A moving reimagining of the man at the heart of Operation Mincemeat

‘It is a story of why men go to war, it is also a heart-wrenching love story’ Nina Bawden

William Maryngton has just one dream: to fight for his country, as his late father did. Devoted and honourable, he knows no fear – yet somehow, he always misses the battle; too young for the First World War, too old for the Second. Operation Heartbreak follows Willie’s life, through youthful idealism, love affairs and disappointed hopes, until, finally, he gets the chance to make a difference. Duff Cooper’s bittersweet novel, inspired by the real events of Operation Mincemeat, is a poignant tale of dreams of glory, and what it means to be true.

‘Supremely moving ... Its ending is as unexpected as it is affecting’ Wall Street Journal

"Operation Heartbreak pulls off the trick of revealing the fascinating hidden workings of the British War Office within a supremely moving and well-wrought tale... Its ending is as unexpected as it is affecting" - Wall Street Journal

"[A work of] jewel-like brevity and intensity" - New York Herald Tribune

"A first novel of great distinction . . . a delightful tragi-comedy of military manners. It has been constructed by Duff Cooper with a truly dramatic economy and told with humour, deep feeling and considerable skill" - Daily Telegraph