The Ghost Army of World War II is a new book about the "tactical deception unit" of artists, ad directors, actors, and other creative folks who used inflatable tanks, sound effects trucks, and good ol' fashioned bullshit to trick the German forces.
Above, a trailer for the book, penned by Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles:
Many of the deceivers were recruited from art schools, including such future luminaries as Bill Blass, Ellsworth Kelly, Arthur Singer, and Art Kane. As they traveled across Europe, they filled their duffel bags with the drawings and paintings they created between missions. Based on meticulous research and interviews with surviving members of the Ghost Army, and lavishly illustrated with the soldiers' original artwork and never-before published documents, The Ghost Army of World War II tells the riveting true story of a group of young artists and engineers who wielded imagination, paint, and bravado to save thousands of American lives and help win the war.
The Ghost Army of World War II by Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles
And here's Beyer's recent PBS documentary about The Ghost Army.
