The Wizard War

In this dramatic first-hand account of military intelligence triumphs, secretive detective work, and true-life espionage dramas, R.V. Jones reveals the true story of the vital role the scientific community played during World War II. At 28 years old, Jones was summoned by Churchill to be a part of the clandestine British Scientific Intelligence community at Whitehall in London. From 1939 to 1945, Jones and his colleagues were tasked with coming up with countermeasures to German applications of science in the war. Projects he worked on during this "Wizard War," as Churchill called their efforts, sought to find technical ways to combat Germany’s applications of science during the war, including newly developed navigational beams, chaff, and radar. Jones was directly responsible for breaking Germany’s navigational beam system, which Luftwaffe bombers had been using to destroy British targets with devastating accuracy. This success with the "Battle of the Beams" proved critical in the outcome of the Battle of Britain. He also devised defenses against deadly German retaliation weapons such as the V-1 flying bomb and the V-2 rocket, as well as their nascent nuclear weaponry developments. His work with radar enabled the success of the Allied bomber offensive, played a key role in preparations for D-Day, and helped the Allies achieve ultimate victory. This highly acclaimed memoir is a masterpiece of British military history. With abundant humor, humility, and details, Jones offers a riveting insider’s perspective on the scientific achievements and strategic decisions made during the Second World War