Secret Alliances : Special Operations and Intelligence in Norway 1940–1945 – The British Perspective

Europe, 1940. Nazi

forces sweep across the continent, with a British invasion likely only weeks

away. Never before has a resistance movement been so crucial to the war effort.

In this comprehensive

appraisal of Anglo-Norwegian cooperation in the Second World War, Tony Insall

reveals some of the most striking successes of the Norwegian resistance,

particularly the reports produced by the heroic SIS agents living in the

country’s desolate wilderness. Their coast-watching intelligence highlighted

the movements of the German fleet and led to counter-strikes that sank many

enemy ships – most notably the Tirpitz in November 1944.

Delving deep into the

archives, Insall also shows how SIS and SOE’s effective cooperation with their

Norwegian counterparts produced some of the most remarkable achievements of the

war.

This fully updated

edition draws on a wealth of new source material, revealing previously unknown

stories of fraught sea crossings, a disastrous British-Norwegian operation,

covert dealings with the Russians and much more.

Author: Tony Insall

c 1939 to c 1945 (including WW2), Second World War

Published on 23 Apr 2026 by Biteback Publishing.