The Secret War of Charles Fraser-Smith - Charles Fraser-Smith

If you've been paying attention, you'll remember that I reviewed a biography of Desmond Llewelyn, the actor who played "Q" for most of the James Bond movies. But, this particular gentleman is the real-life person who inspired that character. Fraser-Smith even worked with Ian Fleming (author of James Bond novels) here and there. He wasn't real impressed with Fleming's gadgets, but that's a tale for another time.

Charles was a civilian working to supply the more secret parts of the war with interesting gadgets. Things like hidden compasses, maps, ink for making forged documents, radios, and other needed items made their way behind enemy lines and into POW camps. He also was responsible for helping members of resistance and SOE (Special Operations Executive) make sure they could blend into their environment once they were dropped behind enemy lines. Clothing was only the first step. Details I would've never thought of such as the right tobacco, matches, and current forms of currency (which was changed constantly) were almost always perfect.

This is a short book, coming in at 155 pages, but I enjoyed every page. I appreciated the writing style, and how the author chose to add in anecdotes to get his feelings across. He passes on his frustration at those suppliers who dragged their feet and praised those who whole-heartedly wanted to help. He had a fabulous mind for coming up with things and a great network of people who helped him make those ideas a reality. This was a great little book. If you can get your hands on it, I highly recommend it. Good Book!