what went on in the war behind the scenes.

Shows how Bad the Nazis were.

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Well read, nice to appreciate knowledge from a new angle, much of the information was new to me

Well worth the time

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As a nation, we're always putting ourselves down but this book reveals the vast and untapped potential of our understated national character.
The work at these listening centres undoubtedly had a massively beneficial effect on the war effort and al done in the most civilised fashion by men of great vision and determination.
Finishing this book has made a huge difference to my understanding of human nature too so time very well spent learning across a number of fronts.

The title says it all

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i can't believe that high ranking German commanders and other high ranking officers would not have thought they just might be bugged? I mean they refused to answer questions and were not tortured. maybe they thought that us Brits were all bowler hats and umbrellas? And it's not Cricket
The Germans gave our people truth drugs and stuff, I am amazed that they never thought "what would we do"
The stuff with the V3 and the Nuclear race was interesting and good to know that as I have read in other books, We knew about the camps and done F All.
So a lot of the German generals got away with murder well that's a surprise and the scientists created the space race.
Good book and a good interesting voice to speak it

How Stupid were the Germans?

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A triumph of research into one of the more arcane details of the war in Europe 1939-45. The work of Kendrick et al at Trent Park was clearly instrumental in planning the Allied response to German innovations and military strategy.

However as a narrative the account meanders into long lists of people, and undeveloped pieces of detail. Which makes for a difficult listen. I suspect this book is better to read than to listen to, as the account cries out for illustration and period photographs to help the non expert follow the detail.

The narrator is fine, with exemplary German pronunciation of names, and an engaging tone.

Overall if you have an interest in military intelligence, and British treatment and exploitation of POWs in WWII, this may be of interest, especially the accounts of taking Nazi POWs on nights out in Central London!

Comprehensive, but...

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My first experience of an audio book could not have been better. A very intersesting subject delivered with the crystal clear voice of Jean Gilpin. Thoroughly enjoyable experience all in. Hats off to Helen Fry and the team for giving us perhaps just a glimpse of what these people did for the British war effort, my deepest gratitude to all of them.

Stunning

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This book makes the bold claim in the first few sentences that this was “the greatest intelligence operation of WWII”.

It wasn’t.

Within the next few minutes the author notes OP BODYGUARD, which was arguably the greatest intelligence operation of the war.

Apart from this obvious error the story is good, but is let down by a simplistic writing style and a rather school-mistress approach to the narration.

As a result I was not engaged by the story, nor the narration. This is a pity as it feels like there is a lot more that can be drawn out from the files.

Interesting story let down by bad writing and poor narration

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interesting detail around the intelligence but the narrator is awful. The most annoying is the dates (1. November instead of first November) followed closely by the awful German pronunciation. if you can't speak German, add a second narrator who can and can give the translation. it sounded a bit "Allo Allo" to me.

interesting story. terrible narration

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An incredible account of wartime intelligence ingenuity that rates along side the better know code breaking successes. The detail in this book means that this is a work for WW2 enthusiasts and scholars of intelligence rather than the casual reader, but it is fascinating account none the less.

British intelligence at it's best

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makes me proud to be British. Cunning, no coercion and no torture.
Film needed.

Fascinating. Ingenuous work

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