'Not a word is wasted in this gem of a 1950 novel, inspired by the secret wartime plan' The Times

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

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

Not a word is wasted in this gem of a 1950 novel, inspired by the secret wartime plan. A perfect novel . . . a pleasure to read . . . But how does all this fit into the historical Operation Mincemeat? Ah, that is the most brilliant part of all - a shock, a joy and a perfect shift in the story that it would be terrible to spoil. You will simply have to read it for yourself, and see why Operation Heartbreak has earned its classic status * The Times *
Operation Mincemeat has inspired books, films and musicals, but Cooper’s role as a wartime Cabinet minister brings authentic detail . . . moving and bittersweet * Daily Mail *
Poignant and moving, all the more for being adjacent to reality * Evening Standard *
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 *
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 -- Nina Bawden
As creditable, as surprising, as abundantly and elegantly good, as anything else Duff Cooper turned his mind and hand to -- Michael Hofmann

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 Talleyrand, Operation Heartbreak and his autobiography, Old Men Forget. He died in 1954.