Review: WWII Spy School

When World War II broke out in Europe, President Franklin Roosevelt knew it was just a matter of time before the United States became involved.

He knew the U.S. needed special agents to gather intelligence about what was going on. There was only 1 problem. The United States had no spies or covert operatives or anyone to train any volunteers.

Britain Was Well-Versed in the Spy Trade

Roosevelt turned to Winston Churchill because the Brits were all too familiar with the need for spies and intelligence gathering. They faced a problem though. There could be no training facility or school for spies in the U.S. because our country wasn't officially at war. So the British experts in the spy world started Camp X, a school for spies located near Toronto, Canada, and America began sending likely candidates there for training.

The Mysterious Camp X

World War II Spy School is the story of Camp X and its graduates, Americans who learned how to do the dirty jobs sometimes necessary in defending their country and gathering intelligence against the enemy. The OSS, a top-secret spy agency hatched by Roosevelt and Churchill was the forerunner of the CIA.

With excerpts from the manual that served as its training bible, this documentary is riveting and makes no apologies about the brutality needed to succeed at modern espionage. As an example, they quote the passage on how to search someone. "First, kill the person then search them. If that is impractical, make him lie on the ground and hit him in the head with the butt of your gun."

Yes, this is what warfare is sometimes. Kill or so you have 1 less combatant to worry about. Through declassified information and firsthand accounts from those involved, the story of the covert war within World War II will captivate you.

Legacy of Camp X

It comes as no surprise that several early directors of the CIA were graduates of Camp X.

Check your local listings for air dates. I watched WWII Spy School on Netflix. The documentary was produced for the Smithsonian Channel so check your listings or visit the link above for local air dates.You can also purchase the documentary from the link above.

Takeaway Truth

For students of recent history, especially WWII and/or military history, this is a must-see documentary that will have you talking about it for days.