The Brenner Assignment

The Untold Story of the Most Daring Spy Mission of World War II

By: Patrick K. O'Donnell

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris

Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)

Like a scene from Where Eagles Dare, a small team of American spies parachutes into Italy behind enemy lines. Their orders: link up with local partisans and sabotage the well-guarded Brenner Pass - the Nazis' crucial supply route through the Alps - thereby bringing the German war effort in Italy to a grinding halt.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2008 Patrick K. O'Donnell (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"In a story so full of plot twists, intrigue, danger, and violent death as to top any bestseller list, O'Donnell recounts the true story of a U.S. mission to sabotage a critical Nazi supply route in the Italian Alps. Dennis Boutsikaris presents the journalistic account in the way it was written—as a James Bond thriller." ( AudioFile)

"O'Donnell clearly enjoys narrating war’s gristle along with its meat; small successes and failures ground the story in the reality of sabotage, reconnaissance, capture and escape, torture and murder. Along the way, the participants’ motivations, allegiances, thoughts and actions come alive in vigorous, exciting prose. A taut real-life thriller." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"With thorough research and new interviews, O'Donnell provides an insightful look into the internal struggles of the burgeoning OSS as well as a real-life espionage adventure of bravery, ingenuity and sacrifice." ( Publishers Weekly)

Fantastic story

Amazing story of courage. True story pieced together by the author. Narrator added much to the story., Any ww2 enthusiast should listen.

Story that deserves to be heard

Those men belonged to a different generation. I can only imagine the countless tales of heroism and bravery that will never be told. After the war, most of these men returned to their normal lives and work, rarely discussing their time in service, let alone any clandestine activities. One significant revelation I've learned is the reason behind the disbandment of the OSS. War brings together unlikely allies, and it turns out there were several communists who fought alongside OSS officers. This may have raised concerns, leading to the suspension of the entire organization after the war. Unfortunately, we didn't do a thorough enough job of removing communists from our government.

Interesting History

It’s a factual history of war and sacrifice. How these men were able to operate behind enemy lines is a testament to their bravery and commitment to the ideal all people should fight evil and remain free. A good listen.

Great story

overall was a good reading, but i felt a lack of rhythm. Sometimes i would like to get more involved with the characters and the story, but i couldnt. Sometimes it seemed more like a documentary than a story.

Incredible!

What an incredible story of heroism and bravery. Well documented and written. Strongly recommend this book.