The Ghost Army: Conning the Third Reich

Our story is about the genesis and evolution of these phantoms and men-who-never-were, these artists and magicians at the front line who operated in stealth and secrecy.

Throughout the course of World War II, Allied forces engaged in elaborate deceptions to fool Hitler's armies. A ragtag group of Bohemian artists and creatives were assembled to devise these strategies, including rubber dummy tanks, faux railway lines and falsified wireless intelligence. They made armies appear out of thin air, baffling German forces and ensuring Allied success in battle. For fifty years, information on the Ghost Army strategies was classified. It is only recently that details of their heroic actions have come to light.

This book includes details of SHAEF command centre who organised many of the deceptions, the First US Army Group (the so-called 'Ghost Army'), the 23rd Camouflage Engineers, and accounts of the double cross agents who risked their lives and freedom to mislead Nazi High Command. Featuring never-before-seen information from veteran interviews, The Ghost Army brings to life the fascinating story of the men and women who conned Adolf Hitler.

Gerry and Janet Souter are a prolific and wide-ranging author team with a total of 58 traditionally published books in the fields of U. S. history, military history, biographies, fine arts, memoir, young adult, auto racing, computers and business.

Both come from a fine arts background having studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, Janet in advertising art and Gerry in photography, and the University of Chicago degree program.

They have travelled extensively, Janet in the travel industry and Gerry as an international photojournalist, documentary film maker and award-winning video/television producer, writer and director. Gerry has flown with the Blue Angels, rode the wing of a Stearman crop duster, parachuted with the Golden Knights, free-ballooned over the Colorado Rocky Mountains, boated marlin off Cabo St. Lucas, sailed on the Nile in a felucca and travelled by camel across the Egyptian Sahara. Gerry is also a certified expert marksman, has won ribbons at English-saddle show jumping, and drove a 650 HP Indianapolis race car on the Joliet, Illinois Speedway.

Their books published in the U.S. and U.K, include: The Founding of the United States Experience, Our Founding Fathers, The Vietnam War Experience, The Afghanistan-Iraq Wars, Battle Tanks, Modern Military Rifles and Careers in the United States Secret Service and Federal Protective Service. Fine art titles include: Camille Claudel, Edward Hopper-Light and Dark, Diego Rivera, Georgia O'Keeffe, Frida Kahlo-Beneath the Mirror, Malevich-Journey into Infinity and American Realists.

Gerry and Janet's world travels and adventures in the U.K., Ireland, France, Germany, Egypt, Venezuela, Mexico, the Caribbean, China, Africa, Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, Marseilles, Maracaibo, Jamaica, Canadian Northwest Territories, and all 48 States in the U.S. give them a broad knowledge base and writing experience in a variety of genres and voices for their readers. Their three grown children all have careers in fine arts and communications.

The Souters' home is in Arlington Heights, Illinois, USA.