Operation Heartbreak

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

[A work of] jewel-like brevity and intensity

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

It is the novel I enjoyed more than any other in the immediate post-war years, and one I have read many times since with undiminished pleasure and growing admiration for Duff Cooper's skill. It is a story of why men go to war, it is also a heart-wrenching love story; a wonderful novel by a masterly writer that should be on everyone's bookshelf

As creditable, as surprising, as abundantly and elegantly good, as anything else Duff Cooper turned his mind and hand to

Alfred Duff Cooper was a statesman, diplomat and author. Born in 1890, he won the DSO as a second lieutenant in the First World War, and entered Parliament in 1923. His life was devoted to politics until 1938 when, as First Lord of the Admiralty, he resigned in protest at the Munich Agreement. Called back to office by Churchill in 1940, his wartime career culminated in his appointment as Ambassador to France. Shortly before his death he was made 1st Viscount Norwich. Among his best-known books are Talleryrand, Operation Heartbreak and his autobiography, Old Men Forget. He died in 1954.

William Maryngton has one dream in life: to fight for his country, as his father did. Yet, by the time Armistice is reached in 1918, he is too young to fulfil his greatest wish. As time passes, Willie finds himself increasingly out of sync with the evolving nature of warfare and civilian life. Yet, when conflict reignites between Germany and England, he is selected for a secret mission that could determine the outcome of the Second World War. 
 
Inspired by the true events of the 1943 mission codenamed “Operation Mincemeat”, and based on classified information from Churchill's war cabinet, Operation Heartbreak was suppressed by the British government until 1950. It is the only novel that Duff Cooper ever wrote, and remains a timeless exploration of unfulfilled ambition and personal sacrifice, offering a deeply moving portrayal of a man caught between his aspirations and the inexorable march of history.

Duff Cooper

Exquisite prose, political experience and decadent worldliness... Duff Cooper's perennial work has stood the test of time

Duff Cooper's classic biography charts the remarkable progress of Talleyrand; a silver-tongued master diplomat, infamous turncoat, peacekeeper and libertine. Talleyrand held high office in five successive regimes from France's Ancient Regime, into the Revolution of 1789, Robespierre's Terror, Napoleon's epic wars, and on through restored kings to more revolution. Duff Cooper brings Talleyrand vividly to life and paints an exhilarating picture of this tumultuous period in European history

Duff Cooper

Praise for Talleyrand

Exquisite prose, political experience and decadent worldliness... Duff Cooper's perennial work has stood the test of time

One of the ornaments of English letters

Masterly

Exquisite prose, political experience and decadent worldliness... Duff Cooper's perennial work has stood the test of time

One of the ornaments of English letters

Masterly

Exquisite prose, political experience and decadent worldliness... Duff Cooper's perennial work has stood the test of time

One of the ornaments of English letters

Masterly

Books by Duff Cooper

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