Spy Pigeon

Even though my spy novel is dead in the water, I still enjoy reading books and articles about espionage. During World War II, the Allies used pigeons to take aerial photographs (miniature aluminum cameras were strapped to the birds’ chests) and to carry messages. Pigeons fly home, so each bird could only be used for one-way transmission. Pigeons in cages equipped with small parachutes were dropped behind enemy lines where resistance fighters tied messages to their legs and sent them back.

Recently, the skeleton of a pigeon was found in an unused chimney in Britain. Apparently this tiny agent had stopped to rest and was overcome by fumes. The tube containing the encoded message is still intact and has been sent to Bletchley Park for deciphering. I hope they figure out what it says.   

More Spy Stuff:

I’m currently reading Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, and have marveled at it so far. I may write more about this book when I finish. 

For spies gone bad, Spying In America by Michael J. Sulick sounds like a well-researched and interesting non-fiction work.