Agent Garbo

The Brilliant, Eccentric Secret Agent Who Tricked Hitler & Saved D-Day

By: Stephan Talty

Narrated by: Clinton Wade

Before he remade himself as the master spy known as Garbo, Juan Pujol was nothing more than a Barcelona poultry farmer. But as Garbo, he turned in a masterpiece of deception that changed the course of World War II. Posing as the Nazis’ only reliable spy inside England, he created an imaginary million-man army, invented armadas out of thin air, and brought a vast network of fictional subagents to life. The scheme culminated on June 6, 1944, when Garbo convinced the Germans that the Allied forces approaching Normandy were just a feint - the real invasion would come at Calais. Because of his brilliant trickery, the Allies were able to land with much less opposition and eventually push on to Berlin.

As incredible as it sounds, everything in Agent Garbo is true, based on years of archival research and interviews with Pujol’s family. This pulse-pounding thriller set in the shadow world of espionage and deception reveals the shocking reality of spycraft that occurs just below the surface of history.

©2012 Stephen Talty (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The book presses ever forward down a path of historical marvels and astonishing facts. The effect is like a master class that’s accessible to anyone, and Agent Garbo often reads as though it were written in a single, perfect draft." ( The Atlantic)

"Stephan Talty’s unsurpassed research brings forth one of the war’s greatest agents in a must-read book for those who think they know all the great World War II stories." (Gregory Freeman, author of The Forgotten 500)

Classic Spy Story But Real, Meaningful

Story, performance flows like an Ian Fleming novel with plenty of suspense, plot twists, mistakes, etc. Yet, all real with historical impact.

Must buy

Espionage at it's finest. Fantastic, a much for any WW2 buff. 4 words remaining, Dave.

A good read

I enjoyed this World War II historical novel and the mostly unknown , but crucial, contribution of Juan puhol Agent Garbo.

This is the best, most interesting account of agent Garbo I've ever heard or read.

The level of detail is incredible. Juan Pujol Garcia's story comes alive. As far as I know there is no better book on the subject.

great story

I knew a lot about the spy Garbo, from tv but I learned so much more from this book

Heroism stranger than fiction!

Would you listen to Agent Garbo again? Why?

Yes. It's so over the top that you it's like something out of Hollywood but it's completely real. It makes you believe that extraordinary selflessness still exists.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Garbo because he's larger than life and yet is someone you would walk by on the street and never notice hi,.

Which scene was your favorite?

All of them?

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Get Garbo: The Greatest Spy

Narrator needs to work on his German.

This was a well-written story. The narrator has a great voice. My only issue is his German language skill. While he did a decent job with the vocabulary, his emphasis is wrong on almost every German word. It may be a picky point but it makes it a bit challenging for German speakers.

AMAZING story and expert storyteller

What made the experience of listening to Agent Garbo the most enjoyable?

I was enthralled with the way that Talty weaves the story of secret agent Joan Pujol with the stories of his family, other agents, and the greater historical picture. Talty did a great job of meticulously collecting details and quotes that make you feel like you understand the man behind the Garbo legend.

Any additional comments?

I will definitely be checking out more books by Stephan Talty in the future! It's his insights into the people and their motivations that really draws you into the amazing story.

must listen

loved the book. The narrator is kinda lame but the story is absolutely fascinating

Fascinating

Truly fascinating story. Opens your eyes to all that it took for the allies to win the war. Well researched and performed.