The Illusionist

The True Story of the Man Who Fooled Hitler

Robert Hutton

The astonishing story of how in 1942, in Egypt, Colonel Dudley Clarke's ingenious "A Force" thwarted the Nazis while inventing a whole new playbook of military deception.

Cairo, 1942: If you had asked a British officer who Colonel Clarke was, they would have been able to point him out. Always ready with a drink and a story, Clarke was a well-known figure in Cairo social circles and nightlife. If you then asked what he did, you would have less success. Those who knew didn't tell—and almost no one really knew at all.

Clarke thought of himself as developing a new kind of weapon. Its components? Rumor, stagecraft, a sense of fun. Its target? The mind of Erwin Rommel, Hitler's greatest general. Throughout history, military commanders have sought to mislead their opponents. Dudley Clarke set out to do it on a scale no one had imagined before. Even afterwards, almost no one understood the magnitude of his achievement.

Drawing on recently released documents and hugely expanding on the louche portrait of Clarke as seen in SAS: Rogue Warriors, journalist and historian Robert Hutton reveals the amazing story of Clarke's "A Force,” the invention of the SAS and the Commandos, and the masterful hoodwinking of the Desert Fox at the battle of El Alamein.

The Illusionist tells for the first time the dazzling tale of how, at a pivotal moment in the war, British eccentricity and imagination combined to thwart the Nazis and save innumerable lives—on both sides.

Robert Hutton is the author of Agent Jack: The True Story of MI5’s Secret Nazi Hunter. For sixteen years he was Bloomberg’s UK Political Correspondent. Robert lives in London.

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Endorsements & Reviews

"A full and satisfying biography of a man who exemplified irregular warfare, British style. Thanks to his extensive research and skill as a writer, Mr. Hutton tells Clarke’s story in detail without losing the reader’s attention. We now know a lot more about Clarke—but not everything. Some mystery remains, which is how Clarke would have wanted it." The Wall Street Journal

"The rollicking tale of an eccentric but talented British military officer who deceived the Nazis on an unprecedented scale. A delightful account of a crucial piece of the Allied victory." Kirkus Reviews, starred

Advance praise for The Illusionist:

"A cracking tale. With admiration and pacy prose, Robert Hutton tracks one of the great characters of World War II. Expect ingenuity and eccentricity by the barrow-load.” Sonia Purnell, New York Times bestselling author of A Woman of No Importance

"Hutton has revealed the brilliance of the 'master of deception,’ Dudley Clarke. It took a true creative eccentric like Clarke to become the brains behind the success of the SAS and commandos in North Africa. Meticulously researched, The Illusionist is simply superb.” Helen Fry, author of From Dachau to D-Day and Freud's War

Praise for Agent Jack:

"An appealing mix of accessibility and research. Hutton has illuminated a fascinating and often appalling side of the war at home." The Wall Street Journal 

"Capably bringing to light a forgotten World War II story, Hutton has done an impressive job assembling transcripts, letters, interviews, and declassified documents into a delicious spy story. A delightful account of World War II espionage." Kirkus Reviews (starred)

"This entertaining, detailed narrative presents a chilling portrait of England under siege." Publishers Weekly

"Robert Hutton has written a well-researched, highly readable account of Roberts's strange undercover life." Ben Macintyre, The Times (London)

"Eye-opening from start to finish. Pacy, original and frequently chilling, Hutton offers a fascinating new take on the story of the Home Front." Henry Hemming, author of M: Maxwell Knight, MI5's Greatest Spymaster

"Robert Hutton's deeply researched, often astounding book describes how a loose network of homegrown fascists plotted to undermine wartime Britain, and explains the ingenious way MI5 attempted to neutralize them. Hutton includes transcripts of eavesdropped conversations with these fanatics that would make your hair stand on end." Anthony Quinn, The Guardian